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India fight back after rocky start

India's Yuvraj Singh leaps into the air as he celebrates scoring a century on the first day of the third Test match against Pakistan in Bangalore, India, yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

Yuvraj Singh and Sourav Ganguly hammered explosive centuries to lead India's fightback in the third and final Test against Pakistan yesterday.

Yuvraj celebrated his comeback with a career-best 169 and Ganguly scored a fluent unbeaten 125 as an injury-hit India recovered from a horror morning session to reach 365-5 at stumps on the opening day.

India were wobbling at 61-4 on a good batting track before left-handers Yuvraj and Ganguly restored their team's fortunes with a 300-run stand for the fifth wicket.

The partnership was the highest for the fifth wicket in Tests between the two countries.

Debutant seamer Yasir Arafat jolted India with three wickets in a tight seven-over opening spell. He removed Wasim Jaffer (17), Rahul Dravid (19) and VVS Laxman (five) after the hosts' batting problems began in the eighth over when Gautam Gambhir was caught behind off Sami after making five.

Yuvraj and Ganguly then counter-attacked following Arafat's burst to steer their team to safety.

It was Yuvraj's third Test century and Ganguly's 15th.

Pakistan suffered a stroke of misfortune when ace paceman Shoaib Akhtar walked off the field after bowling two overs in the afternoon. He was taken to a hospital suffering from back pain.

Pakistan's team management said the fast bowler's condition would be assessed this morning.

Yuvraj and Ganguly demoralized the Pakistani attack in the last two sessions with a wide range of attacking shots all round the wicket.

Yuvraj, named in the playing eleven following injuries to Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, made the most of his opportunity with a gem of an innings in his first Test in more than a year.

India were also without pacemen Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel, ruled out due to fitness problems.

Yuvraj was the first to reach his hundred, punching Arafat through the covers for an 18th four.

He was caught off a leading edge by Faisal Iqbal at gully off Mohammad Sami.
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