 Batsmen's day out at Eden Gardens
1st Dec 2007 18:00 IST
Agencies
The elegant Laxman (264 mins, 178 balls) also seemed in blazing form as he executed several sweetly timed strokes during his aggressive knock studded with 15 hits to the fence.
Laxman took a single to get to his hundred in the post tea session with a single from a short arm pull to deep midwicket off Akhtar.
The Hyderabadi's 11th hundred in 85 Tests came of 158 balls after a 233-minute stay in the middle.
India moved to 552/5 at Tea, and Dhoni (6x4, 1x6) brought up the 600 of the innings with a single by placing Kaneria to covers. He also plundered 18 runs with a six in the next over of Butt before effecting the declaration.
Jaffer's, Ganguly's and Laxman's hundreds in the Indian first innings provide the first instance of three Indian batsmen registering hundreds in an innings against Pakistan.
Three century stands in the Indian first innings - 136 for first, 175 for third and 163 for fifth provide the second instance of Indian batsmen posting three century stands in an innings against Pakistan. The first such instance was at Multan in 2004.
In reply, Pakistan were 50/1 in 16 overs when stumps were drawn early with bad light stopping the play.
Opener Yaseer Hameed was foxed by Kumble's flipper as early as in the eighth over to demoralise the visiting side in chase of the huge score. Pakistan is struggling in Tests after one-day series defeat against India.
Salman Butt was batting on 26 and Younis Khan was on 3 at close. |
