Shoaib Akhtar went to India with a multi-purpose agenda, which looked like:

Congrats to all the Indians for managing to beat Pakistan in a test series at home for the first time in 27 years. It could have been 2-0 or even 3-0 had the Indians prepared less batting friendly wickets. In my preview of the test series I had made some predictions and here's how wrong I was. To recap, I had said the following:

"I predict results in all 3 matches, a decider at Bangalore, 500+ runs for Sachin Tendulkar, 20 wickets for Shoaib Akhtar, a Yuvi 100 in the 3rd test where he would have replaced Laxman, 2 centuries for Faisal Iqbal, question marks over Dravid's lack of runs, a career ending series for Kamran Akmal, the retention of Anil Kumble as captain for the series against Australia, and praise for skipper Shoaib Malik."

There was only 1 result, Bangalore wasn't a decider, Sachin didn't get 500+ but Ganguly did, Shoaib didn't get 20 wickets and no one else did either, Yuvraj did get the 100 but he hadn't replaced Laxman, Faisal didn't get 2 centuries but Misbah did, Dravid's form is being questioned, Akmal's batting form saved his a$$, Anil Kumble has been retained and praised, and Malik conveniently sat out the series.

Clearly the crystal ball isn't functioning well.

Top 5 of the series

1. Misbah Ul Haq - The 464 runs at an average of 116.00 don't speak as loudly as the manner in which they were scored. Batting with the tail in each test he managed scores of 82, 161*, and 133* and bailed Pakistan out of trouble each time. Had he not jumped in the 1st test he would have walked off not out in that innings too. He was the difference between a 1-0 and a 3-0 scoreline in this series. Hats off to the man. Pakistan have found the perfect replacement for Inzamam.

2. Saurav Ganguly - 534 runs at 89.00, 4 wickets at 19.25, a test best of 239, and a man of the series award. Who would have thought that a man fighting for his place in the test side a year ago would deliver in this way. Many thought his international career was over and many were calling for Yuvraj to replace him but Ganguly ended the series as the top scorer on both sides. People may say that he got a double hundred, a hundred, and a 91 against a below average bowling attack but it was the same attack that Sachin and Dravid faced. For me his best innings was the 48 at the fag end of the 4th day of the 1st test - the way he played on a pitch that other batsmen found impossible to bat on showed the kind of form he was in.

3. Anil Kumble - As always he was at his best with the ball. He was the highest wicket taker in the series with 18 wickets at 26.50. He kept at it like he always does. His captaincy though I am not impressed with. In the 1st test he looked very good but then a victory makes every captain look good but in the following 2 tests he wasn't attacking enough, lacked innovation in the field, lost his cool several times when the wickets weren't coming, and appealed desperately. Australia will be a test for him, especially when his own wickets will dry up.

4. Wasim Jaffer - This man will open for India for the next decade and get plenty of runs. With the bat, he reminds me of Azharuddin in his younger days. The double hundred he got was an exquisite and flawless knock and he had a very bright future to look forward to. He was the 2nd highest run scorer for India after Ganguly and that is some feat considering he plays in the same XI as Sachin, Dravid, and Laxman.

5. Yuvraj Singh - In the only test he played he scored 169 on the 1st day and took 2 wickets on the last day. And yet he doesn't have a permanent place in India's XI. Goes to show how much stronger the Indian team was going into this series. Its hard to keep Yuvi out of a top performer list these days - he has been in the best form of his life this year and India need to find a way to fit him into the team sheet before Kumble goes out for the toss with Ricky Ponting in 2 weeks.

Players for the Future

Yasir Arafat - His morning spell on his 1st day of test cricket could have squared the series for Pakistan but Ganguly and Yuvi had different ideas. He bowled with pace and aggression and looked the fittest of all Pakistani pace bowlers. He has been on the fringes of selection for a long time now and had a brilliant debut with both ball and bat - looks like a bright future is ahead of him.

