Sehwag hits unbeaten half-century in second Pakistan Test by AFP

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Ground:	Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Scorecard:	India v Pakistan
Event:	Pakistan in India 2004/05

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DateLine: 16th March 2005

 

Virender Sehwag smashed an unbeaten 64 to give India a sound start in the second Test against Pakistan at the Eden Gardens here.

 

India had raced to 126-1 by lunch on the opening day after choosing to bat on a good pitch. Rahul Dravid was unbeaten on 22 at the break.

 

Sehwag, who scored 173 in the drawn first Test at Mohali, continued to relish the inexperienced Pakistani attack. He reached his ninth half-century when he on-drove seamer Abdul Razzaq's no-ball for his eighth four.

 

Left-handed Gautam Gambhir and Sehwag helped India make a flying start on a pitch which had neither bounce nor pace even in the first session. They put on 80 for the opening wicket in 17.3 overs.

 

Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq pressed leg-spinner Danish Kaneria into the attack in the 10th over after seamers Mohammad Sami and Mohammad Khalil failed to test the Indian openers in their opening spells.

 

Kaneria, who grabbed six wickets in the first Test, began unimpressively as he was cut and on-driven by Sehwag for two fours in an over.

 

But the leg-spinner provided the breakthrough in his fifth over by removing Gambhir, who was adjudged leg-before by West Indian umpire Steve Bucknor, standing in a record 100th Test.

 

Pakistan used five bowlers in the two-hour morning session, but none could trouble Sehwag who kept playing his strokes freely. The hard-hitting opener has so far hit nine fours in his 92-ball knock.

 

Pakistan made two changes from the side which played at Mohali, replacing injured Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and opener Salman Butt with Khalil and all-rounder Shahid Afridi.

 

India included off-spinner Harbhajan Singh in place of left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan.

(Article: Copyright © 2005 AFP)