After being outplayed for the better part of the firsttwo days, India put up a much improved bowling performance to dismiss Pakistanfor 393 to gain a slender first innings lead of 14 runs.
The top order batsmen then consolidated the advantageas they reached 133 for three at close, an overall lead of 147, at close on thethird day of the second Test at the Eden Gardens today.
Vice-captain Rahul Dravid was batting on 54, his secondhalf century of the series complementing a fine century in the first innings,with skipper Saurav Ganguly at the other end on four.
The dismissal of Sachin Tendulkar in fading light,adjudged caught behind off Abdul Razzaq, might have been the lone unfortunateevent for the Indians on a day when almost everything went their way.
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Having scored his third fifty of the series, Tendulkar(52) was once again denied that elusive 35th ton. The batsman had every reasonto be fuming after the verdict as there was daylight between bat and ball.
Earlier, resuming at 273 for two, Pakistan lost theirlast seven wickets for 62 runs to be bowled out for 393 half an hour before tea.
Indian bowlers put up a much improved performance as they picked three wicketsin the morning session before running through the tail in the post-lunchsession.
Pakistan, who were 331 for three at one stage, suffereda late order collapse and lost their last seven wickets for 62 runs.
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Vice-captain Younis Khan was the lone batsman to holdout against the marauding Indians before being out for 147.
Pakistan lost Yousuf Youhana in the fifth over of theday after the batsman had added only three runs to his overnight score.
Lakshmipathy Balaji (2-81) delivered a big blow when hehad the right handed batsman plumb in front for 104, ending the record thirdwicket stand which was eventually worth 211 runs.
Captain Inzamam-ul Haq, however, threatened to take thematch away from the Indians with his brilliant strokemaking.
Irfan Pathan (2-90) then provided the breakthrough witha well angled ball that took Inzamam's edge for a simple catch to thewicketkeeper.
Inzamam struck four fours for a 43-ball 30 during hisbrief stay at the crease.
Asim Kamal (6) became a victim of hesitant runningbetween the wickets. After Younis drove Balaji to long on, Tendulkar picked upthe stop by Ganguly and hurled it to the far end to catch Kamal well short ofhis crease.
Kumble (3-98) then dismissed Younis and the visitors lost the the tailendersquickly to give the hosts a slender 14-run lead.
Pakistan then picked two early wickets to peg backIndia in their second innings when Mohammad Sami dismissed the two openers,Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag, in the space of seven balls.
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Sami bowled Gambhir (1) in his very first ball beforehe reined in the high flying Sehwag with a skidding delivery that the batsmanplayed on to his stumps.
Sehwag's 15 runs came in 10 balls and contained threefours.
Dravid and Tendulkar denied the visitors furtherbreakthroughs as they added 98 runs for the third wicket before the latter fellto Abdul Razzaq.
The two maintained a run rate of above four an overeven as Inzamam's bowlers fell back on to leg side attack.
That however did not prevent the batsmen from findingtheir gaps with simple improvisation.
Tendulkar was at his best as he repeatedly paddle sweptDanish Kaneria past the short fine leg.
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The master batsman, stung by the sharp criticism forhis slow batting in the first Test, admirably kept himself from pointing todistractions from behind the sightscreen.
But deteriorating light became a concern.
Tendulkar's request for light however were turned downby the umpires. He certainly had problems in reading the short pitcheddeliveries of Razzaq and Sami.
Adding to the batsmen's difficulty was the two-pacedbounce of the Eden pitch which saw Dravid being hit on the shoulder blade.
Just when it seemed that the batsmen would see throughthe last few overs for the day came Tendulkar's dismissal.
Tendulkar withdrew from his shot just in time from arising delivery by Razzaq outside the off stump that swung late after beatingthe bat.
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To his surprise, umpire Steve Bucknor upheld the lonevociferous appeal of Razzaq, even as his teammates were least interested in theappeal.
Two overs later, the umpires offered light to thebatsmen who accepted it immediately.
PTI
