Pakistan Vs India, 3rd Test, Bangalore, 5th day

India 626 (Ganguly 239, Yuvraj 169, Pathan 102, Arafat 5-161) and 284 for 6 dec (Ganguly 91, Karthik 52) drew with

Pakistan 537 (Misbah 133*, Younis 80, Butt 68, Akmal 65, Ishant 5-118) and 162 for 7 (Iqbal 51, Kumble 5-60)

When India left Pakistan just 47 overs to score an improbable 374 for victory, the Bangalore Test appeared to be meandering to a draw. As the opening pair added 44, thoughts turned to how soon the match could be called off but dramatic interventions from Anil Kumble and Yuvraj Singh pushed Pakistan to the precipice before bad light saved them from acute embarrassment with 11 overs still to be bowled. The playing conditions didn't allow the use of floodlights, leaving India to rue a declaration that probably came half an hour too late. However, they would have been satisfied to clinch their first home Test series victory against Pakistan since 1979-80.

Even when Yasir Hameed and Younis Khan fell in the space of four balls, one bowled by a Kumble express and the other popping up a return catch, it appeared to be a wobble rather than a quake. Salman Butt and Faisal Iqbal steadied the innings with a 29-run stand and, when Butt got a thin edge behind to give Kumble his third wicket of the innings, Pakistan decided to blast their way out of trouble.

With the fielders crowding the bat, cuts and drives flew to the boundary as Misbah-ul-Haq and Iqbal added 73 at seven an over. Only nine balls remained for the mandatory overs to start when Kumble struck again. A short and fast one drew Iqbal into the pull, and when it looped up to Ishant Sharma at mid-on, all thoughts of handshakes and an early finish disappeared.

Kamran Akmal walked out to join Misbah, but this time Pakistan's premier rescue act couldn't even get started. Kumble started his cricket as a medium-pace bowler and those roots were very much in evidence in the quicker delivery that deviated away just enough to peg back Akmal's off stump. Mohammad Yousuf avoided the hat-trick, but Yuvraj Singh, the birthday boy, then left his mark on proceedings.

An arm ball ended Misbah's came on 37, while Yasir Arafat had no answers to one that went straight on. Given the batting qualities of Shoaib Akhtar and Danish Kaneria, India were effectively three decent balls away from a famous victory, but Mohammad Sami kept Yousuf company long enough for the umpires to bring their light-meters out. Once they asked the question, the batsmen were off like a cannonball shot.

India had their chances before tea as well. Rahul Dravid couldn't grab a thick outside edge from Butt off Kumble's bowling, and the captain was himself the culprit moments later when he spilled a chance at gully after Hameed had flashed outside off stump. Hameed rubbed it in with three fours in an Irfan Pathan over but batting, by and large, was no picnic on a pitch where the bounce had become impossible to predict.

India certainly found that to be the case when they resumed in the morning, in the lead by 220 runs. There was no excessive urgency or interest in a challenging declaration. With the odd delivery not rising above shin height, their approach was understandable, though any fears that Pakistan might chase down a target in excess of 300 weren't grounded in reality.

Sourav Ganguly started the morning with an inside edge for four off Sami, and there was four too for Dravid as Yousuf made a complete hash of backing up a throw. But with Shoaib bowling at serious pace and pitching it short, scoring opportunities were hard to come by.

Kaneria was also brought on early, and proved equally difficult to put away, bowling into the leg-stump rough. Ganguly tried to force the issue with a sprightly saunter down the pitch and an off drive, and when Sami subsequently dropped one short, he played a withering pull to the midwicket boundary.

Then came the sticky patch. The partnership was worth 152 when Dravid was deceived by a googly from Kaneria, and three balls later, Ganguly slashed a wide ball from Sami straight to Iqbal at gully. His knock ended on 91. Another nine runs and he would have become only the seventh man in history to make a double-hundred and a century in the same Test.

