Transcript of the Commentary: India vs Pakistan,
2nd Test Delhi, February 4-8, 1999

India - 1st Innings - 2nd hours play

Prem: 27 overs bowled till lunch and India 87/2 with Laxman batting 35 and Ramesh, 42.

Prem: 86/0 India, Afridi with slip, silly point, short square in place and bowling bang on the stumps, we are into the last over before lunch.

Prem: Nearly got Laxman on that one, Afridi pushing one through much quicker and Laxman dabbing down on it at the very last moment, that one was headed for off stump.

Prem: Afridi now into the attack, replacing Mushie after an eight over spell, Afridi begins with a full toss on leg stump and Laxman takes full toll, wristy flick through square leg, four. 84/0.

Prem: Saqlain now going round the wicket, for the first time, to the left hander, pitches off and Ramesh covers up nicely and pushes defensively. End of the over nad India 80/0.

Prem: Into the 26th over here and Saqlain bowling, Ramesh on strike and driving but finds cover, against the spinners Ramesh checking his drive, a reaction to the fact that the ball is not really coming on to the bat. Here he tries to rock back and cut, underedges into the ground as that one comes in. Ramesh this time on to the front foot, wristy drive for two more through midwicket, 80/0 India

Prem: Very good running between the wickets, these two -- the lightest of pushes this time and they are off, picking off another run and India 78/0 at the end of the over from Mushie, his 8th.

Prem: Mushie flights, Ramesh controlling the sweep and getting the single behind square, INdia 76/0. Next ball, Laxman trying a drive, that ball stopped before coming on, Laxman playing at it early, ball nicely in the air back towards the bowler but Mushie diagonal on his follow through, late in reacting, grasps at it after the ball is past and India 77/0 wiuth another single.

Prem: Mushie into his 8th over here... Ramesh the man on strike, and India easily dominating with the bat at this point in the game, having seen off both pace and spin thus far. wonder when Akram will go for Afridi, who doesnt turn the ball as much but pushes it through quicker, and also look for reverse swing for himself or Younis.

Prem: Saqlain overpitches there, but Laxman seemed to be taken by surprise on that one, doesnt really get hold of the on drive, plays it straight to the fielder, India 75/0 at the end of the over.

Prem: Saqlain, over the wicket, to Ramesh, pitches outside off, Ramesh drives, Akram late in getting down to the shot at short extra cover, two more to the batsmen, India 75/0.

Prem: Mushie continues, he's been trying for leg breaks and googlies and variations of flight and pace but surprisingly, on a wicket keeping low and where the lbw is a possibility, yet to see him try too many flippers. Laxman coming forward a long way in defense, seems to be reading him very well here. 72/0 at the end of the over.

Prem: Mushie continues, he's been trying for leg breaks and googlies and variations of flight and pace but surprisingly, on a wicket keeping low and where the lbw is a possibility, yet to see him try too many flippers. Laxman coming forward a long way in defense, seems to be reading him very well here. 72/0 at the end of the over.

Prem: Mushie to continue, and Ramesh on strike with slip and silly point in place. Both spinners have been bowling well, getting turn, but the batsmen have read them well. That is a beauty, the googly, leg break to the left-hander, Ramesh plays for the off break, gets the outer edge, two past slip and India 71/0.

Prem: Ramesh was the more aggressive against the quicks, with the advent of spin it is Laxman on the offensive while Ramesh seems content to work the ball around. 68/0 at the end of the Saqlain over.

Prem: The match referee did ask the Pakistan players to stop needless appealing, but it hasn't had much effect apparently, here is another huge shout and lots of disbelieving looks as Laxman pads at one outside off, bat firmly behind pad and Inzy holds at silly point, appeals for the catch with bowler and close fielders in support. No problem there, really. 68/0.

Prem: Saqlain to Ramesh, on off and an easy drive, into extra cover, not really hitting it, just a guiding stroke, single and India 67/0.

Prem: Saqlain to Ramesh, on off and an easy drive, into extra cover, not really hitting it, just a guiding stroke, single and India 67/0.

Prem: And again, a flighted one on middle andd again, Laxman reading it very well, leaning forward, waiting for it on the front foot, then flicking it through midwicket, beating Inzamam yet again, four more and India 66/0.

Prem: Mushie floats one on middle and off and Laxman, who plays spin very well, onto the front foot, waits forit and strokes it through midwicket, a rather slow Inzmamam escorting the ball all the way to the ropes. 62/0.

