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

India - 1st Innings - 5th hours play

Prem: That is drinks, folks, taking a quick few moments here to reboot, be back in five tops...

Prem: Mushie to Azhar, and there is that technical lesson again, first the half stride, then the smooth extension as he spots the ball on a fuller length, flowing extra cover drive gets the four and takes him to his 51, 51 off 90 delivieries and India 211/4.

Prem: Saqlain ends a maiden, that makes two successive maidens between the two spinners, India 207/4.

Prem: Maiden from Mushie, and Saqlain continues. Ganguly on strike, playing to point, no run. Next ball is really wide, Moin collecting in front of first slip. Ball three on off and defended, three round the bat here, slip, silly point, short square.

Prem: Mushie tossingthem up outside off, looking to lure Azhar into the drive, the turn taking the ball away from the batsman. Azhar driving, not really going through with the shot. Seems a bit impatient for singles, but Ganguly's "No", twice in this over, were both well called. Azhar this time pads, well forward,that one ontothe pad on the half volley, Bucknor says not and not it is. 207/4.

Prem: It's nice to see that shot on slow mo, actually. AS the bowler delivers, it is the half step forward, backlift three quarters. Then, as he spots the length and decides on the drive, you can see the extension, the front foot reaching out to the pitch, the bat lifting just that bit further back and coming down in a free flourish -- nice freeze-frame, there, for a coaching manual. Azhar 47, Ganguly 5, India 207/4.

Prem: This time, Azhar on driving, hitting it slowly and running with the shot, taking on Mushie at mid on and making the single easy. 203/4. Ganguly gets a floater outside off, leans forward and a silky off drive, four, beating the field, 207/4.

Prem: Correction, that should read 202/4 and Azhar on strike to Saqlain, gets one outside off, goes for the back foot cover drive, but doesnt connect properly, that one coming in just enough to defeat the shot.

Prem: Interesting stat sidelight is that Azhar is now on his highest score at this ground, 45. HOwever, his average here is higher, with 49. These stats being flashed by the official scorer, I need to dig into the books to find the reason for that one though the obvious reason would be that he has had a not out or three. 204/3 at the end of the over, Azhar taking a single off the penultimate ball.

Prem: Mushie continuing, pitching middle and off and Azhar content to pad at it a long way forward, not so much a problem to that line and length, since the leg break would turn the ball outside off in any case.

Prem: Azhar on 45. And noticeably, thus far in this innings, no runs to the third man region, which means he is not looking for the open faced dab down into that area, nor any runs in the half-V between bowler and mid off, which means he is not driving straight. 17 have come through the arc between point and extra cover, so his driving to the ball wide of the stumps is spot on.

Prem: Azhar gaining in confidence, which usually shows in his off side play, Saqlain drifting a bit outside off and the ball is smahsed through cover, fielded at the line but two more and the 200 coming up for the batting side.

Prem: Trouvble for Ganguly here has been that the ball is first angling across him and away, then pitching and turning back in to him, causing him lots of uncertainity, Mushie bowling a very good over to the left hander, here. Saqlain resumes, with Azhar to receive. 198/4.

Prem: Mushie bowling over the wicket, angling it across, pitching just short of driving length around off and turning the leg break back into Ganguly, he appears to be looking to hit the rough outside the southpaw's off stump. Just outsdie off and Ganguly pushes his pad at it, huge appeal, but not sure that is such a good idea, pad play could cause probelms on a track wehre th4e ball is keeping as low as this.

Prem: 198/4 the score at the end of the over. Earlier in the over, Ganguly had pulled away at the last moment, just when Saqlain was running in to bowl. When he got to the non-striker's end, he's seen indicating to the umpire that the close in fielders were chattering to him, and that this was why he had withdrawn. 29 off nine in this session thus far, Mushie now to Ganguly.

Prem: Saqlain, and good work from Ganguly, reaching well forward the letting the ball turn away from him and go through tothe keeper, good covering of the angle there. Ganguly next ball driving to cover, very quick single taken, hard throw from the fielder and Saqlain gets it flush on the hand, that looks to have hurt.

Prem: 196/4 the score witih Azhar batting 41 and Ganguly on 0, Azhar on strike to Saqlain and again, that arm ball pushed quicker through, Azhar like Dravid on the back foot but keeping his backlift low, has bat in front when the ball gets there. Another one pushed through quick but drifts to leg, and Azhar plays it off his pads, gets the single behind square. 197/4.

Prem: With three in the innings, Saqlain has thus far got 13 Indian wickets out of the 24 that have fallen in Madras and here -- a high tribute to his abilities, given that the Indians are not exactly bunnies before off spin.

Prem: Ooops, that one took off. Saqlain pitching into the rough outside off to the left handed Ganguly, the ball kicking up off a length, Ganguly lets it go, the bounce beats Moin who was staying low given the generally low bounce, four byes result and India 195/4.