The sheen was then taken off Yuvraj's birthday celebrations as Rudi Koertzen gave him out caught behind off Sami for two. Replays suggested the bat had made contact with boot rather than ball. Suddenly, 178 for 2 had become 184 for 5, but instead of retreating into a shell, VVS Laxman and Dinesh Karthik upped the ante. Laxman flicked and then square drove Sami for two fours in an over, while Karthik took a shine to Kaneria, clouting a six and two fours over the leg-side field.

Three balls after lunch, India's immediate prospects, with a tour of Australia looming, were dealt a sickening blow when Laxman took his eyes off a Shoaib bouncer and was struck on the elbow. The physio came out and had a look, but Laxman was clearly in so much pain that there was no option but to come off and perhaps head for a precautionary X-ray.

Pathan came out to replace him, and his batting form was evident in the cover drives that he played off Shoaib and Kaneria. Karthik, who had a point to prove to the knee-jerk-reaction crew questioning his suitability for Australia, was playing a busy little innings at the other end, sweeping and cutting Kaneria for fours as thoughts turned to sending Pakistan in.

A straight drive off Arafat got him to his half-century from 66 balls, but when the next ball was edged behind, Kumble called them in. You could hardly have predicted what happened next. India will reflect on missed opportunities, but at the end of the day, they'll take a 1-0 series win, their first against Pakistan on Indian soil since the days when a fresh-faced Kapil Dev was leading the attack.

Pakistan Vs India, 3rd Test, Bangalore, 4th day

India 626 and 131 for 2 (Ganguly 63*, Dravid 35*) lead Pakistan 537 (Misbah 133*, Younis 80, Akmal 65, Ishant 5-118) by 220 runs

Misbah-ul-Haq, superbly supported by Kamran Akmal and Yasir Arafat, shepherded Pakistan to safety, but India overcame the early loss of both openers to stretch their lead to 220 by stumps. Sourav Ganguly's brilliant half-century led the Indian effort, on a pitch that didn't deteriorate like it was expected to. Misbah's unbeaten133 was the focal point of the day's play, but there was also an eye-catching spell from Ishant Sharma, whose pace and ability to extract bounce from the dodo-dead surface triggered Pakistan's slide from 525 for 6 to 537 all out.

With a lead of 89, India started sedately and were soon in trouble. Gautam Gambhir did his Australian tour prospects no good at all with another failure, clueless against a full slower ball from Shoaib Akhtar, while Wasim Jaffer played a couple of lovely strokes before being trapped in front by Arafat. At that stage, India were only 115 in front, with Rahul Dravid in scratchy form.

Ganguly, though, was impervious to the pressure, pulling Mohammad Sami for four to send out the message that there would be no repeat of the diffidence that cost India a Test here in 2005. When Shoaib came back into the attack, he twice smacked him through cover point, and when Arafat was then taken for three fours in an over, the momentum had clearly shifted.

Dravid started to play a few shots of his own, but the main aim was to turn the strike over to the man in splendid form. Danish Kaneria's introduction was the proverbial red rag and Ganguly sauntered down the pitch twice to hit him for a six and a four as his 50 came from just 57 balls. The odd delivery did keep low and trouble the batsmen, but with the lead over 200, India wouldn't have cared much.

For much of the day, they had struggled to close out the Pakistan innings, with Misbah proving an impenetrable barrier. At the Eden Gardens, he and Akmal had both made centuries, adding 207 to rescue Pakistan. They provided a 144-run encore in Bangalore, with a combination of watchfulness and belligerence.

Except for the odd ball that did something, there were few demons in the pitch, and Misbah and Akmal started the day at a fair clip as they went in search of the 58 needed to ensure India bat again. Ishant once again had no-ball problems, and both men preyed on errors in line to drive him through the covers.

Irfan Pathan was much more economical at the other end, but the introduction of Harbhajan Singh couldn't halt the Pakistani momentum. Misbah drove him beautifully through point for four, and Akmal then swept fine as 427 came into view.

Anil Kumble switched to spin at both ends after the drinks interval, but Akmal got Pakistan past the follow-on target with another sweep to the rope at fine leg off Harbhajan. He was out soon after for 65, lured forward by a flighted delivery, but on the whole, the Indian spinners were guilty of bowling too flat.

