Harbhajan Singh after claiming one of his three victims on Sunday. A Telegraph picture

Calcutta: The final word on an India-Pakistan Test can’t be written till the final ball. It’s never devoid of twists and turns, drama and intensity.

Pakistan’s top-order collapse on the third morning raised the possibility of an early finish to the second Test in the IndianOil Cup. But all that faded quicker than the morning mist as Misbah-ul Haq and Kamran Akmal laid siege for over two sessions.

The pair added 207 runs in 259 minutes for the sixth wicket before Akmal fell for 119. By close, the visitors were breathing slightly easy, though they still needed 59 runs to make India bat again. Pakistan’s hopes of saving the follow-on and the Test rest on Misbah (108 batting).

The pitch will not deteriorate dramatically on the final two days, if curator Kalyan Mitra is to be believed. There will be the usual wear and tear but nothing extraordinary to hasten a slide.

Harbhajan Singh pushed Pakistan on the back foot with some imaginative and disciplined bowling. He beat the batsmen in flight and also turned the odd one prodigiously. Salman Butt paid the penalty for driving across the line and Mohammed Yousuf was dismissed through the gate as he played against the spin.

Munaf Patel and Anil Kumble supported Harbhajan well. A well-settled Younis Khan played a horrible stroke off Patel, while Faisal Iqbal failed to pick the captain’s googly.
It looked Pakistan were down and out. But Misbah and Akmal put paid to India’s hopes.
It’s not that the pitch changed character between lunch and tea. What made the difference was the application shown by Misbah and Akmal. Nothing disturbed their concentration and focus. The enormity of the task in hand — 150 for five when the two got together just before lunch — made them aware of their responsibilities.

Misbah’s maiden century showed his maturity. He was content with rotating the strike and picking the gaps. His compact defence and uncomplicated approach made things easier.

The Indians were guilty of letting off Misbah twice. Sachin Tendulkar failed to hold on to a difficult chance at mid-wicket when Misbah was on 22 and then, on 66, a snick off Munaf landed in front of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

It seemed the situation was tailormade for Akmal, who is known to flourish in such situations. It was his fifth hundred overall, and fourth against India. If he was feeling the pressure created by a horrendously lean patch behind the wickets and with the bat, he did not show it. His determination and temperament helped him fight the odds.

He used the sweep to nullify the spinners and was not afraid to use his feet as well. He also enjoyed his share of luck — an edge off Sourav (on 76) went wide of first slip, and then Munaf’s lethargic movement resulted in a floored chance at fine-leg when on 87.
Two-and-a-half years back, he almost single-handedly denied India victory in the Mohali Test. An unbeaten century on a fifth-day wicket revealed his character and resolve. Then, on a green top in Karachi, he rescued Pakistan from the depths of 39 for six with an innings that has remained etched in memory.

Such was Akmal and Misbah’s dominance that Kumble was forced to take the second new ball after 81.3 overs. Zaheer was nowhere near his best on Sunday because of the foot injury he sustained on Saturday and Munaf bowled with a lot of fire but with little help from the wicket. Sourav should have got an extended spell.

Kumble’s experience and Harbhajan’s wizardry will hold the key on the low and slow pitch. The Pakistan batsmen will have to watch for the footmarks on either side of the wicket.