Prem: The best bit about the way the two Indian openers have played thus far, especially against the spinners, is that though there is turn, neither of them is in a shell, they are looking for runs and not getting into a defensive mode. Ramesh now on strike to Saqlain. 58/0 the score.

Prem: The best bit about the way the two Indian openers have played thus far, especially against the spinners, is that though there is turn, neither of them is in a shell, they are looking for runs and not getting into a defensive mode. Ramesh now on strike to Saqlain. 58/0 the score.

Prem: Mushie's bowling well, getting lots of turn but both these batsmen appear to have him covered, Ramesh now easing one into the covers for a single. 56/0 and Laxman whipping against the turn, off his pads, two more, 58/0.

Prem: Mushie this time floats one way outside off, a wide by any yardstick in Tests, Laxman has a slash, that was too far away, Afridi at coverpoint stretching, diving, gets one hand to it, slips out, grasps at it again, but misses, and he seems to have done something tohis side on that stretch. As it turns out, that would have been a blinder, but the score is 55 and no wickets down, still.

Prem: Good play there, Ramesh leaning forward, letting Mushie's delivery pitch, then gently tapping with the turn out on the on side and getting the single, these two rotate strike very well, that has been a problem with Indian openers in the recent times, 54/0.

Prem: Again, good running as Ramesh flicks and misses to one pitching outside leg and curling in, gets the pad to it and they race the leg bye, India 53/0 at the end of the Saqlain over.

Prem: Saqlain over the wickets, a quicker one, straightening, Ramesh tries to punch off the back foot, ball not coming on, inner edge into the ground, no damage.

Prem: Oh there he goes again -- Saqlain floats one away outside off, and Ramesh easily onto the front foot, going inside out, hitting the drive against the turn and finding the gap between cover and extra cover, four more, INdia 52/0.

Prem: Hmmmmmm... that was a bit of a wasted appeal, a Mushie delivery landing on the batsman's toe and Inzy holds at first slip, huge appeal -- none of the war-dancing of Chennai, though -- but Bucknor gets it right, turning the appeal down.

Prem: That will count as a chance that got away, and it is Laxman now to face Mushie, slip and silly point in place, batsman stretches defensively.

Prem: Thus far, nothing spectacular on offer from Saqlain in his first over, he is bowling too full a length, and the batsmen are playing well forward, hard to see what turn he is getting. That must have been a chance, though, floated on middle, Ramesh pushes, pad onto bat and silly point gets his hands to it and fluffs it, that is Youhanna, with the score 48/0.

Prem: Saqlain, and he starts with a lovely floater on a full length to Ramesh, who digs it out, shaping to drive, then spotting the fuller length, checking to a firm push. Next ball, shorter, Ramesh forward, driving on the up and gets the single to wide mid off. 47/0.

Prem: Waqar off after a spell of 7-2-24-0, and Saqlain comes on. Laxman has been looking easy against spin, but it is Ramesh on strike, slip and silly point in place, INdia 46/0.

Laxman this time off drives, gets two through covers and gets a googly, very well disguised, next up, defends. 46/0 at the end of the over. Prem: Lots of byes on offer already, indicating how low the bounce is -- that one, two more as a Mushie special keeps very low, though a suspicion that it took the pad on the way through. 44/0 the score, and Mushie getting lots ofturn, flights this, Laxman down the track, drives but mistimes, finds silly point, has to scramble back into his crease.

Prem: Younis this time strays to leg and a grateful Ramesh quickly onto the front foot, flicking elegantly through square leg and four more, 42/0 India.

Prem: Younis, outside off, a checked drive from Ramesh, more of a firm block really, finds point. 38/0.

Prem: Younis to Ramesh on off this time, and pushed defensively to short cover. 38/0.

Prem: Hmmmmmm... it is Inzamam getting those hai-hais, wonder why, perhaps just on general principles? Younis, meanwhile, polishing one side of the ball quite assiduously, perhaps readying it for reverse swing later on. OUtside off this time, though, and Ramesh easily onto thef ront foot, slams the drive between point and cover, four and Ramesh moves to 19, India 38/0.

Prem: The crowd going hai-hai, though quite what has aroused their ire is rather difficult to fathom just now. Younis, meanwhile, to continue post the drinks.

First Hour