Misbah flicked Kumble through midwicket to move into the nineties, and with Yasir Arafat proving adept at cutting the ball down to third man, the runs and India's frustration mounted. It was no different for more than an hour after lunch. A glance for four off Harbhajan took Misbah to a second successive century, off 258 balls, and a powerful cut for four off Kumble then revealed his intention to step it up a gear.

Arafat was the perfect foil, unflustered in defence and capable of punishing shots when the opportunity presented itself. When Kumble dropped short, he twice heaved him over midwicket for fours, and when Pathan returned for another spell, he flicked through midwicket for another.

With spin not providing the breakthrough, Kumble turned to pace, and the rewards were immediate. With his height and pace, Ishant was a menace, and the 93-run partnership ended when Arafat played on after an accomplished 44. After that, the end was swift. Sami was cleaned up with a yorker, while both Shoaib and Kaneria fell to short balls directed at the body. Ishant finished with 5 for 118 in only his second Test, a strong statement ahead of the selection for the squad to Australia.

The highlight, though, was Misbah and a rearguard action that left India to contemplate some brisk batting on the final morning if a result was to be possible. Only one team has a realistic chance of victory, but at a venue where they haven't won for 12 years, it remains to be seen if India will force the issue.

Pakistan Vs India, 3rd Test, Bangalore, 3rd day

akistan 369 for 5 (Younis 80, Butt 68, Misbah 54*, Akmal 32*) trail India 626 by 257 runs

After their efforts that saved the Kolkata Test, Misbah-ul-Haq and Kamran Akmal staged another rearguard action that brightened Pakistan's chances of avoiding the follow-on in the final Test. Pakistan had slumped to 288 for 5 midway through the afternoon, but their unbeaten 81-run partnership righted the balance somewhat on a day when the Indian bowlers had to work exceptionally hard for little reward. The variable bounce challenged the batsmen, but also took its toll on the Indians, with 31 byes conceded in an astonishing tally of 70 extras.

When Faisal Iqbal's innings of 22 was ended by a nasty lifter from Ishant Sharma, India would have scented an opportunity to finish things off quickly. Sharma was impressive with the second new ball, bowling with good pace and extracting disconcerting bounce.

Misbah survived a couple of confident leg-before shouts, and luck was very much on his side on a day when Rudi Koertzen failed to spot a thin edge behind off Harbhajan Singh's bowling. Misbah was on one at the time, and his 151-ball half-century frustrated the Indians all afternoon.

He wasn't all stodge either, playing some lovely cuts and steers when the bowlers dropped short, but the aggressive intent was left to Kamran Akmal, who once again cut and drove beautifully against his favourite opposition. By stumps, Pakistan needed just 58 to ensure India bat again, a healthy position that appeared unlikely when their two main men fell in quick succession before tea.

After Salman Butt had fallen in the morning session, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf added 72 at a fair clip. Younis played a glorious cover-drive off Ishant Sharma, and once again showed his mastery of the reverse sweep with three off Harbhajan. With Yousuf driving Anil Kumble on the up over cover, some of the Indians must have been dreading another marathon partnership between two men who average over 80 together, and an astounding 171.50 against India.

Younis's predilection for the reverse sweep, though, changed the game. When Harbhajan came round the wicket, he went for it again, only to be undone by the low bounce. Soon after, an irked Yousuf walked up to Kumble at gully and exchanged words. He didn't appear to be mollified by the response, and the incident probably had a lot to do with his dismissal - a loose steer to point after Irfan Pathan had angled one well wide of off stump.

Pakistan had enjoyed the better of the morning session too. Butt eased a couple of lovely drives through the covers, though he was also extremely fortunate to survive a vociferous shout for leg before from Pathan. Younis played a superb straight drive off Sharma and a square drive off Pathan, but the inconsistent bounce kept both batsmen on their toes.

Sharma was bowling too many no-balls though, and Kumble turned to Sourav Ganguly to exert some pressure from one end. And the move paid off when Butt, who had been put down at short leg by Gautam Gambhir off Harbhajan, got a thin edge to a delivery that slanted away from him.

