By ICF Staff
January 13 2006

The much-anticipated India-Pakistan series gets under way in Lahore with Pakistan dominating the first day's play after winning the toss on a flat track that had nothing in it for bowlers. After all the talk from Pakistan's cricketers and ex-cricketers about green bouncy tracks, the lifeless pitch served up in Lahore was a bowler's nightmare and a batsman's paradise.

Inzamam-ul-Haq won a crucial toss and his batsmen capitalized as none of the Indian bowlers were able to make an impact on the featherbed.

Salman Butt was run out by a superb direct hit from Yuvraj Singh at square leg. And had Younis Khan been given out at 1 when he was plumb in front to Irfan Pathan by controversial umpire Darryl Hair, who has been under fire from Pakistan and was targetted by PCB when they requested the ICC to remove him after numerous poor decisions in favor of England in the recent Eng-Pak series, the story may well have been different.

A circumspect Hair surprisingly decided to rule in favor of Khan who went on to hit an unbeaten 147 to take his side to a commanding 326-2 at the end of the first day. Mohammad Yousuf gave him good support and ended the day on 95 not out, fortunate to escape a good LBW shout early off Kumble, and late in the day was dropped at 90 by Virender Sehwag at gully off Ajit Agarkar.

India looked flat and devoid of enthusiasm. There was much less energy than usual in the appeals, and Mahendra Dhoni was quiet behind stumps. Captain Rahul Dravid's body language was reserved and there was a noticeable lack of pep talks.

Irfan Pathan was the only bowler to get a wicket when he had Shoaib Malik, who batted confidently for his 59, caught at cover by Harbhajan Singh shortly after lunch. However, the paceman lacked penetration as he bowled at a pedestrian medium pace. Agarkar was a shade quicker and was unlucky not to grab a couple of wickets, bowling with control and accuracy. Sourav Ganguly did a good impression of Mohinder Amarnath with his slow and steady bowling conceding very few runs. He curled a few away and nipped a couple back; one good-length delivery bounced on Younis unexpectedly and went to vacant second slip.

Harbhajan Singh got lots of turn off the pitch in his first over. He seems to have learned to bowl the orthodox off spinner's delivery much better, but abandoned the doosra.

Anil Kumble was strangely off-color and bowled several full tosses and long hops - the Kookaburra effect? Virender Sehwag was tight and tidy in the few overs he bowled.

Regular opener Gautam Gambhir, who has been in poor form recently, was dropped and backup opener Wasim Jaffer was not risked in an important opening match. Instead, Sourav Ganguly's experience was preferred and it remains to be seen if Sehwag will open the batting with Rahul Dravid, who is far more suited to the position, or Ganguly who has been one of the great ODI openers. Opening the batting on a pitch like this one is unlikely to be too different from opening in an ODI.

This match is clearly headed towards a draw, unless Pakistan can accelerate and put up a big enough score to put India under pressure, or the wicket changes nature dramatically.