Ishant Sharma - are you kidding me? No chance in hell. Those who criticized him before he took his 5 wicket haul were right when they said the man doesn't have it for this level. He proved them right in Pakistan's 2nd innings as well. Ganguly's grand mom could have taken a 5-for against Pakistan's tail the way they played during this series.

Sohail Tanvir - He needs to work a bit with Wasim Akram and learn how to get the ball back in but he's a star in the making. I can feel it. The ball he got Dravid with in the 1st test will remain in memory just like Shoaib Akhtar's yorkers from the 99 tour to India.

Disappointments of the Series

Danish Kaneria - Much was expected from him and he flattered all of us with his shorter run up and all that jazz in the 1st test. But from thereon it was down hill. Pakistan need a quality spinner and they need one soon.

Mohammad Yousuf - his form of last season has ditched him and an average of 32.00 is well below his standards. Pakistan needed him more than ever without an Inzi to follow but Pakistan's premier batsman failed to deliver.

Dinesh Karthik - Prior to this series he was India's highest scorer in tests during 2007, but against Pakistan he just couldn't get going till his last innings of the series. Moreover his performance behind the stumps would have put a smile on Akmal's face.

Other Ramblings

The only reason I haven't put Shoaib Akhtar on that list is because I have realised that an unfit Akhtar is better than a fit Pakistan bowling attack put together. The man managed 3 tests in a row - how many times has he done this before?

Mohammad Sami gets full marks for trying but his days as a bowler look over. Maybe Pakistan can use him to solve their opening problems.

India go of to Australia now and I'm looking forward to that series - it has the potential to be a cracker!

Pakistan, on the other hand will host Zimbabwe for a 5 match ODI series and that should be a good opportunity to test some fresh legs. The likes of Khalid Latif, Anwar Ali, Fawad Alam, Najaf Shah, and Sarfraz Ahmed should get the chance to show their talent in that series. Let see if the selectors agree with me. Knowing how the selectors' minds and my crystal ball function, not many of those names will feature in the squad when its announced.

On a batsman's Paradise in Kolkata the Indian batsman dominated the Pakistani bowlers after winning the toss and electing to bat first. Jaffer dominated proceedings with an unbeaten 192 as he played an exquisite and elegant innings with shots all around the ground.



Tanvir did provide Pakistan an early breakthrough as Karthik was dismissed cheaply yet again as he edged one to Younis. Jaffer and Dravid then took control as they built up the innings. Dravid scored another sold half century before he was unlucky to be given out caught behind off Kaneria.



Out came Tendulkar and the Indian innings was in high gear from that moment. Tendulkar and Jaffer just went bilistic as they severely punished a mediocre Pakistani bowling performance. The fielding was lethargic and quite lackluster.



Jaffer was timing the ball immaculately and his placement was exceptional as he played some breathtaking drives and flicks reminiscent of Azharhuddin and Dravid. Sachin was in full swing with his blasting cover drives and majestic flicks. Tendulkar was provided with a lifeline as Kamran Akmal dropped a regulation keeper catch; it is really time for Pakistan to play a true keeper, Safraz really needs to be playing.



Kaneria did get Tendulkar with a beauitful googlie; not sure why he was not bowling more of those. The Prince of Kolkata walked in and stayed with Jaffer till close of play with India putting up a mammoth score of 352/3. Jaffer was unbeaten on an awesome 192 with 32 brilliant boundaries. A tough day for Pakistan's makeshift captain Younis Khan.

The recently concluded 1st test between Pakistan and India was a classic. Many would remember it for it being one of the most exciting tests between the 2 neighbors, however there are several other reasons, which make this test memorable. Several records were broken and created during this match. I'll go on to the relatively smaller ones before talking about the most significant one.

Pakistan scored 70 odd runs less than I expected and India scored 10 runs more and lost 1 wicket less than I had predicted last night. I didn't watch the match today but followed it ball-by-ball on cricinfo. I was disappointed to see Pakistan blow away the advantage they had by losing their last 5 wickets for 30 odd runs in the morning. And unlike yesterday, the wickets fell to the seamers.

