Ganguly and Laxman steer India towards massive total

India lost Wasim Jaffer soon after he reached his second Test double-hundred, but continued merrily along their run-making ways on the second morning of the second Test at Eden Gardens.

Pakistan's bowlers recovered from their first-day mauling to exert a bare semblance of control over the first hour, with Sohail Tanvir bowling a tight spell. But India were the horse that had long since bolted and with the Prince of Eden Gardens, Sourav Ganguly hovering ominously in front of Pakistan's happiness, unbeaten on 62, and VVS Laxman in typically dreamy touch, the second hour was a more accurate indicator of the pain headed Pakistan's way. India will lunch contentedly on 449 for 4.

For the sake of contest, it helped that Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami had another night to recover from the illnesses that had so visibly ailed them on day one. Sami had been a hardy competitor yesterday in any case, but Shoaib in particular looked better, changing his pace well and running in with a little more purpose. Still, as Jaffer flashed him through square and then edged to third man in the second over of the day to reach his landmark - off only 260 balls - trouble loomed.

The introduction of Tanvir delayed it: as yesterday, he struck with his first ball, gaining from Jaffer a thin edge. And until the drinks break, he bowled a fine, probing spell. Laxman jabbed nervously outside off and Ganguly struggled to decipher the same angle and movement into him. It wasn't to last though, as a morning drink perked the pair up. Laxman eased Tanvir past mid-off soon after and then collected a brace of boundaries from Shoaib's next over.

Ganguly wasn't one to miss out. He had easily weathered an early morning short-ball barrage and now an opportunity for a rare score on home turf - he had only one fifty here before this - presented itself gift-wrapped. The grass around covers and gully was duly scorched during a Tanvir over in which Laxman also caressed a pair of boundaries, forcing even the sphinx-like Tanvir to vent. And with a flick to fine leg the next over, up came Ganguly's fifty to predictably rapturous applause.

Thereafter, the pair were set and a fourth successive fifty partnership of the innings a formality. Laxman whipped Danish Kaneria unperturbed through midwicket and Ganguly drove him past mid-off and just like that, as early as the second morning, the Test was effectively out of Pakistan's hands.

Ganguly and Laxman silence the doubters

An hour after Sachin Tendulkar slapped one past point to sew up the Kotla Test, Yuvraj Singh walked out to the middle. Hardly anyone was left in the stands and only a few cameramen and officials watched his stint. Facing a group of net bowlers, one of whom tried his best to imitate Shoaib Akhtar, he went about pounding the netting. The fury in some of those shots was indicative of how hard he's knocking on the doors of selection.

By just being around, he's keeping an entire batting line-up, a selection committee, and a media contingent on its toes. His name has come up in four of the six press conferences here. Before the game he was being talked about as a replacement for VVS Laxman, now he's being linked to Dinesh Karthik. Often he's also giving Sourav Ganguly a run. At the danger of giving him too much credit, he's obliquely contributing towards a consistent batting effort, match after match.

Ganguly and Laxman, though, must be a bit confused. One has reinvented himself over the last year and the other played his part in a quiet, efficient manner. Both have come through high-pressure situations, dealing with it in an assured manner. Ganguly has silenced those who doubted his ability against pace and Laxman has done the same against swing. Both have eked out runs with the tail, both have kept out the second new ball and both have, crucially, played out important final sessions. Ganguly has four fifties and a hundred in his last eight Tests; Laxman five fifties and a hundred in his last ten.

The Kotla Test was a case in point. If Laxman blunted the Shoaib threat in the first innings, Ganguly did the same in the second. If Laxman appeared far more comfortable than any batsman in the first dig, Ganguly occupied that slot in the second. Both walked in amid a collapse and, in contrasting styles, calmed the nerves. Both didn't hesitate to play their shots. They made some important contributions on the field too: Laxman plucking a sensational catch to break Pakistan's dangerous opening partnership and Ganguly having one of his best Tests with the ball.

Before the game, Kumble made it clear that Laxman would play. At the end of it, having seen his decision justified, he didn't understand the fuss. "I think Laxman's knock was very crucial considering the circumstances. He's a fantastic player and his partnership with Dhoni was very critical for us. I don't know why there is always a sword hanging over his head. It's only a perception from those not within the dressing room. We [the team] know what quality he brings in and his role in the team is very crucial."

Why Ganguly needs big scores against Pak

Sourav Ganguly must be satisfied as well as disappointed after his knock against Pakistan at Guwahati on Monday. Happy because his 39 certainly put India in a position to dominate and eventually win. Also because Monday’s match placed him in a unique league of cricketers like Mohammad Azharuddin, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, who have played 50 matches against Pakistan. Being considered for so long against a foe as formidable as Pakistan is a rare accomplishment as not many have been able to handle the pressure.


However, the former skipper is not likely to be completely satisfied because he failed to reach a fifty against the arch-rivals, and he had nobody else but himself to blame for the unfortunate run out.


Eleven more runs and Ganguly would have broken a sorry sequence of failing to reach fifty against Pakistan. After his tremendous 141 against Pakistan in the triangular series in Australia way back in the 1999-2000 season, the southpaw has yet to reach even fifty in his last 19 outings. In fact Pakistan have not allowed him to reach the double figures eight times, and that will surely be disappointing for Ganguly.


Ganguly since his 141 against Pakistan

Three scores between 40 and 49

Three scores between 30 and 39

Three scores between 20 and 29

Two scores between 10 and 19

Eight scores between 0 and 9

Ganguly has just managed 388 runs during this period at an average of 20.4, which certainly needs some improvement against the old foes. This period has seen his career average against Pakistan plummeting from a healthy 48.6 (After that 141 knock at Adelaide) to 36.4.