Both Younis and Yousuf were lucky to see outside edges fly past the lone slip, and with Kumble bringing himself on 20 minutes before lunch, it was apparent that there would be a serious examination by spin in the afternoon. Instead, it was gentle medium-pace that almost did the trick, but Simon Taufel failed to spot that Younis had glanced one down the leg side off Ganguly. Dinesh Karthik's lukewarm reaction probably made up his mind, and Ganguly was a far from happy chappie as he walked off the field for lunch. It just about summed up a day when India huffed and puffed without being able to blow the house down.

Pakistan Vs India, 3rd Test, Bangalore, 2nd day

Pakistan 86 for 1 (Butt 50*, Younis 7*) trail India 626 (Ganguly 239, Pathan 102, Arafat 5-161) by 540 runs


The last time Pakistan played here, Inzamam-ul-Haq's brilliance and Younis Khan's appetite for the long haul shut India out of a Test match. There was perfect symmetry here, only this time they were on the receiving end, with Yuvraj Singh reprising Inzamam's class and Sourav Ganguly batting on and on in the manner that Younis had back in 2005. By the time he was out for 239 on the stroke of tea, India had gone past 600, and thoughts of a series-levelling victory had long since ebbed away from the Pakistan camp. By stumps, they had whittled away 86 from the deficit, losing Yasir Hameed along the way.

Irfan Pathan added a scintillating maiden Test century just for good measure as an attack deprived of Shoaib Akhtar's pace struggled to make any impression. The three-man attack and part-timers toiled away without reward on a pitch where the slightest error was ruthlessly punished. A profusion of half-volleys and half-trackers was served up by bowlers ready for the knackers yard and Ganguly and Pathan cashed in happily during a 178-run partnership that really was the last straw.

With Bangalore's new metro system being built, most of the roads leading to Mahatma Gandhi Road, the city's main thoroughfare and adjacent to the stadium, are one-way. And it was a similar story out on the pitch as India piled on the runs and the punishment. Pathan, whose batting ability has never been in doubt, walked into a situation that was perfect for him. He cut and drove with immense power, taking time to loft the odd ball miles over the rope. At the other end, Ganguly eased to a first double-century in Tests, with the roof nearly coming off the Chinnaswamy Stadium as fervent cries of 'Dada, Dada' soared into the air.

He celebrated with a glorious straight drive off Arafat and both men then proceeded to treat Kaneria like a net bowler. When he dropped short, he was cut past the off-side field. When he gave it some air, the ball sailed out of sight, and when he pitched on the legs, he was swept away. After a point, Younis gave up and opted for Salman Butt and Hameed. To the batsmen, it made not the slightest difference, with the ball disappearing into the gaps and to the boundary as India exacted retribution for the events of March 2005.

The only man to miss out on the run-fest was Dinesh Karthik, caught behind off Arafat in the morning. He had been extremely fortunate not to be given out shouldering arms to Mohammad Sami, and Pakistan's sense of injustice had only grown when Ganguly square-drove and flicked Arafat for fours.

The end of that 66-run partnership may have given Pakistan a glimmer of hope, but Ganguly and Pathan extinguished it with batting as pitiless as seen in Sydney in 2004 and at The Oval earlier this year. Ganguly, whose effort surpassed Vinod Kambli's 227 as the highest by an Indian left-hander, fell going for the sweep and the only interest after tea was in whether Pathan would get the seven needed for his hundred.

Anil Kumble fell to a Kaneria googly and Harbhajan Singh was then cleaned up to give Yasir Arafat five for the innings. A nearly full stadium then held its collective breath as Ishant Sharma played out four balls to give Pathan the strike. He didn't need a second invitation. The first ball of Kaneria's over was cracked over wide long-on for six, and though he perished to a slog the next ball, resounding applause followed him all the way back to the pavilion.

Hameed and Butt survived some anxious moments against Pathan and Sharma with the new ball, as the pitch started to show signs of irregular bounce. Butt laced some beautiful drives on his way to another 50, but Hameed was once again outfoxed by Kumble. Younis was in the middle at the close, and it needed another monumental effort from him for Pakistan to salvage at least pride from a game that had been even more of a mismatch than the Mayweather-Hatton fight on Sunday morning.