India should easily be able knock of the 32 runs required in the morning. Many like me will be hoping for a miracle with Tuesday morning headlines reading "India lose last 7 for 27", but the way Sachin and Saurav batted today, it is highly unlikely.

A few points on some of the players.

Saurav Ganguly - Many critics and bloggers wanted him to be replaced by Yuvraj Singh for this test, but the man has given a man of the match performance, and the way he batted today has all but won the test for India. The Aussies will be looking forward to seeing him walk out at 5 for India in a months time, but they shouldn't forget that on India's last tour down under, it was he who was responsible for the drawn series.

Shoaib Akhtar - Whoever had doubts about his fitness (including me) will be gulping down their words after the way he bowled today. He bowled 6 over spells unlike the 1st innings, was fully charged, and looked like the only bowler who could run through the Indian innings. Haven't seen the ball he got Dravid with, but I've heard it was a beauty and I'll catch the highlights just to see this.

Sachin Tendulkar - He consumed 80 odd deliveries for his 32 runs. This was probably the kind of application that was required by the batsmen on this pitch. I'm expecting him to get out early in the morning, but if he doesn't it will be a rare occasion for Sachin to take India past the finish line.

Mohammad Yousuf - In the 1st innings he had a strike rate of 63 scoring 27. In the 2nd it was 85 for his 18. Combined, that is the fastest any batsman has scored in this match. What was the hurry? Either he is still in ODI mode or he was seeing the ball better than any other batsmen, apart from Ganguly today. He seems to have forgotten how he got all those runs last year, but 1 test doesn't take the class away - hopefully he will realise how much Pakistan needs him to fire, especially after no Inzi to follow.

Rahul Dravid - He got bowled for the 2nd time in the match in the 30s. Is the wall breaking? I have sensed that Dravid hasn't been himself during the match. I know he came into this match after a double hundred and a hundred in the domestic games, but something about him has been missing. He has played and missed quite a lot of deliveries, has been very quiet on the field, and hasn't been seen chatting to his batting partners. Resigning from captaincy and being dropped from the ODI squad is definitely hurting him.

About 40-50 minutes of play remains in the match and India look likely to go 1 up. But what brilliant advertisement for test cricket this match has been. It'll definitely go down as one of the classics!

Which test match am I watching? The same one that you guys are. The way the events have unfolded during the first 3 days of this dramatic test, the above score line looks more than likely for tomorrow. Read on to see why.

Aamir Sohail said that all non-fans of test cricket need to watch this test match to change their mind. I agree cent percent! Another day off, and I managed to catch a full days of action, which did not diappoint even for a second. What a test match its turning out to be. Up and down and still anybody's game.

The India-Pakistan series has definitely lived up to its hype of being bigger than the Ashes. An Australian and an English cricket fan agree to this - 2 men from Australia and England have flown to India all the way from Tokyo to witness this test series. Why are they supporting India though? Surely Pakistan is the more exciting team. Not better, I said exciting.

A few observations from today:

1. I still don't know what the commentators are smoking.
   
2. The new Kaneria has got some coaching tips from Shane Warne. Shorter run up, hardly a googly, more of the straighter faster delivery, 4 wickets for less than 60 - thats not the Kaneria I know.
   
3. Laxman can be atheletic in the field, and so can Ganguly - more time for Yuvi on the bench.
   
4. Finally catches in the slips - both of spinners.
   
5. More often than not Pakistan's openers fail and the middle order is left to do damage control. Rarely when the openers put up a good stand, the middle order collapses.
   
6. Misbah still fancies Harbhajan Singh.
   
7. Rameez Raja fancies Ranjan Madugalle.
   
8. 9 wickets to fall in the day and only 1 to a pacer.
   
9. Yousuf was the first Asian cricketer to be sponsored by Gray Nicolls. Kamran Akmal is the second. Why?
   
10. Anil Kumble, after 117 test matches, decided its time to get some variety into his run up.
    
11. Rameez Raja does not like Bruce Yardley.
    
12. Bruce Yardley's mom is 88 years old and likes poker.
    
13. Shoaib Akhtar loves his new soft toy.
    
14. Day 1: 210 runs and 8 wickets. Day 2: 249 runs and 8 wickets. Day 3: 260 runs and 9 wickets. At this rate day 4 will end with India on 161-4 chasing 276 leaving an exciting day 5 of cricket.

