Captain Inzamamul Haq cracked a flawless unbeaten 184 in his 100th Test and Younis Khan added 127 not out as Pakistan took control on the first day of the third and final match on Thursday. The pair shared an unbroken 316-run partnership for the third wicket, the highest by Pakistan in India, as the visitors were cruising at 323 for two at the close after being reduced to seven for two. His magnificent 263-ball knock, with 25 fours, was the highest score by a batsman in his centennial Test.
India lead the three-match series 1-0. Paceman Lakshmipathy Balaji struck with his opening delivery, having Shahid Afridi caught at slip for a first ball duck with a quick ball that moved prodigiously off the seam.
Left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan then had Yasir Hameed (6) caught behind for six while reaching for a ball that angled away.
There was no respite for the bowlers after that on a flat track on which Inzamam had chosen to bat first.
His calming presence at the centre was just what Pakistan needed after the early shocks.
Looking at ease and playing late, he got off the mark with a superb cover drive off Pathan.
TOO SHORT: Inzamam pulled Harbhajan Singh for a boundary to midwicket and then repeated the shot against leg spinner Anil Kumble and Balaji as the Indian bowlers pitched too short.
With good support from Younis, who relied mainly on ones and twos, Inzamam raised his fifty by driving Harbhajan to the extra cover fence for his ninth four.
The 35-year-old was unstoppable after lunch, picking off 10 runs from Balaji's first over of the session and hitting boundaries at will.
Younis, playing the anchor, brought up his half century with a square-cut four off Pathan before Inzamam tucked the bowler to square leg for his 21st test hundred.
The normally stoic Inzamam celebrated by raising both arms in the air as the Chinnaswamy Stadium rose to give him a standing ovation.
The Pakistani batsmen were relentless in the final session, Younis dancing down the track and lofting Harbhajan over long on for the day's only six.
Harbhajan and Younis exchanged words after the batsman miscued a repeat shot to extra cover, but Inzamam and umpire Billy Bowden calmed things down.
Younis raised his eighth Test century, his second of the series, with a single off Kumble and Inzamam got to 150 with a couple in the same over.
Pakistan, desperate to win the match and level the series, made two changes for the game, picking opener Hameed ahead of Taufeeq Umar and tall off spinner Arshad Khan for left-arm seamer Mohammad Khalil.
The Test will be followed by six one-day internationals.
SCOREBOARD:
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PAKISTAN (1st innings):
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Y.Hameed c Karthik b Pathan 6
S.Afridi c Dravid b Balaji 0
Y.Khan not out 127
Inzamamul Haq not out 184
EXTRAS: (LB-2, NB-2, W-2) 6
TOTAL: (for two wickets, 90 overs) 323
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TO BAT: Y.Youhana, A.Kamal, A.Razzaq, K.Akmal, M.Sami, A.Khan, D.Kaneria.
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-4, 2-7.
BOWLING: (to date) Pathan 21-2-67-1 (w-1), Balaji 20-3-74-1 (nb-2, w-1), Kumble 24-3-93-0, Harbhajan 22-2-73-0, Tendulkar 3-0-14-0.
INDIA: Saurav Ganguly (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Vangipurappu Laxman, Dinesh Karthik (wicketkeeper), Irfan Pathan, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble.
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