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Defiant Akmal, Razzaq help Pakistan survive

Pakistan discovered a new hero in Kamran Akmal who smashed his maiden test century and shared a defiant 184-run partnership with Abdul Razzaq to help Pakistan salvage a draw from a grave situation in the opening test match against India on Saturday.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Akmal led Pakistan's fight back from a glum situation by smashing an attacking 109 and Razzaq dropped anchor during his patient 71 to thwart India's victory charge.
Resuming at the overnight score of 257 for six, defeat was starting Pakistan in the face, but Akmal and Razzaq defied the Indian bowlers for 52.3 overs Saturday and Pakistan declared its second innings on 496 for eight, leaving India no chance to set up a chase.

India, which led by 204 runs in the first innings, scored 85 for one in 70 minutes before the umpires removed the bails to signal that the series opener was drawn.

Pakistan had scored 312 in its first innings and India responded with 516.

Akmal took an aggressive role in the partnership to smash 15 boundaries off 154 deliveries in 238 minutes of batting, while Razzaq played the supporting cast in his 346-minute knock that contained just four boundaries and one six from 260 balls.

Akmal and Razzaq put together Pakistan's highest seventh-wicket partnership against India - overtaking the 154-run stand between Khan and Ijaz Faqih at Ahmadabad in 1987.

Akmal saw an edged shot off paceman Zaheer Khan scrape V.V.S. Laxman's outstretched hand at gully before hitting leg-spinner Anil Kumble for two fluent boundaries through covers.

He turned Khan for four to midwicket and then completed the half-century from 62 deliveries by steering Kumble for four past slip for his eighth shot to the fence.

Overtaking his previous highest test score of 56 against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo two seasons ago, Akmal raced toward his century, but got struck on 99 for a long time before cover driving Kumble to the fence to reach his first century in 11 tests, a feat that took 214 minutes.

He became only the second Pakistani wicketkeeper to score a century against India, after Imtiaz Ahmed's 135 at Madras in 1960-61.

Razzaq cut out his strokes to play a supporting role during the partnership that pushed back India's victory charge. Pakistan added 112 runs without any loss on the fifth morning with Razzaq contributing just 22.

Razzaq, who hit just one boundary in 150 minutes during the morning session, got a reprieve on 50 shortly after lunch when Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly at mid-off misjudged a lofted shot off Kumble. Razzaq then stepped out to loft the next delivery for the day's only six over long-off.

Akmal continued to dominate the Indian attack before he fell to a catch by substitute Harbhajan Singh at mid-off on the bowling of seam bowler Laxmipathy Balaji (4-95).

Razzaq fell to a catch by Rahul Dravid off Kumble (3-142) that the slip fielder took after twice juggling with the edged shot.

Tailenders Mohammad Sami (10 runs, 49 minutes) and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan (38 not out, 54 minutes) batted long enough to ensure that India had no chance to blast the required runs.

Indian opener Gautam Gambhir remained unbeaten on 32 and first-innings century-maker Virender Sehwag stuck a brisk 36 before the match ended on his stumping by Akmal off part-time spinner Younis Khan.