Pakistan, India 3rd Test
Pak, India Test heading for certain draw

BANGALORE—Pakistan grabbed two quick wickets to spark some life into the third and final test on Tuesday after Misbah-ul-Haq’s unbeaten century brought the visitors 89 runs short of India’s first-innings total of 626.
In-form Misbah struck 133 and was involved in two fruitful partnerships to help the visitors, resuming at 369 for five, post 537. Paceman Ishant Sharma struck four times to hasten the end for his first five-wicket haul.
Pakistan removed the Indian openers quickly but an undefeated third-wicket stand of 105 between Rahul Dravid (35) and Saurav Ganguly (63) dashed the visitors’ hopes of securing an improbable series-levelling victory.
The hosts, who lead the series 1-0 after winning the opening test by six wickets in New Delhi, were 131 for two at stumps on day four, taking their overall lead to 220.
Resuming at 54, a composed Misbah hit 17 fours in his 322-ball essay for his second century after scoring his maiden ton in the drawn second test in Kolkata.
Misbah took his overnight sixth-wicket stand with Kamran Akmal (65) to 144 to first help the visitors avoid the follow-on. He then shared in an entertaining 93-run stand for the next wicket with debutant Yasir Arafat (44).
Misbah, 33, who got a test lifeline after the retirement of former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq in October, frustrated the experienced Indian spin duo of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh with his stout defence. Akmal, who scored his eighth fifty, was stumped off Harbhajan after he helped avert the follow-on, and Arafat followed up his five-wicket haul with a fine effort before playing-on to Sharma.
His dismissal set off a collapse with the remaining three wickets falling for the addition of just 12 runs. Playing in only his second test, 19-year-old Sharma cleaned up the tail in a 6.1-over burst in which he took four wickets, beginning with Arafat. Sharma, who got an opportunity to play following injuries to senior bowlers, yorked Mohammad Sami for one, had Shoaib Akhtar caught at short-leg also for one and had last-man Danish Kaneria caught and bowled for four.
India conceded a test record 76 extras, the previous mark being 71 by West Indies. Spearhead Shoaib then dismissed left-hander Gautam Gambhir for three with a slower one and Arafat trapped Wasim Jaffer (18) lbw for the second time in the match. But in-form Ganguly, who scored a maiden double hundred in the first innings, and Dravid denied the visitors further success in a display on controlled batting. Ganguly lashed nine fours and a six off leg-spinner Kaneria to notch up his 30th fifty in his 99th test.
Misbah-ul-Haq relished India’s attack with a second successive century to boost Pakistan’s hopes of forcing a draw in the third and final Test here on Tuesday.
The middle-order batsman followed his second-Test 161 with a brilliant 133 not out as Pakistan warded off a threat of follow-on to post 537 in their first innings in reply to India’s 626.
India were strongly placed to clinch their first Test series against Pakistan at home since 1980 after reaching 131-2 in their second innings at stumps on the penultimate day for an overall lead of 220.
The hosts lead 1-0 in the series, with the final Test heading for a draw. India lost openers Gautam Gambhir (three) and Wasim Jaffer (18) before former captains Sourav Ganguly (63 not out) and Rahul Dravid (35 not out) steadied the innings with an unfinished 105-run stand for the third wicket.
Ganguly, who smashed a maiden Test double-hundred in the first innings, raced to his half-century off 57 balls with a six off leg-spinner Danish Kaneria and nine fours.
The hosts needed a couple of early wickets in the morning to raise victory hopes after Pakistan had resumed at 369-5, but had to wait for two sessions to wrap up the innings on a track where the ball sometimes kept low.
India also earned a dubious distinction of conceding a record 76 extras in a Test innings, surpassing the previous highest of 71 by the West Indies against Pakistan at Georgetown in 1988.
The sundries were the third-highest contributor in the innings after Misbah and stand-in captain Younis Khan (80). Misbah, who had played just seven Tests before this series since his debut in 2001, was Pakistan’s find of the tour as he remained a thorn in India’s flesh with scores of 82, 45, 161 not out, six and 133 not out in five innings.
The 33-year-old played a key role in two useful partnerships to thwart India, adding 144 for the sixth wicket with wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal (65) and 93 for the next with debutant Yasir Arafat (44).—Agencies