Even though, Pakistan succumbed to the leg-spin wiles of Anil Kumble on a strip consisting of invariable bounce on the final day to crash to a 195-run defeat against India in the second Test they should not fall into despair. Of course, Pakistan yet take heart from their performance over the initial four days at the Eden Gardens, going into the final Test at Banglore beginning from Wednesday.
In hindsight, Inzamam losing toss on the first day contributed towards Pakistan ultimate downfall. India had the better part for batting and it was that, that enabled them to set Pakistan a massive target to chase.
Only three teams - the West Indies (2003), India (1976) and Australia (1948) - have so far scored more than 400 in the fourth innings to win a Test in the history of the game and Pakistan needing 422 to win was the largest ever.
Pakistan chances sharply receded when they lost three big wickets within the space of 20 runs in the first hour after resuming at 95 for one, with Anil Kumble snapping up two and Laxmipathy Balaji one.
Kumble then went on to wreck the Pakistan middle order with his intelligent variations to wind up with seven for 63. Pakistan were bundled out for a paltry 226 thereby surrendered a 1-0 lead in the best of three series to India.
Kumble, who took all 10 wickets in a Test innings against Pakistan at Delhi in 1999,to equal England's Jim Laker's feat achieved against Australia at Manchester in 1956, brought back those unhappy memories to haunt the visitors. Kumble picked up a scalp with his first ball before completing his 29th haul of five or more wickets in an innings.
This was the seventh occasion that Kumble captured 10 or more wickets in a Test, having notched up three in the first innings.
Only Asim Kamal was able offer any sort defiance with a sound 50 for his sixth half-century.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh (two for 51) was instrumental in completing India's first victory Pakistan in six Tests at this venue when he bowled Danish Kaneria in the final session. Pakistan were forced to play for a draw after losing first-innings century-maker Younis Khan (zero), skipper Inzamamul Haq (13) and Taufeeq Umar (35) in the morning.
Kumble began the slide when he had Younis stumped by Dinesh Karthik with the first ball of the day and then removed Inzamam, who played the delivery on to his stumps.
Umar was caught by Virender Sehwag at second slip off Balaji to leave his team stuttering at 115 for four.
Otherwise, to dependable Pakistan middle-order comprising Yousuf Youhana (22), Abdul Razzaq and Kamran Akmal wilted under the pressure in the post-luncheon session.
Youhana was caught by Gautam Gambhir at short-leg to become Kumble's fourth victim while Razzaq (six) and Akmal (seven), Pakistan's saviour in the first Test, could not repeat their performance.
Razzaq was bowled by Kumble and Akmal by Harbhajan to leave Pakistan on the brink of defeat and that came 22 minutes after tea break.
If India enjoyed the ascendancy in the first two session on the opening day it was because of the blistering 118 deliveries 81 by Virendar Sehwag and a crucial third wicket stand by the man nicknamed 'The Wall' Rahul Dravid and Little Master Sachin Tendulkar on what looked like a perfect batting strip.
India went to tea with an imposing 278 for two and threatening to make a huge first innings total.
But if that was not to be, it was the superb fight back by Pakistan in the day's final session when the prized out three top-order batsmen within the space of 20 runs. It was instigated by seam bowler. Abdul Razzak who snapped two wickets with successive balls to stem the Indian run-riot.
First to fall was Sehwag after his aggressive knock. Sehwag had posted an opening stand of 80 with Gautam Gambhir (29). Then along with Dravid added another 76 runs for the second wicket. The breakthrough was initiated by Shahid Afridi who had him caught at short cover by Inzamam off a top-edge shot. However, Nevertheless, Sehwag's departure did not put the damper on the Indians as both Dravid and Tendulkar set about to repair the damage.
But after notching up 122 runs for the third wicket, Tendulkar was caught behind by Kamran Akmal for a well-crafted 52 to give Shahid Afridi his second wicket.
It was Tendulkar's 40th Test half century. In the process Tendulkar joined the elite club of surpassing 10,000 runs at this level of cricket. Former Australian captain Allan Border tops the list with 11,174 runs, followed by compatriot Steve Waugh (10,927), Indian Sunil Gavaskar (10,122) West Indian great Brian Lara (10,094) and Tendulkar (10,025).
Tendulkar was still a century away from overtaking Gavaskar's world record of 34 Test matches hundreds, which he came very near of achieving in the first Mohali Test when he perished for 94.
But when Dravid was in his nineties he lost his skipper Sourav Ganguly and Venkatsai Laxman cheaply. Ganguly was sent back after nicking a ball behind driving away from the body while Laxman was trapped for a first ball duck. Both fell to the old-ball reserve swing of Abdul Razzak.
Then when Rahul Dravid fell in the final over of the day to leg-spinner Danish Kaneria caught behind by Kamran Akmal shortly after scoring his 19th Test Century to make India 344 for six. In a way, Pakistan were well and truly back in the game, having four top-order batsmen return to the pavilion for only 66 additional runs.
The next three sessions on the second day also belonged to Pakistan. They sustained the previous evening's good work by bowling out India for 407 runs in the first innings. By then, India had lost eight wickets for just 129 runs.
It was then that both Younis Khan, under a heavy cloud cover to deliver after failures in both innings in the first Test, and Yousuf Youhana chose to take centre-stage.