Pakistan V India, 3rd Test, Bangalore, 1st day

Day 1 India 365 for 5 (Yuvraj 169, Ganguly 125*, Arafat 3-98) v Pakistan

The Chinnaswamy Stadium has been witness to some exceptional batting down the years, from Sunil Gavaskar's 96 to Michael Clarke's century on debut, via Sachin Tendulkar's destruction of Shane Warne (1998). The last time India played here, Younis Khan's monumental 267 inspired a famous Pakistan triumph but, on Saturday, he could only watch ruefully as Yuvraj Singh and Sourav Ganguly stroked sublime centuries to wrest control of the final Test.

Yasir Arafat's three wickets on debut had shaken the innings to its very foundations before lunch but, from the depths of 61 for 4, Yuvraj and Ganguly constructed a magnificent run edifice. With Shoaib Akhtar off the field after lunch with back spasms, Pakistan's gamble of playing just four specialist bowlers was horribly exposed in the final two sessions.

Younis, who did his best to make sure that shoulders didn't droop too much, was left to reflect on a difficult chance that he failed to hold on to at slip when Yuvraj had made just 12. Danish Kaneria was the luckless bowler, and insult was added to injury over the course of an afternoon when the Indians cut and drove fours at will.

Yuvraj started extremely nervously, understandable given that he hadn't played a Test since the West Indies tour in 2006. A tuck off his hips from Arafat got the scoreboard ticking, but it was only when he played a glorious shot down the ground off Mohammad Sami that he began to resemble the man who has tormented Pakistan over the past few years.

Yuvraj celebrated the Younis reprieve with a gorgeous cover drive off Sami and the complexion of the match changed as he and Ganguly began to pick off the loose deliveries with precision and ease. Sami was repeatedly creamed through the covers, while Kaneria was cut and driven for four. There was the odd scampered single, too, as Pakistan began to lose the plot.

A superb flick through midwicket got Yuvraj to his half-century from 75 balls and, when Younis brought himself on, Ganguly was quick to follow suit. His classy effort had taken a while longer, 92 balls, but was no less valuable in providing India a bridgehead. Even the return of Arafat failed to stem the tide. His first nine overs had cost 26, and fetched him three wickets, but the next 10 that he bowled went for 53 as the batsmen cut loose.

A cut through cover took Yuvraj to his third century, all of them against his favourite opposition. There was a jubilant leap in the air and a prolonged hug from Ganguly, followed by some more breathtaking drives. Even with four men spread out to stop the cover drive, Yuvraj found the boundary and a huge heave for six off Kaneria brought up the 200-run partnership.

Bereft of options, Younis turned to the part-time spin of Salman Butt and Yasir Hameed, but there was no respite. Ganguly, who timed the ball immaculately, especially against Kaneria, drove Hameed through the covers to bring up his 15th Test century, and second in succession, raising his bat to acknowledge the applause from an enraptured crowd.

The partnership so demoralised Pakistan that the second new ball was taken only after 84 overs, with Younis also conscious of a dismal over-rate. Initially, it made not the slightest bit of difference, with Ganguly and Yuvraj continuing to score runs at will.

The partnership was worth exactly 300 when Sami's perseverance was rewarded with a leading edge to point. By then, Yuvraj had amassed a fabulous 203-ball 169, and left the selectors with a massive headache before the Boxing Day Test. By the time he trudged off to a standing ovation, Yuvraj had made an irresistible case to be retained for the trial by Australia pace.

It had been so very different in the morning, when Arafat savoured a debut of schoolboy-dream variety as Pakistan's quest for a hat-trick of victories here started brightly. Sohail Tanvir had done the third seamer's job in Delhi and Kolkata but the decision to draft in Arafat, who had a good county season with Kent, was an inspired one. On a pleasant, sunny day that wouldn't have been out of place in the English summer, he came on as first change after Shoaib and Sami had made lively starts.

After choking off the runs, Sami had given Pakistan the early wicket they sought. Gambhir, one of those with a point to prove, edged one behind to give Sami his first wicket of the series. Soon after, Arafat came on, and India crumbled.

