After reducing Pakistan to 78 for four midway into the post lunch session, India were appeared ready to deliver the knock-out punch. Skipper Anil Kumble brought in five close-in fielders in search of the remaining wickets. And at that stage it appeared to be just a matter of time before the visitors caved in.

Chasing 345 to win from 81 overs was not going to be an easy task on a fifth day pitch against an Indian attack that contained more than one threat. But Pakistan showed admirable fortitude to earn a draw. Pakistan scored 214 for four in their second innings. India, resuming from their overnight 141 for two, had declared their second innings at 184 for four after batting for 38 minutes in the morning session.

The notion about a Pakistan collapse was not entirely without vindication. Their performance against South Africa at home nearly two months ago, and in the recently-concluded Kotla Test had paved the way for doubts over their attitude and ability to withstand pressure. Injuries and illness to their key players had only worsened the situation for them in the current series.

It was clear from the outset that even holding the fort for almost a day was a tough job for the Pakistan batsmen against a lethal combination of a wearing track and a set of success-hungry opposition. The situation demanded at least two batsmen would need to play a long innings for Pakistan to save the match.

Willing soldiers
They found two willing soldiers in Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf, who steered the ship for Pakistan with calm assurance. Younis and Yousuf, two of the most experienced batsmen in the visitors’ line-up, had not exactly scorched the Test series in the three previous innings.

The veteran duo had a difficult job at hand, and the way they went about their task was a lesson in holding the innings together in troubled times.

Joined at the crease when four frontline batsmen were back in the hut for less than hundred on the board, Younis seized the initiative from the Indian bowlers with calculated strokeplay and efficient rotation of strike.

India have always been a favourite opposition for Younis, and his average of nearly 95 from eight Tests evidences that fact. The batsman selected a perfect occasion to torture India once again, slamming a superb match-saving hundred, his 15th in Tests. He amassed 136 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket with Yousuf that effectively shut the door on India’s hopes of forcing a win and sealing the series.

Lucky survival
Younis should also consider himself a bit lucky to survive a confident leg-before shout from Kumble when the batsman was on 97. There were also some heart-stopping attempts at reverse sweeps in the doorsteps of hundred, but luck on the day was with him.

On the other hand, Yousuf played a rather stubborn innings, than the familiar easy flowing one, but on the day his knock worth its weight in gold. Kumble tested him with faster, skiddish ones, and Harbhajan Singh teased him with turn and loop, but Yousuf remained rock solid, supporting Younis in his venture.

But before the Younis-Yousuf duo guided them to safety, Pakistan were in deep trouble as their front-line batsmen fumbled against a spirited Indian attack. Sensing a victory was not beyond their reach, the home side went into attacking mode straightaway. The approach fetched dividends soon, when Zaheer Khan took a sharp return catch to dismiss Yasir Hameed.

Kumble came up with a piece of magic to castle first innings centurion Kamran Akmal, the wicketkeeper batsmen played all over a well-spun leg break. The Bangalorean soon trapped Salman Butt in front of the wicket with a straight one, and pacer Munaf Patel rattled the timber of Misbah-ul-Haq with a slower in-coming delivery to leave the visitors in tatters.

But as it has happened many times in the past, Pakistan discovered perfect crisis men to wriggle out of trouble.

SCORE BOARD
INDIA (I Innings): 616/5 decl
PAKISTAN (I Innings): 456

INDIA (II Innings)
Jaffer b Kaneria 56
(108m, 75b, 8x4)
Kaarthick c Misbah b Kaneria 28
(84m, 55b, 5x4)
Dhoni b Akhtar 37
(92m, 61b, 2x4)
Ganguly b Akhtar 46
(91m, 58b, 4x4)
Dravid (not out) 8
(20m, 13b, 1x4)
Extras (LB-3, NB-6) 9

Total (for 4 wkts decl, 42.4 overs) 184
Fall of wickets: 1-75 (Kaarthick), 2-95 (Jaffer), 3-166 (Dhoni), 4-184 (Ganguly).

Bowling: Akhtar 12.4-0-46-2 (nb-5), Tanvir 9-0-41-0 (nb-1), Sami 5-1-28-0, Kaneria 15-0-61-2, Butt 1-0-5-0.

PAKISTAN (II Innings):
Hameed c&b Zaheer 14
(23m, 26b, 3x4)
Akmal b Kumble 14
(74m, 42b, 2x4)
Butt lbw Kumble 11
(94m, 91b, 1x4)
Younis (not out) 107
(214m, 182b, 14x4)
Misbab b Patel 6
(25m, 15b, 1x4)
Yousuf (not out) 44
(143m, 110b, 6x4)
Extras (B-8, LB-6, NB-4) 18

Total (for 4 wkts, 77 overs) 214
Fall of wickets: 1-22 (Hameed), 2-37 (Akmal), 3-65 (Butt), 4-78 (Misbah).

Bowling: Zaheer 8-0-32-1 (nb-3), Kumble 25-4-73-2 (nb-1), Patel 10-3-21-1, Harbhajan 31-5-67-0, Tendulkar 3-0-7-0.