Report

Bright start for Indian top-order

The Indians made a bright start to the tour with all four top-order batsmen notching half-centuries to take the score to 298 for 4

Indians 298 for 4 (Tendulkar 74, Dravid 63, Jaffer 58, Gambhir 53) v Pakistan A
Scorecard


Sachin Tendulkar played some sparkling shots during his 74© Getty Images
In an absurdly laid-back opening for what promises to be an intense series, staged in a setting more English than sub-continental, the Indians cruised along merrily and racked up 298 for 4 against Pakistan A on the first day in Lahore. Led by half-centuries from the top four and, on a flat pitch on the slightly slow side, the Indians blunted the varied attack.
Playing in the idyllic Bagh-e-Jinnah ground, a tranquil patch circumscribed with trees, in front of close to 500 spectators watching from behind pickets, the Indians, expectedly, chose to gain some batting practice ahead of the first Test in six days' time. Two batsmen for whom the game mattered the most, Gautam Gambhir and Wasim Jaffer, ensured that the suspense lasted a bit longer - doing just enough to find their groove, but not enough to seal a Test berth - while two that followed, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, revelled in the relaxed setting, cruising along to composed half-centuries as well.
Faced with an opportunity to stake their claim, in abnormally chilly conditions, Gambhir and Jaffer began cautiously but soon overcame any threat posed by the four-pronged pace attack. Umar Gul, staking a claim for a Test recall, was guilty of bowling too short, on a surface not offering too much lift, while Rao Iftikhar Anjum and Yasir Arafat struggled to extract too much seam movement. Mohammad Irshad - similar to Shoaib Akhtar in action and not too far behind in speed - was the most threatening of the lot but Gambhir and Jaffer blunted all without too much fuss.
Gambhir was the first to turn aggressor, latching on to anything slightly wide, ripping a couple of fierce cuts, and driving with customary verve. With the axe looming, he backed himself when the ball was there to be hit, cracking nine fours en route to his fifty. He fell soon after reaching the landmark but Jaffer picked up the baton and kept the scoreboard ticking. Unfurling some gorgeous cover-drives, and dissecting the fielders to a nicety, he was on his way to entering the sort of zone that has made him such a mighty force in domestic cricket back home. He was confident enough to attempt some cheeky glides, one ramped over the slip cordon, but fell victim to trying one too many, nicking a good-length cutter from Gul.
Unlike the two openers, Dravid didn't take any time to open out. With a picnic-atmosphere catching on as the game meandered, he unobtrusively motored along, mastering the faster bowlers, dismissing the spinners and racing to his half-century. Irshad was pulled with gusto while the two legspinners, Mansoor Amjad and Imran Farhat, were made to look inadequate. What Dravid began, Tendulkar continued and looked in spanking touch for little over two hours in the middle. There was a certain joy in watching colossal performers entertain a holiday crowd, classical strokeplay adorning a rustic setting. Tendulkar often couldn't contain his boyish cheek, attempting paddle sweeps, and observing such a figure bask in a relatively obscure stage had a charm of its own.
Amjad is definitely a promising bowler possessing the required weapons but had no clue when in one over Tendulkar decided to have some fun - steered through cover, whipped through midwicket and pulled square. Nothing could stop him, or so it seemed, until he under-edged a short and wide one from Arafat, looked back to see Zulqarnain, the wicketkeeper, pull off a beauty and without any hesitation, walked. Tendulkar had had his fun, Arafat, as he was to say later, had got his "dream wicket", the Indians had got some valuable practice and an already peaceful Bagh-e-Jinnah got a bit quieter. A tour had started in utter calm, and one still had to come to grips with the fact that it's India in Pakistan.
How they were out
Gautam Gambhir c Rao b Irshad 53 (81 for 1)
Flashed one airily to deep point
Wasim Jaffer c Zulqarnain b Gul 58 (153 for 2)
Tried to glide one to the third-man region
Rahul Dravid c Raza b Farhat 63 (220 for 3)
Driven uppishly to cover; well taken diving forward
Sachin Tendulkar c Zulqarnain b Arafat 74 (279 for 4)
Under-edged a short and wide ball; superb take by the wicketkeeper

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan is staff writer of Cricinfo