He bowled at lively pace and swung the ball just enough to trouble the batsmen. Rahul Dravid had driven him beautifully through the covers twice, but when he got a little extra bounce outside off stump, the attempted cut flew off the edge to the left of first slip. Misbah-ul-Haq took a smart catch that left Dravid plenty of time to reflect on a dismal record in familiar surroundings - just one score over 50 in ten innings.

Wasim Jaffer, who started sedately before unveiling a couple of superb fours, was then guilty of an extraordinary error of judgment, padding up to one that shaped back in. That left India in disarray at 51 for 3, and it got worse on the stroke of lunch, when VVS Laxman toe-ended one on to his stumps. Then came the resurrection, as two left-hand batsmen touched by grace shone even brighter than the winter sun.

Shoaib Akhtar sent to hospital for MRI

Shoaib Akhtar, the Pakistan fast bowler, was taken to hospital for an MRI scan after suffering back pain during the first day of the final Test against India in Bangalore. The scan revealed no injury but he has been experiencing muscle spasms and will not take further part in play on the first day. He will be assessed on Sunday morning.

Shoaib bowled four overs in his first spell before going off the field at the end of the seventh over, during which he showed discomfort while bowling. He came back on after Gautam Gambhir was dismissed in the eighth over but once again left the field after bowling the ninth. He bowled eight overs in the first session and managed two more after the break before once again leaving the field at the end of the 32nd over.

Akhtar, 32, took six wickets in Delhi and two in Kolkata, where he played with a chest infection.

Fitness favours Pakistan in high-stakes finale

Buoyed up by a strong finish in the second Test in Kolkata, Pakistan are looking to turn the tables on hosts India in the final Test starting in Bangalore from tomorrow (Saturday).

A team official told on Thursday that the morale in the Pakistan camp is high after the drawn second Test in which the tourists made a great escape and now the players are confident of leveling the series in Bangalore.

“Unlike the previous Test when we had a lot of fitness headaches, things are much positive now and the players are looking ahead to end the series 1-1 here,”

Ahsan Malik, the team’s spokesman said in a telephonic conversation from Bangalore.

He said that Pakistan will miss the services of regular skipper Shoaib Malik, who continues to remain out due to an ankle injury, but pointed out that stand-in captain Younis Khan has full support of his team-mates.

Malik, who got injured in a training session immediately after the first Test in Delhi, had to sit out of the Kolkata Test and will be unable to take command of his team in Bangalore either.

“Malik went to see a specialist here today and was advised another five-day rest,”

said the official.

“The players are all pumped up to seal this Test and tell the world that they are match winners,”

he added. Pakistan lost the one-day series last month 2-3 and have been unable to come at par with India in the Test series, having lost the opening Test in Delhi by six wickets. They were reduced to the role of saving the second Test at the Eden Gardens after allowing India post a mammoth 616 in the first innings.

Pakistan carried out a training session at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday but were unable to view the pitch which was covered because of wet weather.

“The captain and team officials will examine the pitch tomorrow after which the playing eleven for the Test will be decided in a team meeting,”

Malik said.

It is expected that the pitch will have some life for the pacers after two low and slow tracks at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi and the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. According to Narayan Raju, the curator, the wicket is hard with a lot of grass on it and ample moisture underneath.

With Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami fully fit and Sohail Tanvir, Rao Iftikhar Anjum and Yasir Arafat also available for selection, Pakistan have enough pace options. In contrast, India might struggle as some of their top pacers — Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, RP Singh and S Sreesanth — are all unavailable for the final Test.

Younus refuses to lead Pakistan in Bangalore Test

BANGALORE: Star batsman Younus Khan has refused to lead Pakistan cricket team in the final Test, to be played in Bangalore from December 8.

According to daily Jang’s correspondent, Younus Khan’s refusal to captain the national team was his reaction against the management attitude during the second Test in Kolkata.

The team management is trying to contact PCB chief Dr. Nasim Ashraf and request him to persuade Younus Khan to lead the team in the final Test.

