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Sehwag dominates Pakistan bowlers

Virender Sehwag hit a brilliant double hundred in a dominant batting display before Pakistan's bowlers recovered on day three of the Bangalore Test.

Sehwag finally fell for 201 as India reached 379-6 after the third day in reply to Pakistan's first innings 570.

Sehwag had put on 98 for the first wicket with Gautam Gambhir, 74 for the second with Rahul Dravid and 85 for the third with Sachin Tendulkar.

India only need a draw to clinch the series after winning the second Test.

But they lost three wickets for just 37 runs late in the day to give the visitors every incentive to press home their advantage on the fourth day.

Pakistan let Sehwag off on 43 when Asim Kamal dropped a sharp chance at forward short-leg off spinner Arshad Khan.

He made the visitors pay for that lapse, driving Arshad through extra cover for four before raising his 50 in 56 balls.

And he cut and pulled paceman Mohammad Sami at will, which led to Sami bowling a series of bouncers and exchanging words with the batsman.

Gambhir was the first casualty of the day when he was caught at slip off a wide Sami delivery for 24.

By then, Sehwag was already looking threatening and he went past three figures soon after lunch with a single to point off leg-spinner Danish Kaneria.

Dravid, who had hit two centuries in the Calcutta victory, was surprisingly trapped lbw by Kaneria for 22.

And the next man to the crease, Sachin Tendulkar, looked shaky early in his inniings.

Sehwag continued his merry way, however, cover-driving the first ball of a Shahid Afridi spell for four before Tendulkar too found his feet - twice sweeping Kaneria for boundaries.

One massive six off Kaneria over long-on took Sehwag past the 150-mark and he was soon past 3,000 runs in Tests too, the fastest of 16 Indians to reach that landmark.

But Tendulkar's innings was ended on 41 when a thick edge off Afridi ended up in Younis Khan's hands at backward point.

After tea, Sehwag unleashed a variety of exquisite shots. A lofted off-drive off Kaneria went for four, as did a divine late cut.

The first ball of an Abdul Razzaq spell was laced wide of mid-off and his richly-deserved double hundred came up off 260 balls, although it was from a wild heave off Kaneria which fortunately did not go to hand.

Two balls later, Kaneria had his man as he accepted a chance off his own bowling and the same bowler struck for a third time when Sourav Ganguly was stumped off a well-disguised googly for one.

VVS Laxman finished the day unbeaten on 51, an innings that included some delectable square drives, but by stumps India had lost a sixth wicket when Dinesh Karthik (10) cut Sami straight to backward point.
Source:bbc.com