 Batsmen's day out at Eden Gardens
1st Dec 2007 18:00 IST
Agencies
After Wasim Jaffer's double hundred, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman cracked fluent centuries to propel India to a mammoth first innings score, helping India take command of the second Test on the second day of the match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata today.
Local hero Ganguly (102) shook off his Eden Gardens jinx to get to his first three figure score on the ground while also partnering stylish batsman Laxman (112 not out) to a 163-run fifth wicket stand, before skipper Anil Kumble declared the Indian innings at 616/5, an hour into the post Tea session.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni also contributed to India's total, being 50 not out.
Resuming at the overnight score of 352/3, Indian batsmen continued to pile on the misery on the tourists, with Jaffer achieving a well-deserved double century in the morning.
The Indians had much to cheer for in the morning, with Jaffer cantering to his double hundred in style in speedster Shoaib Akhtar's opening over after Mohammad Sami.
Jaffer, overnight unbeaten on 192, sent the second delivery scurrying to the cover fence with a full-blooded drive, before dispatching the fourth ball to the backward point boundary to get his second Test double ton. The landmark was reached in 374 minutes of 260 balls.
The 50 of the fourth wicket partnership between the Mumbai Batsman and Ganguly was posted soon, but it was curtains for Jaffer a little later, as Sohail Tanvir yet again tasted success with his first ball of the day.
The young Pakistan pacer, who had got rid of Dinesh Karthik with his opening ball yesterday, replaced Shoaib and bowled one that moved away after pitching on the off-stump.
Jaffer offered his willow, and wicket keeper Kamran Akmal gleefully accepted the edge bringing the curtains down on the Indian opener's 402-minute knock embellished with 34 boundaries.
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