India one down for three, chasing 203 to win first Test against Pak

New Delhi, Nov 25 (UNI) India suffered early setback losing one wicket for three runs in their second innings at lunch on day four while chasing 203 for a win in the first Test against Pakistan at Feroz Shah Kotla here today.

Dinesh Karthik failed yet again and got out for one with team score on two in the first over of India second innings, edging Shoaib Akhtar to wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal after facing five balls. Karthik had made nine in the first innings.

At lunch break, India were three for one after four overs with Wasim Jaffer on two and Rahul Dravid on zero.

With five sessions remaining in the match and the Kotla pitch not deteriorating much, India, whose highest score while successfully chasing a target at this ground was 190 for three against Zimbabwe in November 2000, though are in a good position to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.

Earlier, Pakistan were all out for 247, 20 minutes before the end of dramatic morning session. Resuming on 212 for five, they lost five wickets, three in four balls, in 17.1 overs this morning with the addition of 35 runs and their second innings folded after 83.1 overs. Shoaib Akhtar remained not out without scoring.

India needed just five balls in the morning to get the breakthrough with Zaheer Khan removing Kamran Akmal for 21.

Pakistan had then added only one run to their overnight 212 for five and with it the sixth wicket stand of 52 runs was broken.

Akmal was out while chasing a widish delivery from Zaheer only to edge to substitute fielder Yuvraj at point. The Pakistan wicket-keeper faced 56 balls for his 21 and hit three fours.

Next batsman in, Sohail Tanvir, was on a punishing mood but paid the price for playing a shot too many. After hitting Zaheer for two fours and Anil Kumble for a boundary, he went for an unsuccessful pull shot off Zaheer only to hole out to Harbhajan at square leg. Tanvir made 13 from 23 balls and when he was out Pakistan had taken 184-run lead with three wickets in hand.

Mohammad Sami came in to join Misbah-ul-Haq and the duo looked to repeat the same defiant show of the first innings but drama unfolded at this stage and Pakistan lost three wickets in four deliveries which spanned two overs.

Kumble claimed the second new ball after 82.3 overs and handed it to Sourav Ganguly who took two wickets in three balls.

First, he got Misbah for 45 holed out to Dinesh Karthik who ran from mid-on to long-on to take a well-judged catch for 45. Next ball, Sami hit Ganguly for a four but then the former India captain had the last laugh removing Sami for one with Wasim Jaffer holding an easy catch after the ball spooned high to mid-wicket region.

Next ball off Kumble, Danish Kaneria (0) pushed it to Tendulkar towards cover and set off for a single only to be sent back by Shoaib Akhtar. Tendulakr's throw was wide but MS Dhoni collected it and threw the ball between his legs to the stumps and Sami was well short of the crease.

Kumble returned with three for 68 while Zaheer, Ganguly and Harbhajan chipped in two each.

UNI