Sehwag and Dravid Finish Three Short

Indian duo Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid missed out on a world-record opening stand as the first Test against Pakistan in Lahore finished in a draw.

With the match destined to end in stalemate after four days of batting domination, the only note of interest going into the final day’s play was whether Sehwag and Dravid could get the 11 runs needed to pass the 50-year-old record set by fellow Indians Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy.

But when play finally started after bad light and drizzle had wiped out most of the opening two sessions, Sehwag edged seamer Rana Naved-ul-Hasan to keeper Kamran Akmal with the score on 410 to end his mammoth innings of 254. That left the Indian openers an agonizing three runs short of the history books.

Chasing Pakistan’s 679 for seven declared, the tourists resumed on Tuesday on 403 without loss and Sehwag wasted no time in bringing up his 250 with a leg-glance off Naved that earned him two runs. He then lashed a cover drive for four before finally succumbing, attempting to guide the ball over the slip cordon.

Three balls after his departure, Dravid (128 not out), and his new partner VVS Laxman, were offered the light and immediately accepted, trudging off for a slightly early tea with the score on 410 for one. And that was the last of the day’s play with the teams not re-appearing after the break. The second Test is scheduled to begin in Faisalabad on January 21.