Younis batted excellently as an accumulator while Youhana was at his elegant best.
The pair came together at 70 for two after Shahid Afridi's blitzkrieg to destroy the sheen of the ball and Taufiq Umar's departure.
Younis Khan was first to get to his seventh Test hundred and Youhana hoisted Harbhajan's last ball of the day to midwicket to register his 13th Test century.
By every reckoning, it was a demoralising day for the hosts, whose bowlers could not find the perfect line and length to curb the fluency from the bats of Younis and Youhana.
At stumps, the two 'Y's' had seen Pakistan reach a thumping 273 for two without being separated.
Earlier in the morning, leg-spinners Danish Kaneria and Shahid Afridi, and seamer Abdul Razzak had wound up with a haul of three scalps apiece.
But India came back strongly on the third day. They managed to claim the last eight Pakistan wickets for only 120 runs. Pakistan thus, trailed India by only 14 runs. Both the Indian and Pakistani first inning took look of almost identical patterns.
With Indian enjoying a slender lead, they suffered two early jolts. Both openers Gautum Gambir and Virender Sehwag were bundled out with a blistering Mohammad Sami opening spell. Gambir was clean bowled with an outrageous first ball unplayable yorker while Sehwag played the ball onto his body and on its way down dislodged balls.
But once again, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar got their innings rescue act together.
In a six-over period close to the end of day India were 133 for two. Just before that Tendulkar had reached his half century. Soon after he was unfortunate to be given out to a caught behind decision by Abdul Razzak by West Indian umpire Steve Bucknor, standing in a world record 100th Test.
Television replays later gave evidence that the ball missed the bat by a hair's breath. But in all fairness to Bucknor, he had only a fraction of a moment to adjudicate and that too, without the aid of technology.
Nonetheless, it was disgusting to see Tendulkar's open show of dissent on his way back to the dressing room.. Cricket is a great leveller and Tendulkar should bear in mind that in the Mohali Test he was clearly out to a bat and pad catch in the second knock. But .
he was given not out by the man in a tie however, he stood his ground. Cricket is gentleman's game and it is only sporting to aid the umpire by walking when one knows that he is out and follow in the tradition of former Pakistan captain Majid Jehangir Khan.
Furthermore, at this level of cricket senior professionals like Tendulkar must learn to take the rough with the smooth.
Also there was unsporting behaviour from Tendulkar, Dravid and Ganguly to pressurise the umpires to call an early draw of stumps because of failing lights when the flood light towers were switched on. It is an open secret that it takes awhile for the artificial light to take effect. With Sami bowling at a splendid pace they were awry losing wickets in the twilight.
After suffering the early loss of Ganguly on the fourth morning, V.V.S. Laxman, received a nasty hit over his left eye from a rising Sami delivery that crashed through his visor.
But Rahul Dravid then got associated in another long 165 runs patnership with Dinish Kartish.
India were hugely indebted to Dravid for setting a challenging target as the stylish batsman followed his first-innings 110 with an unblemished 135. It was the second time in his career that Dravid scored a century in each innings of Test and 20 to date.
For the record, it was only the sixth instance in Indian cricket that a batsman had scored a hundred in each innings of a match. Sunil Gavaskar did it thrice, Dravid twice and Vijay Hazare once.
The 19-year-old Karthik then batted sensibly under pressure to provide valuable support to his senior pro in only his seventh Test, the wicket-keeper looked set to score a deserving maiden century when he was bowled by Kaneria going for big shots before the intended declaration. He struck 13 fours in his 140-ball knock.
After a few cameos from the returned Laxman and the rest of the batsmen, Ganguly then declared at 407 for nine. Thereby, setting Pakistan a winning target of 422 runs in 110 overs left in the Test.
The Test was wide open in the morning session before Pakistan encountered Dravid and Karthik.
Sami did the damage in his lively opening spell when he held a return catch to account for Ganguly, who mis-timed a pull after adding just eight to his overnight four. Sami, Kaneria and seamer Abdul Razzaq finished with three wickets apiece.
Pakistan began their response with 20 overs remaining in the day and they were off to a blazing start, thanks to the belligerence of Shahid Afridi. But with only eight balls to play out the day, Afridi needlessly threw away his wicket by falling into the trap set by Ganguly and Anil Kumble. Going round the wicket to exploit the bowlers rough Kumble got the help he expected. Afridi top-edged a pull shot and Ganguly gleefully accepted the catch at deep backward square leg. Afridi got his 59 runs from exactly 59 deliveries only to find the Indians satisfied lot to see the back of him.
Pakistan fancying their chances on the last day did not send a night watchman but first innings' centurion Younis Khan and at the close they were 95 for one with Taufiq Umar not out on 29 from 61 balls and Younis on naught.
As it were, a fascinating scenario was set up for the concluding day with all three options left open -- an Indian win, a draw or a Pakistani victory. Sadly though, for the Pakistani supporters the first option prevailed to their utter dismay.
Despite the resultant outcome from Pakistan point of view, whosoever can say that Test cricket is dying, the Calcutta match has proved beyond a shadow of doubt that it turned out to be a wonderful advertisement for it, very the highest form of the game.