Cricket: Pakistan's big guns settle early against Indian attack

If Pakistan could be said to be in a good position at 137-2 wickets at lunch on the first day of the second test against India, the Indians could be said to be positively ecstatic. After all, they'd taken two wickets - one more than Pakistan managed in the last test.

The first test was so dominated by the bat that only eight wickets fell in the entire test. Pakistan scored 679-7 and India were 410-1, with Virender Sehwag out for 254 and Rahul Dravid undefeated on 128.

However, the bad news for India was that the two principal destroyers from Pakistan's first test batting - Younis Khan and Mohammed Yousuf - were not out (Younis 39 and Yousuf 37) at Faisalabad, with Yousuf beginning to play his shots even in the immediate period before lunch, usually a time for caution.

India dropped batsman Sourav Ganguly to make way for three medium-pacers plus their two spinners, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, while Ajit Agarkar suffered a hamstring and was replaced by Zaheer Khan.

Test debutant Rudra Pratap Singh claimed the first wicket - the dangerous Shoaib Malik, for 19 - while Zaheer claimed Salman Butt for 37.

Malik was out in unusual fashion, ducking a short-pitched ball and leaving his bat high in the air, the ball flying to Dravid at slip.

Butt looked dangerous but flashed at a sharp inswinger from Zaheer.

Pakistan brought in Mohammad Asif and Abdul Razzaq instead of Mohammad Sami and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan. Sami is unwell while Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, a leading light in Pakistan's win over England recently, made way for Razzaq.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY