Pak put up a fine batting display. As often happens, India has the rare ability to bring out of form batsmen from the opposition back to form. In this case, it was Salman Butt’s turn. He played a fluent innings and deserved the century. Pak seemed set for a score higher than the 319 they ended up with. They lost too many wickets at the end to achieve the 350 target.
In any case, I had predicted that India would make 220 in reply. India is now struggling with a pathetic 76-5. I still think it will take a miracle for India to win and we’ll be lucky to cross 200. Pak seem set for a morale boosting win. The psycological impact of this Pak victory here will be huge. India could well find itself in a post third test mind-set. The dependency on Sehwag is similar to India’s dependence on Sachin in the 90s, and is cause for serious concern.
Pakora Korner 