Friday is a day off in the Middle East so I woke up early in the morning to catch the LIVE action, hoping for a Misbah 100. That was not to happen, but I sure did enjoy the cricket throughout the day. I think India is slightly ahead at the end of day 2 but only slightly.

Here are some of the key things that I noticed during the day:

1. Ul Haqs playing for Pakistan will always manage to find the strangest ways of getting out.
   
2. Dravid wants his ODI spot back.
   
3. Best way to Ganguly out: Bowl a wide one and let him smash it for 4 and then bowl one coming into him - he would either play it on to the stumps or to the slips.
   
4. Mohd. Yousuf is a better fielder in test cricket than ODIs.
   
5. No one has been out caught in the slips in 2 days of cricket.
   
6. 20-20 cricket can be the stepping stone for new test players - examples: Misbah and Sohail Tanvir.
   
7. Geoff Lawson has his heart with Pakistan.
   
8. I still don't know what the commentators are smoking. Pakistan lost 5 wickets between lunch and tea yesterday, India lost 4 today and yet Rameez, Arun Lal, Bishop, Yardley & Co. keep saying that the 2nd session is the best time to bat.
   
9. The post tea session is the best time for batting. Pakistan lost no wickets yesterday and India lost only 1 today.
   
10. Malik has used Kaneria better than all other former captains he's bowled under.
    
11. Yuvraj Singh will have to continue bringing the drinks during test matches. Laxman's career is far from over and Ganguly is India's 3rd pacer.
    
12. Not only do umpires help Kumble get wickets at the Kotla (1999), they also help him stay at the crease (2007).

I left for work after watching the toss and pitch review in the morning, and followed the entire day's cricket on cricinfo and dawn. But reading isn't the same as watching the game. After watching the highlights, these are some of the key points I noticed on day 1 of the Kotla test:

1. Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel consistently swung the ball throughout the day.
   
2. Munaf Patel was reverse swinging the ball after the 25th over.
   
3. Salman Butt thought something was wrong with the pitch when he got cleaned up by a perfect inswinger from Zaheer Khan.
   
4. Saurav Ganguly can celebrate like a football player.
   
5. Rahul Dravid did not seem to be involved in the match like the other senior players. He remained resigned to his position for most of the day. Something is definitely wrong. Maybe he felt left out as Saurav and Sachin turned their arms over.
   
6. Misbah ul Haq is Pakistan's "go to man". Since the 20-20 world cup he has more often than not come into bat with Pakistan in trouble. And more often than not he has delivered. There have been critics saying that he hasn't actually finished the job, but any lesser player wouldn't have even done half of what Misbah has managed in those various innings.
   
7. The reverse sweep is a part of Misbah's repertoire of shots just like the cover drive and pull shot are in the repertoire of any other batsman.
   
8. Misbah fancies Harbhajan Singh.
   
9. Mohammad Sami is as good a batsman as he says he is.
   
10. For the first 2 sessions Anil Kumble proved everyone wrong by turning out to be a very attacking captain. He was back to expectations during the last session.
    
11. India went on to the field with 5 captains: the current test captain, the current ODI captain and 3 former captains. I think they equalled Pakistan's record of 5 captains in the same match.
    
12. Faisal Iqbal will spend his career waiting for an Ul-Haq to get injured or retire.

The 1st test gets underway on Thursday in Delhi and both Pakistan and India would be fancying their chances of getting the upper hand early in the series. India, after their test series win in England and wins against Pakistan in the 20-20 world cup and the ODI series would start as favorites. But Pakistan, after winning the 5th ODI, have their tails up and look like a team that is gelling well together. The tense faces that were visible after the 4th ODI seemed very relaxed during the practice session earlier this evening.