The first Test is most intriguingly poised with two days to go. Pakistan are 167 runs to the good with five wickets standing, but India have both the experience and the ability in their classy middle-order to chase down a target in the range of 250-275.

It’s Even Stevens, though from an Indian perspective, it is imperative that they bowl out the Pakistanis as early as possible tomorrow.

Whatever the target they may be set, India need to adopt a common sense approach. It is clear by now that Pakistan will use Shoaib Akhtar only in short bursts. Akhtar will bowl no more than five overs with the new ball, and then come back on for three or four-overs spells.

As such, India’s openers must ensure when they come out to bat on the fourth day that they need to get the team off to a solid start.

By solid, I mean see off the new ball, blunt the Akhtar threat and set the platform for the middle-order to build on.

Transferring pressure

By doing that, they will immediately transfer the pressure on to Pakistan. Cricket is as much about skills and temperament as about reputations, and I don’t think there is a more experienced and able middle-order unit in world cricket than India possess.

Between them, Rahul, Sachin, Sourav and Laxman have more than 400 Test appearances. Throw in Dhoni there, and you have a solid core.

What Jaffer and Kaarthick can do by getting India off to a good start is also force Shoaib Malik to chew on his fingernails very early in the piece.

After all, Pakistan have just one spinner in Kaneria, and if Akhtar and the rest of the pace attack doesn’t strike early, the leg-spinner will be required to not just do a holding job but also pick up wickets.

Tomorrow should make for as fascinating cricket as the first three days have done so far. The first-innings scores of the two teams aren’t in any way reflective of the nature of the Kotla pitch. There have been no demons in it.

If anything, a combination of poor stroke selection, lack of application and good bowling undermined both teams in their first knocks.

Outstanding job

India had done outstandingly well on the first day to pick up eight wickets, Anil Kumble enjoying himself on his first day as Test captain.

It was in the second afternoon that India lost the initiative. Jaffer and Dravid were batting beautifully, and appeared on course for a big association when Akhtar broke through.

But where India lost the momentum was when Sachin was run out. Immediately, there was a little bit of tentativeness, and India’s cause wasn’t helped by Tanvir choosing that precise moment to bowl his best spell of the innings.

Classy Laxman

The class of Laxman, perhaps feeling the need to prove a point or two, and the combative skills of Dhoni came to India’s rescue. Laxman’s was a fantastic innings, his timing the stand-out feature, while Dhoni showed that he is growing as a player with each progressive outing as he played according to the situation.

Kumble did his bit with the bat too, but the lower-order's approach was disappointing. Sami had done brilliantly well for Pakistan during his long stand with Misbah.

India needed one of the last three to stick around with Laxman today, but they all fell playing strokes. Hanging in the balance, this Test will take a decisive turn tomorrow.