Cricket: India's spinners stage fightback

India 252 & 46-1 Pakistan 17

INDIA'S SPINNERS, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, took advantage of a turning pitch to turn the match against Pakistan firmly in India's favour on a dramatic second day of the second Test yesterday.

A total of 13 wickets fell throughout the day, with leg-spinner Kumble taking 4 for 75 and off-spinner Singh weighing in with 3 for 30 as Pakistan collapsed from 114 for 4 to 172 all out.

That total left the visitors with a first-innings deficit of 80, after they had earlier dismissed India, who had resumed on 247 for 8, for the addition of just five more runs.

India lost Vengipurappu Laxman for eight when they batted a second time, and were 46 for 1 at the close, for an overall lead of 126.

Kumble and Singh were effectively supported by two wickets from the paceman Venkatesh Prasad, who made the initial breakthrough by having the Pakistan opener Saeed Anwar caught behind for one. Singh then sent back Shahid Afridi with a ball that kept low to bowl him for 32. In the next over, Rahul Dravid took a diving catch off Kumble to dismiss Ijaz Ahmed.

Pakistan, in trouble at 59 for 3 at lunch, lost Yousuf Youhana immediately after the interval when he lobbed a return catch to Kumble after making three.

Inzamam-ul-Haq and Salim Malik checked the slump by adding 54 but Kumble broke the stand when he deceived Inzamam, on 26, with a googly. Salim (31) fell to Prasad and Moin Khan went shortly before tea, lbw to Javagal Srinath.

Second day; India won toss

INDIA - First Innings

(Overnight: 247-8)

N R Mongia run out 10

B K V Prasad not out 1

Harbhajan Singh run out 1

Extras (6nb, 7lb, 13b) 26

Total (91.5 overs) 252

Fall: 1-88, 2-113, 3-122, 4-191, 5-231, 6-240, 7-243, 8-247, 9-248, 10- 252.

Bowling: Akram 13-3-23-1 (nb-4), Younis 13-5-37-0; Saqlain Mushtaq 35.5- 9-94-5 (nb-2); Mushtaq Ahmed 26-5-64-2; Afridi 4-1-14-0.

PAKISTAN - First Innings

Saeed Anwar c Mongia b Prasad 1

Shahid Afridi b Singh 32

Ijaz Ahmed c Dravid b Kumble 17

Inzamam-ul-Haq b Kumble 26

Yousuf Youhana c and b Kumble 3

Salim Malik c Azharuddin b Prasad 31

Moin Khan lbw b Srinath 14

Wasim Akram lbw b Singh 15

Mushtaq Ahmed c Laxman b Singh 12

Saqlain Mushtaq lbw b Kumble 2

Waqar Younis not out 1

Extras (nb-9 b-1 lb-8) 18

Total (64.3 overs) 172

Fall: 1-1 2-54 3-54 4-60 5-114 6-130 7-139 8-167 9-168.

Bowling: Srinath 12-1-38-1 (9nb), Prasad 11-1-20-2 Kumble 24.3-6-75-4; Singh 17-5-30-3.

INDIA - Second Innings

S Ramesh not out 22

V V S Laxman b Akram 8

R Dravid not out 6

Extras (2nb, 4lb, 4b) 10

Total (for 1) 46

Fall: 1-15.

To bat: S R Tendulkar, *M Azharuddin, S C Ganguly, N R Mongia, A Kumble, J Srinath, B K V Prasad, Harbhajan Singh.

Bowling: Akram 7-2-13-1 (1nb); Younis 4-2-12-0; Saqlain Mushtaq 5-2-8- 0 (1nb); Mushtaq Ahmed 3-1-5-0.

Umpires: S A Bucknor (WI) and A V Jataprakash (Ind).