Poor weather again frustrated Pakistan in the build-up to their first Test series in India for six years following a truncated second day in the warm-up game against the BCCI President's XI at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala on Friday.
All-rounder Abdul Razzaq provided a bright spot, top-scoring with an aggressive 63 for the only half century of the innings before Pakistan were bowled out for 273 on the verge of lunch in the three-day match.
The home team had reached 91 for one when poor light midway through the afternoon session forced the players indoors at this Himalayan hill station with play eventually called off as gloomy conditions persisted.
BCCI President's XI captain Mohammad Kaif, left out of the Indian squad for the first Test starting in Mohali on Tuesday, was 42 not out with left-handed opener Dheeraj Jadhav, highest run-scorer in Ranji Trophy competition this season, on 30.
Pakistan, resuming on 165 for five, lost Asim Kamal in the morning's second over, trapped leg before wicket by paceman Shib Shankar Paul without adding to his overnight score of 43.
Razzaq and wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal (34) then produced an entertaining 59-run seventh wicket partnership before the latter was dismissed to make it 228 for seven.
Razzaq held one end up for about two hours, hitting all but 11 runs in boundaries, including two straight sixes against part-time off spinner Venugopal Rao, who was the most successful host bowler claiming three for 48.
He was the last man out, holing out left-arm spinner Neeraj Patel to deep midwicket.
Pakistan pacemen started promisingly when Rana Naved bowled opener Satyajit Parab for 11 but then struggled on a slow pitch.
Mohammad Sami, leading the new ball attack in the absence of injured strike bowler Shoaib Akhtar, lost momentum after bowling two testing overs at the start.
Kaif hit him for two consecutive fours in one over and then smashed Razzaq past point for two more fours. Razzaq, coming on as first change, struggled for rhythm with Jadhav flicking him off his pads for two consecutive fours.
Scoreboard:
Pakistan first innings: (overnight 165-5)
S Butt run out 21
T Umar c Kaif b R P Singh 37
Y Khan c Jadhav b Gagandeep Singh 0
Y Youhana c P Patel b Paul 18
Inzamam-ul-Haq lbw b Rao 35
A Kamal lbw b Paul 43
A Razzaq c Rao b N Patel 63
K Akmal c Kaif b Rao 34
M Sami c Jadhav b Rao 0
R Naved c P Patel b Gagandeep 9
D Kaneria not out 4
Extras: (b-5 lb-2 nb-2) 9
Total: (all out, 67.3 overs) 273
Fall of wickets: 1-54 2-55 3-83 4-83 5-155 6-169 7-228 8-236 9-249
Bowling: R P Singh 18-5-67-1, Gagandeep Singh 20-5-60-2, Powar 4-0-22-0 (nb-1), Paul 14-2-60-2 (nb-1), Rao 9-1-48-3, N Patel 2.3-0-9-1
BCCI President's XI first innings:
D Jadhav not out 30
S Parab b Naved 11
M.Kaif not out 42
Extras: (lb-4 nb-4) 8
Total: (for one wicket, 22.2 overs) 91
To bat: N Patel, V Rao, P Patel, S Raina, R Powar, R P Singh, G Singh, S S Paul
Fall of wicket: 1-17
Bowling: Sami 6-0-28-0 (nb-2), Naved 8-4-17-1 (nb-2), Razzaq 5.2-0-34-0, Kaneria 3-0-8-0.
Photograph: Reuters
