IndiaPost.com - Perfect start to Kumble reign as skipper

NEW DELHI: Anil Kumble's tenure as India captain got off to a perfect start at his happy hunting ground as the hosts thumped Pakistan by six wickets in the first Test to go 1-0 up in the three-match cricket series here.

Kumble's tryst with Ferozeshah Kotla continued unabated and the Man of the Match award came as the icing on the cake for the veteran leg-spinner, who claimed seven wickets in the match, besides scoring a defiant 24 runs in the first innings.

Needing 32 for a facile win, India completed the formalities in little over half an hour 32 minutes to be precise to score the required runs in 6.2 overs and record their seventh consecutive Test win at Kotla. Sachin Tendulkar (56 not out) scored the winning run in style, rocking to his back foot to cut Shoaib Akhtar (rpt Shoaib Akhtar) past the point fielder for a scorching boundary. This was only the second instance of India successfully chasing down a 200-plus target at home. The first time they did it was in the Mumbai Test against Australia in 1964-65.

For the hosts, the lone disappointment of the day was Sourav Ganguly's departure when the batsman was just two runs away from what could have been his 30th Test half-century. The left-hander's brief stay saw him face just three deliveries this morning, last of which brought his peril.

Trying to pull Shoaib Akhtar, Ganguly offering a swirling catch to Sohail Tanvir at fine leg to leave without adding to his overnight score. Ganguly's 48 came off 64 balls in two hours, during which he hit eight boundaries. Tendulkar, however, provided the reason for celebration for the sparse Kotla crowd by notching up his 46th Test fifty via a full-blooded cut off Kaneria.

Tendulkar, who was hardly convincing, looked a different batsman as he let loose his aggression this morning. He made a statement of intent by pulling Shoaib for a four in the second delivery of the day. Mohammad Sami too was in for similar treatment from the batsman, who yesterday overtook Allan Border as the second highest run-getter in the longer version of the game.

The master batsman was in belligerent mood today as he contributed 24 of the 32 runs today. His unbeaten 56 came off 110 balls and included nine hits to the fence.

VVS Laxman remained not out on six and delighted the crowd with a delectable flick off Sami that raced to the boundary. Shoaib Akhtar was clearly the pick of the Pakistani bowlers, claiming four for 58, but there were not enough runs on the board to defend and he did not get much support from the other end either. Both the teams now move to Kolkata for the second Test, which gets underway on November 30.