Ganga stands firm after Gul and Kaneria strike

West Indies opener Daren Ganga played a lone hand of 77 to keep his team alive in the third and final test against Pakistan on Tuesday. Ganga steered West Indies to 191 for six at close on day two with his defiant and unbeaten knock on a slow, low bouncing pitch which he described as a real challenge for batsmen.
Pacer Umar Gul and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria took six wickets between them but Ganga ensured his team were not rolled over by the home side, who had been bowled out for 304 one hour into the morning session.
After a solid 51-run opening stand between Ganga and Chris Gayle, who stroked his way to 40 from 54 balls, West Indies were rocked by Gul, who took three wickets in 10 balls.
He had Gayle caught at mid-on by Abdul Razzaq and two balls later bowled skipper Brian Lara with a beauty that moved away and took off-stump in his first over after lunch. Lara failed to get off the mark after scores of 61, 122 and 216 in the previous two tests. His wicket spurred on the Pakistanis and next over, Gul produced an unplayable, in-dipping yorker to clean up Ramnaresh Sarwan, back in the side after being dropped for the second test, also for a duck.
63-RUN STAND: Ganga, batting resolutely, revived the visitors from a precarious 51 for three with a 63-run stand with Shivnarine Chanderpaul for the fourth wicket, the latter picking the gaps beautifully to score 36 from 49 balls with seven fours. Chanderpaul fell just before tea, caught smartly at forward short leg by Imran Farhat off leg-spinner Danish Kaneria.
Kaneria, who took a beating in the first two tests from Lara, was at his best on the slow track and also grabbed the fifth wicket when he ended an obdurate knock of 21 by Runako Morton. Morton was given out caught at silly point although television replays suggested the ball might have come off fielder Farhat's helmet.
Kaneria took his third wicket just before stumps when he lured Dwayne Bravo (8) into going for a cut and edging to keeper Kamran Akmal. Ganga, who has batted for 308 minutes and hit nine fours, said he had to be really patient on the pitch which was inconsistent in terms of bounce.
"In terms of concentration and technique it was a very good innings - I had to be really patient. We need to accumulate runs on this pitch and stick it out," he said. He said the pitch was not sporting as it was very slow and difficult to play shots on.
Earlier, paceman Corey Collymore finished with three for 57 when Pakistan lost their last three wickets for 47 runs, the last-wicket pair of Gul (26) and Kaneria (7) putting on 32 valuable runs. Daren Powell struck in the second over by bowling Shahid Nazir for a duck and then, with the first delivery of the second new ball, Collymore beat Akmal (31) to knock over his middle stump. Pakistan lead the series 1-0 after winning the first test in Lahore by nine wickets. The second in Multan was drawn.
SCOREBOARD:
PAKISTAN 1ST INNINGS (OVERNIGHT 257-7)

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Mohammad Hafeez b Collymore               18

Imran Farhat c Ramdin b Bravo             47

Younis Khan run out                       20

Mohammad Yousuf lbw b Collymore          102

Inzamam-ul-Haq c Chanderpaul b Ganga      18

Shoaib Malik lbw b Taylor                 18

Abdul Razzaq c Ramdin b Bravo              7

Kamran Akmal b Collymore                  31

Shahid Nazir b Powell                      0

Umar Gul b Powell                         26

Danish Kaneria not out                     7

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Extras: (b1,lb7, nb2)                     10

Total:                                   304

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Fall of wickets: 1-26, 2-72, 3-112, 4-178, 5-222, 6-239, 7-248, 8-265, 9-272.
Bowling: Taylor 22-3-76-1, Collymore 21-6-57-3, Gayle 16-3-27-0, Powell 23.5-5-83-2, Bravo 14-6-33-2, Ganga 4-0-20-1
Overs: 100.5
WEST INDIES 1ST INNINGS:

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C. Gayle c Razzaq b Gul                   40

D. Ganga not out                          77

B. Lara b Gul                              0

R. Sarwan b Gul                            0

S. Chanderpaul c Farhat b Kaneria         36

R. Morton c Farhat b Kaneria              21

D. Bravo c Akmal b Kaneria                 8

D. Ramdin not out                          0

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Extras: (b5, nb4)                          9

Total: (for six wkts)                    191

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