Prem: Fuller length, Azhar pushes, misfield at short midwicket facilitates the run and India 191/3. Next ball, and that is a beauty -- Saqlain with the arm ball, pushed it through quicker, Rahul was looking to play back, the quicker pace through the air beating his push, rapped on the pads and bang in front of the stumps.

Prem: For all the good balls that Mushie has bowled, he keeps dropping the odd one short or off line, and is getting thumped. Saqlain continues, Azahr on strike and just a silly point and short square now, having dispensed with the leg slip, which means he will be going back to line of off.

Prem: Shoprt outside off, Azhar rocks back to square drive, ball keeps low but Azhar gets enough wood on it to get the single towards point. Next ball, short on middle and leg, turning in, DRavid again picking the length, rocks back and pulls, four more, smashing it through midwicket. The problem area for leg spinners -- pitch short, and the Indian batsmen hit you against the turn. 190/3 the score, Dravid onto 33.

Prem: Short, and Dravid on the back foot, driving wide of mid off, well fielded there and single to the batsman, 185/3.

Prem: 27 to Dravid, on strike to Saqlain, just a silly point and square leg, with a short midwicekt in support, up close, Saqlain dispensing with the slip for Dravid. Next ball, played towards leg slip, Dravid wants one but Azhar not interested. Saqlain again, and again Dravid guiding it behind the stumps on the on side, single this time and India at the end of the over, 184/3. Dravid 28 and on strike, this time to Mushie with a slip and silly point in place.

Prem: Again the same line and again, Azhar working it wristily away, this time squarer, single and India 179/3. Next ball, short, straight, Dravid picks the length early, rocks back and thumps it through mid on, four more, 183/3.

Prem: Akjram is back in the middle and Saqlain, after his mandatory cooling period, is back to bowl. square leg, leg slip and silly point in place, obviouslyly looking to get the batsman caught on the wristy flick, pitches middle but Azhar in good control there, gentle glance to fine leg gets him two more, takes him to 37.

For once, Mushie going too far outside off and Azhar promptly into the drive, misfielding at cover gets the batsman two more, 175/3 the score and Azahr on to 34. Azhar next ball off the back foot, pushing through point, one more. He's been punishing the loose balls to good effect, has faced 56 balls thus far, 37 of them were unscored of but when he got the chance, he put the bad ones away and is now batting at a healthy strike rate, not that SR is applicable here. Prem: Mushie after that aborted caught and bowled, looking to make the batsman drive, floating it up around off, Azahr though trying the flick with little success, getting the inner edge, India 173/3.

Prem: 50 run partnership for the 4th wicket coming up with that last single to Dravid, following the 88 run first wicket partnership and slowly pulling India back out of the hole it was in at the fall of Sachin's wicket. Azhar looking noticeably more comfortable out in the middle, now on strike to Mushie.

Prem: Afridi continues, drawing Azhar forward on line of off, pitching three quarter, good thinking to keep the line just outside off, not giving width. In his first over, he went too far outside off and Azhar smashed a four through point. Afridi this time pushes one on leg, Azhar flicks, misses, gets it on the toe. Next ball is on the same line, shorter length and Azhar gets the single through square leg, DRavid goes for the same region to pick up another single and India 172/3.

Prem: Mushie has bowled well throughout, has only himself to blame for not having his name in the wicket-taker's tally here, lots of variation on view, classic leg breaks, flippers and the well disguised googly, all bowled with interesting variations in flight and angle of the crease.

Prem: Mushie's second chance at a caught and bowled, this one worse than the previous one as he was perfectly in position, got both hands to it, and then fluffed a sitter. Azhar works a single to square leg, INdia 170/3.

Prem: A maiden to Afridi, and Mushie to resume, Akram is off the field so Moin Khan leading, slip and silly point in place and Mushie drops a dolly. Flighted, Azahr drives, gets the leading edge back to the bowler, who gets both hands to it and fluffs, with India on 169/3.

Prem: Oh well, that is academic just now -- Saqlain had left the field two overs before tea, so the umpires ruling that he cant bowl straightaway after the interval, he has to wait at least that length of time, so Afridi bowlng with slip and silly point, Dravid on strike.

Prem: Interestingly, Saqlain has done away with his slip, in consultation with Akram, and he now has a silly point, a leg slip and a short square. That would mean that he is looking to pitch middle, turn to leg and hope to get the batsman caught playing with the turn.

Prem: Saqlain, 19 overs already for five maidens, 52 runs and two wickets, to resume post tea. Three round the bat with Dravid on strike.

Prem: Okay, here we go with the umpires coming out, they will shortly be followed by the Pak side and Dravid, batting 22 and Azhar, 29, to resume for the final session. 35 overs need to be bowled, which means we could get extended play here, assuming tht the light can hold.

Fourth Hour
Third Hour
Second Hour
First Hour