Sehwag and Gambhir sizzle at Mohali

India 184 for 1 (Sehwag 95*, Dravid 39) trail Pakistan 312 by 128 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Virender Sehwag, splendidly backed up by Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid, lit up a grey Mohali afternoon with some iridescent strokeplay as India made a mockery of conditions that appeared to be tailormade for swing bowling. A persistent drizzle set in before the scheduled 10am start, and 215 minutes of play were lost before the players finally emerged at 2.20. Sehwag, who savaged the Pakistani bowling to the tune of 309 at Multan last March, carried on to 95 in much the same fashion, taking heavy toll on an attack that, with the exception of Danish Kaneria, rarely looked Test-class.

As at Multan, Pakistan were once again co-conspirators in their own downfall, with Taufeeq Umar dropping a fairly straightforward chance at third slip when Sehwag had made just 15. Then, with play winding down, Younis Khan exhibited similar butterfingers at first slip, allowing India to finish the day on 184 for 1, just 128 in arrears.

With no Shoaib Akhtar to intimidate the batsmen with sheer pace, the tone for the innings was set in the opening seconds, when Gambhir nudged Mohammad Sami's first delivery down to the third-man fence. At the other end, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan beat Sehwag with a beauty first up. It was as good as it would get for him, and the fusillade of shots that followed had Inzamam-ul-Haq shaking his head in bemusement.

Though Naved was bowling to a 7-2 off-side field, Sehwag got into the groove with two contemptuous swats past point, forcing Inzamam to station a deep third man in only the fourth over. And after Taufeeq had failed to latch on to the face-high chance off Sami, Pakistan's pain was exacerbated by a delightful cover-drive that streaked to the boundary.

Twelve months ago, one of the highlights of Sehwag's devastating knock had been a couple of whiplash sixes over third man off Shoaib. This time, the bowler was different, but the result was very much the same as a short and wide delivery from Naved was sent soaring over the fence at deep backward point.

Gambhir started circumspectly, and was fortunate to survive when an attempted pull off Sami just flew over the head of Kaneria at midwicket. However, there was nothing fortuitous about the scintillating cover-drive that followed. With the 50 having come up in just 8.3 overs, Inzamam was forced to protect his new-ball pairing from a further shellacking. You couldn't be too harsh on either Sami or Naved, who pitched the ball up often in an effort to make it swing, only to find it disappearing rapidly in the direction of the rope.

Abdul Razzaq came on in the tenth over, and Kaneria immediately after as Pakistan searched for a way to stem the torrent of runs. Kaneria was given the friendliest of greetings by Gambhir, who sauntered down the pitch and slammed the ball down to the long-on boundary.

Rahul Dravid pumps Virender Sehwag's hand as they walk off the field after thoroughly dominating Pakistan's bowlers © AFP

When the umpires called for tea, it must have been music to Pakistani ears, respite after an hour of carnage. But there was no Getafix magic potion waiting for them in the dressing-room. When the players re-emerged, Sami was spanked for three fours in an over, with Gambhir showing that he was far more than some stodgy foil for Sehwag. With the hapless bowlers feeding him outside off stump, he laced some magical drives square of the wicket, as the 100 came up in just 15.5 overs.

Sehwag had taken just 49 balls for his half-century, and he carried on in helterskelter mode, dismissing Razzaq with a cut, a sublime cover-drive and a scorching straight shot in the same over. And with Sami's profligate second spell of three overs having cost 26 runs, Inzamam had no choice but to revert to Kaneria. It proved an inspired move, with Gambhir, who had strolled to 41 from just 46 balls, tonking the first delivery he faced straight to Naved at mid-on (113 for 1).

If that was a shard of light creeping through, then the door was resolutely shut by Dravid, who eased off the mark with a superb cut for four off Kaneria. Though Kaneria troubled both batsmen periodically with his variations and the number of revolutions he was able to impart with his whippy action, he wasn't consistent enough to provoke undue introspection. There would invariably be the rank bad ball, and almost without fail, Dravid and Sehwag would smack it to the fence.

Both batsmen found the gaps in the field with ease, and while Dravid enthralled the spectators with some gorgeous flicks through midwicket, Sehwag was content to go into cruise control in the final hour. It was Kaneria who pushed open the lone window of opportunity, enticing Sehwag - on 82 at the time - into an impetuous drive, but Younis at first slip fluffed a regulation catch to his left. It was that sort of day for Pakistan, a day when strains of "Come back, Shoaib, all is forgiven" could be heard if you bothered to listen hard enough.

Gambhir c Naved-ul-Hasan b Kaneria 41 (113 for 1)
Stepped out casually and went through with an ambitious heave even though the ball dipped sharply - a simple catch for mid-on.