Wasim Jaffer celebrates his double century on Saturday. A Telegraph picture

Calcutta: Scoring a Test hundred in front of his home crowd was not one of his targets. Playing his 100th Test, which should happen on Boxing Day in Melbourne, remains one.

Saturday’s 102 gave Sourav Ganguly a sense of contentment. The leap in the air, the punching of the fist, the raised arms and the smile on his face was more out of relief for having achieved something that others only dream of. All talk on his form and place in the side can now be taken to the cleaners.

Laxman capped a fine day’s work with a century that not too many people noticed till it actually happened. Till then, the Sourav euphoria was sweeping through the Eden galleries.

A total of 616 for five declared will make any opposition jittery and Pakistan are already feeling the heat. Having lost Yasir Hameed in the last hour of play, they need another 367 runs to avoid the follow-on.

The wicket has started showing signs of wear and tear, and it will get worse. Not without reason did Geoff Lawson rush to have a look at the footmarks at both ends of the pitch after close.

Harbhajan Singh bowled after only 14 deliveries in the innings as Zaheer Khan was forced to leave the ground with a leg injury. It remains to be seen if the pace spearhead is fit to bowl on the third day.

A lot will depend on Younis Khan and Mohammed Yousuf if Pakistan are to save this Test. Not to forget the underperforming Kamran Akmal, whose unbeaten century helped them save the Chandigarh Test on their last tour.

The day, of course, belonged to Sourav. It was his 14th century overall and the first against Pakistan. There were no signs of pressure or show of nerves as he approached the landmark. He took only five balls to get through the Nervous Nineties and made no effort to hide his feelings. The calm assurance in his temperament and the quality in his technique was evident right through.

The former India captain was briefly tested on the second morning and survived on 62 after failing to withdraw from the line of a Shoaib Akhtar bouncer. In between there were a few delectable boundaries off Sohail Tanveer.

The left-arm pacer picked up a wicket with his first ball of the morning for the second day running. Wasim Jaffer paid for a lapse in concentration after completing his second double century.

Sourav and V.V.S. Laxman then grabbed the initiative. The fifth-wicket pair stitched together 163 runs in 233 balls. Pakistan looked completely lost as their bowlers showed no intent or plan. Even Kaneria’s compulsive leg stump line failed to check the flow of runs.

Laxman (112 not out) used his tensile wrists to hit the ball pitched on off and middle past cover or beat mid-wicket with a flick, leaving fielders scratching their heads. When he leaned into his drives, the fielders didn’t have a chance.

Shoaib and Mohammed Sami tried to unsettle him with bouncers after lunch, but he managed to fend them off. This was Laxman’s 11th hundred and his second at the Eden since the epic 281.

Towards the end, Mahendra Singh Dhoni played his part. He blazed his way to a fifty as the declaration approached.

The difference in quality between the spinners of the two sides once more came to the fore. Kaneria bowled well within his limitations. With very little support at the other end, his performance suffered. Also, his lack of variation and tendency to stray on the leg side dented his figures.

No doubt Kumble and Harbhajan will put the Pakistanis to the severest of tests on Sunday. The spinning duo will have an ally in a deteriorating pitch. An endearing battle awaits the Sunday crowd.