Munaf's control, and India's go-slow

When India were batting the pitch looked quite placid, but Munaf Patel showed just how to bowl on it. The key was the length he bowled: more than 85% of his deliveries pitched perfectly on good length. That, coupled with the lively pace he bowled at and the movement he extracted off the pitch, meant that the batsmen's techniques were always tested. At the other end, though, he was let down by Irfan Pathan, who again struggled with his length: only 64% of his balls pitched on good length. Worse, he dragged it short fairly regularly, and at his medium pace, that combination meant easy pickings for the batsmen.

The three strikes by India in the last session has put them firmly in charge, and while only one team can win the match from here, India might still regret the rate at which they scored runs in the afternoon session. After racking up 124 in 29 overs in the morning session (4.28 runs per over), India crawled at three per over after lunch (103 in 34.3). During this period they played out 143 dot balls, and even went off the field briefly when offered the light. Mohammad Kaif scored 59 from 91 during that period, but the rest of the batsmen showed no urgency: Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Pathan totalled a grand 28 from 86 balls, a scoring rate of 1.95 per over. It remains to be seen if that go-slow approach comes back to haunt the Indians later in the match.