There was an air of assured calmness about Anil Kumble when he went out for the toss. It can only stem from a man prepared for the job. The Bangalorean performed his dual role of captain and bowler to perfection to help India to gain a palpable upper hand on the opening day of the first Test here on Thursday.

The only thing that did not favour India and Kumble was the toss, but the hosts did not the need the luck of coin. The Indian bowlers showed enough pluck to restrict Pakistan for 210 for eight when play was called off due to insufficient light. It needed a lion-hearted effort from Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Sami to guide Pakistan to a total that at one stage appeared impossible.

Collective effort
Amidst a collective effort from the Indian bowlers, one man stood out -- as he has done countless times -- with sheer determination and the burning desire to excel. Kumble did not need a second invitation to conjure some of his magic at his favourite venue, the Ferozeshah Kotla.

Kumble brought himself on in the 16th over, and soon showed why he is such a respected bowler all over the world. Yasir Hameed tried an expansive drive and Kumble sneaked a googly between his bat and pad to disturb the woodwork.

Brittle middle
Hameed was one of the Pakistani batsmen who looked comfortable in the middle, and his dismissal exposed the brittle Pakistan middle-order. The veteran leg-spinner returned after lunch to snap the dangerous-looking alliance between Misbah and Kamran Akmal.

Akmal had a poor run in the one-day series, and needed a good score to retain his Test place. He batted with a lot of assurance and threatened to play one of those gritty knocks to take the match away from India. Kumble, however, intervened at the right time, knocking over Akmal's sticks with a delivery that kept a shade low. Shoaib Akhtar, the senior most member of the squad, then joined a list of Pakistani batsmen who gifted their wickets to the Indian bowlers. The pace bowler attempted a wild heave, but Kumble was too smart for that shot, bowling a quick straighter one to peg back Akhtar's stumps.

It was a shocking approach from Akhtar as he just had to give company to Misbah, who offered a barn door of a bat to whatever the Indians hurled at him, but the former selected a more adventurous way to his peril.

Zaheer strikes
It was, however, not just the perseverance of Indian bowlers, but their own trepidations too that played a huge part in Pakistan's predicament. Salman Butt, rewarded with a Test berth following his good show in the one-dayers, was never in position to play a delivery that Zaheer Khan jagged back into him. Butt was caught half-forward as the ball crashed on to his stumps.

Younis Khan played a hook off Zaheer straight to Munaf Patel at long-leg. The Pakistan vice-captain could have shown a little more restraint in the initial hour. Munaf was brilliant whenever Kumble threw the ball to him, but he was distinctly unlucky as the umpires turned down many of his leg-before shouts.

Prize wicket
Sourav Ganguly prised out the crucial wicket of Mohammad Yousuf, trapping in him front and Munaf finally succeeded in getting a wicket when he jettisoned skipper Shoaib Malik for nought.

At 142 for eight, the end seemed nigh, but you just cannot write off Pakistan and their fighting spirit. It was the turn of Misbah and Sami to play saviours as India toiled fruitlessly for the ninth wicket.

Misbah's fame is in his inventiveness in the shorter version and in Twenty20, while Sami's reputation does not go beyond a useful lower-order batsman. The unlikely duo combined well to deny the Indians the pleasure of hammering in the last nail as they batted out 31.4 overs to add 68, Pakistan's best partnership of the innings.
Kumble tried all the tricks in his bag, but to no avail as the duo pegged away, displaying a lot of common sense.

SCORE BOARD
PAKISTAN (I Innings):
Butt b Zaheer 1
(21m, 20b)
Hameed b Kumble 29
(95m, 66b, 4x4)
Younis c Patel b Zaheer 7
(31m, 19b, 1x4)
Yousuf lbw Ganguly 27
(69m, 43b, 5x4)
Misbah (batting) 71
(266m, 204b, 5x4, 1x6)
Malik c Dhoni b Patel 0
(17m, 12b)
Akmal b Kumble 30
(66m, 50b, 5x4)
Tanvir lbw Harbhajan 4
(15m, 16b, 1x4)
Akhtar b Kumble 2
(6m, 7b)
Sami (batting) 20
(126m, 77b, 2x4, 1x6)
Extras (B-6, LB-11, W-2) 19
Total (for 8 wkts, 85.4 overs) 210

Fall of wickets: 1-13 (Butt), 2-35 (Younis), 3-59 (Hameed), 4-76 (Yousuf), 5-83 (Malik), 6-122 (Akmal), 7-137 (Tanvir), 8-142 (Akhtar).

Bowling: Zaheer 16-3-36-2 (w-2), Munaf 20.4-4-54-1, Kumble 20-5-38-3, Ganguly 12-5-24-1, Harbhajan 15-1-37-1, Tendulkar 2-0-4-0.