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The Pakistan Team Management’s decision to play Yasir Arafat by dropping Sohail Tanvir paid off brilliantly. Making his Test Match Debut, Yasir Arafat enjoyed a dream spell in the morning session of the first day’s play at the Chinnaswamy Stadium which has destroyed India’s top order. At lunch, India are struggling to get to a decent first innings score as they have already lost four wickets.
Sourav Ganguly is battling it out and has Yuvraj Singh, who is trying to come in terms against some good bowling. India are at a vulnerable 65 for 4 at lunch in 24 overs and are desperately looking for a big partnership between Ganguly and Yuvraj after lunch. It was a brave decision from Kumble to bat first on a wicket that was assisting lateral movement. There wasn’t much pace and bounce though. India would have first lost the wicket of Wasim Jaffer off a short pitch delivery from Shoaib Akhtar, but the batsman was dropped at gully by a forward diving Mohammad Sami. Gambhir instead was the first man to be dismissed with Sami making amends for his dropped catch. A beautiful good length delivery forced the left hander to play at it and a slight away movement got the edge which was taken behind. Gambhir made 5 after staying for just 19 balls, he was dismissed in the 8th over with the score reading just 8!
Rahul Dravid walked into the middle in a positive fashion and had started to play his shots straightaway. That caused his downfall very early. Having already struck three fours, Dravid went for his fourth boundary through a forceful cut shot to a delivery that was way too close to his body and he had to pay for that mistake. Yasir Arafat was the bowler who got rewarded with his maiden test scalp after Misbah-ul-Haq took a safe catch to end Dravid’s short stay. Dravid made 19 in 28 balls. A few minutes later, Arafat’s skiddy inswinger was misjudged by Wasim Jaffer, who padded up to that delivery to be given out lbw. India were now 51 for 3. Jaffer made 17 from 62 with 3 fours. Just a few minutes before lunch, Arafat produced another good inswinger to which Laxman (5) went on the backfoot instead of getting onto the frontfoot to be bowled off the inside edge in his defensive shot.
At lunch, Ganguly has got himself to 12 with two superb shots through the offside and he is the man who has got to get the big one for India. So far he has batted courageously in his 24-ball stay by mixing caution with aggression. Yuvraj is yet to open his account, he has been struck by a bouncer on his shoulder already. The Man of the Session was Yasir Arafat with dream figures of 7-1-22-3. He has been bowling the ideal length and has seamed the ball both ways. Shoaib Akhtar has been bowling some hostile stuff. But he also seems to be having some pain in his lower back. There was an interesting moment when had raised both his arms in his run up to distract Sourav Ganguly but the latter pulled off from taking the strike wisely.