According to the Jang correspondent, there was also a controversy that Younus Khan wanted to call fast bowler Abdul Rauf for Bangalore Test but the management has called Rao Iftikhar from Pakistan by-passing Younus’s advice.

Younus Khan said that he did not take dictation and wanted to be a fully authorized captain in the match otherwise he would not lead the national team.

On the other hand, Muhammad Yousuf has also refused to assume captaincy and now it is likely that Misbah-ul-Haq may lead the team in Bangalore Test.

While on the otjer hand, Younis Khan, Pakistan's stand-in captain, has denied reports that he was reluctant to lead the side for the third Test against India in Bangalore due to differences over team selection.

"These reports are absolutely baseless. I am looking ahead to leading the side in Bangalore and there is no rift or disagreement among the players over anything,"

Younis told Dawn, a leading Pakistani English language daily.

"I myself have heard such rumours today but there is no truth in them at all."

Younis also issued a clarification regarding his column in the Hindustan Times, where he had dissociated himself from the team selection for the second Test in Kolkata.

"Then, I was hurried into the job on the morning of the Test and couldn't change anything at that stage,"

Younis said.

"That had really annoyed me but things have since been sorted out."

Pakistan's media manager, Ahsan Malik, said:

"There has been a lot of confusion here today about it, but believe me nothing of it is true."

Younis has had a unhappy tryst with the team's captaincy, having previously refused the captaincy; in the immediate aftermath of the Caribbean World Cup and given it up prior to the 2006 Champions Trophy, when he was supposed to stand in for Inzamam-ul-Haq, who was completing a four-match ban. In the latter case, he was reinstated by the incoming PCB chairman, Nasim Ashraf.

Younis was named vice-captain for the tour of India, after his predecessor, Salman Butt, struggled to keep his place in the team in the ODIs against South Africa. He captained Pakistan in the second Test after Shoaib Malik was ruled out due to an ankle injury, where he scored 43 and an unbeaten 107 to force a draw.

Tendulkar and Dhoni doubtful starters for Test

India suffered twin jolts ahead of the third Test against Pakistan, as it emerged that Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni are doubtful starters due to injuries.

"Sachin aggravated a mild knee problem from the ODI series while fielding in the Kolkata Test, "

captain Anil Kumble said.

"A specialist opinion was sought immediately on arrival in Bangalore and upon advice, an injection was administered. His condition continues to improve but if he fails to recover by tomorrow morning, we feel it's wise to call a backup. We have called Gautham Gambhir.

Kumble added that Dhoni's ankle injury, picked up during the ODI series, hasn't fully healed yet.

"Dhoni continued to play after getting his ankle strapped up. We were initially thinking of resting him for this game but after this new development about Sachin we still aren't sure at this point in time. A decision on him will be taken tomorrow morning. "

Kumble said that Dhoni needs seven days to get fully fit.

"It's not that he can't play with strapping. But it's important for us to look ahead as lots of cricket is coming up."

The injuries mean Yuvraj Singh may finally get a chance to play in his first Test match since July 2006, having sat on the sidelines as India's middle order has prospered in this series. Any final decisions, however, will be taken on the morning of the Test.

Shoaib Malik ruled out of final (Banglore)Test

BANGALORE: Shoaib Malik, the Pakistan captain, has been ruled out of the final Test against India in Bangalore. He has not recovered from the ankle injury he suffered during training after the loss to India in the first Test in Delhi.

Shoaib Malik, who missed the Test in Kolkata, consulted a orthopedic surgeon in Bangalore, who advised him five days' rest. Younis Khan will lead the team in Malik's absence.

Besides Malik, there are no other injury concerns in the team and this was confirmed by Ehsan Malik, the media manager.

Pakistan had been plagued by injuries and illnesses before the previous Test in Kolkata, with spearhead Shoaib Akhtar not 100 per cent fitn during the Test, and Umar Gul ruled out of the series a day before the Test with a back strain.

Now, Pakistan also have back-up in case of an injury to their key bowlers, with both Yasir Arafat and Rao Iftikhar Anjum sent to India as cover.

Pakistan need a win in the final Test at Bangalore to square the series. The match begins on December 8.