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>>>ematchfixing>>Cricket>>News>

India enjoy run feast in Calcutta

Sachin Tendulkar reached 10,000 Test runs and Rahul Dravid hit 110 as India ended an eventful first day of the second Test against Pakistan on 344-6.

Tendulkar became the fastest man to the milestone but his dismissal for 52 off Shahid Afridi sparked a mini collapse.

Abdul Razzaq had Sourav Ganguly caught behind and trapped VVS Laxman leg before off successive deliveries.

Dravid put on 46 with Dinesh Karthik (28) before Danish Kaneria had him caught behind in the day's last over.

After their battling draw in Mohali, the tourists were hoping to repeat their 1999 triumph at Eden Gardens and take control of the three-match series.

They brought in all-rounder Afridi for opener Salman Butt, while left-arm paceman Mohammad Khalil replaced Naved-ul-Hasan (shoulder injury).

But they were soon facing an uphill task as Ganguly, who had off-spinner Harbhajan Singh back in his side in place of Zaheer Khan, won the toss and opted to bat.

After Mohammad Sami had opened up with a no-ball, Virender Sehwag flicked his first legitimate delivery through square leg for four.

It set the tone for the morning with Sami and Khalil tidy but lacking penetration.

When Kaneria was introduced, Sehwag struck him past mid-on for two fours as he reached a 67-ball fifty, but the bowler made a vital breakthrough when he removed Gambhir for 29 after the left-hander missed an attempted sweep.

Gambhir was given out by umpire Steve Bucknor, who had been presented with a silver plaque to mark his 100th Test before the start of play.

India were 126-1 at lunch and added another 30 in eight overs following the restart before Sehwag paid the price for over-confidence.

He attempted to loft Afridi over the leg-side without getting to the pitch of the ball and went for 81 after an outside edge was well taken by Inzamam as he ran back from cover.

Sehwag's departure brought in Tendulkar, but it was Dravid who assumed the senior partner's role and drove Sami away through the covers for four and three in the same over to progress to his half-century.

Tendulkar began cautiously but shook off the shackles when he cut and drove Afridi for two fours in an over.

Dravid produced another flowing drive off Kaneria as the tourists struggled to contain the scoring rate, which was almost four an over.

While there was little assistance for the seamers, Kaneria was getting plenty of turn already.

But Dravid dragged a short one to the mid-wicket boundary as he and Tendulkar brought up the fifty partnership off 85 balls.

Sami did find a good line occasionally, and Tendulkar was fortunate on 14 when he got a bottom edge and the ball just missed the off stump and also failed to carry to wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal.

But superb drives off Sami and Kaneria brought the brilliant batsman to the brink of his milestone just before tea.

And the 31-year-old received a prolonged ovation from the Eden Gardens crowd soon after the interval when he tucked a Razzaq delivery to backward square leg, raised his bat and looked skywards in contemplation of his achievement.

Dravid was inspired by what had happened and put a Kaneria full-toss away through mid-wicket and cut a short one to the point boundary off successive deliveries.

A superb drive off Afridi and a delightful glance to fine leg for four off Kaneria followed from Tendulkar as the duo registered a century partnership.

Dravid then lifted Kaneria over long-on for six and, with the Pakistan bowlers toiling in the afternoon heat, Tendulkar looked set for his 35th Test hundred.

But that was put on hold again as his attempted cut off a wide Afridi delivery was pouched by Akmal.

Ganguly's innings, on his home ground, was entertaining - but short.

He survived a shout for lbw off Afridi, edged Razzaq to where third slip would have been and smacked two other boundaries before getting a feint edge to a Razzaq outswinger.

The Pakistan all-rounder then trapped Laxman in his crease next ball and India had lost three wickets in as many overs.

However, the hosts were still in a good position and had more cause to celebrate when a beautifully timed on-drive brought up Dravid's ton off Sami.

With Karthik providing good support at the end, a big score looked on the cards until Kaneria gave an intriguing day a final twist by finding Dravid's edge.

 

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