In the 66th over of the Indian innings, paceman Sohail Tanvir switched to left-arm spin, and nothing could have so explicitly revealed the desperation of Pakistan and the dominance of India on the first day of the second Test here on Friday. But the move proved to be just of curiosity value as the hosts battered the opposition into submission.

Indian skipper Anil Kumble opted to bat after winning the toss. The decision proved a right one as evidenced by the hosts' total of 352 for three before bad light forced an early end to the day’s play. A magnificent unbeaten hundred by Wasim Jaffer was the cornerstone of the Indian innings.

Indian batsmen had to fear only their own complacency on the day. The featherbed of a pitch and a sting-less attack meant the batsmen just needed to stay in the middle to garner runs, and barring Dinesh Kaarthick, they did it in emphatic style and none was more impressive than Jaffer.

For a while now, Jaffer has been tantalisingly close to playing a big innings, and it came on the perfect occasion. But it was not an innings typical of the Mumbai school of batting, known for its technical purity and precision. The Mumbaikar dished out an innings in the mould of stylists from Hyderabad; a knock of breathtaking beauty.

Seldom there was a false shot and seldom there was a lapse in concentration, his bitter enemies in the past. On the day, Jaffer overcame both his failings to register a high-quality ton against his name.

There were some stunning shots all around the park, wristy flicks, velvet cover drives and sparkling drives down the ground. There never was a hint of brutality in his innings, still runs flowed from his willow, squeezing out the last ounce of Pakistan's confidence.

Weak attack

Without Shoaib Akhtar — who could bowl only nine overs on the day — to lead their way, the Pakistan attack resembled a rudderless ship. Jaffer, however, was not in a hospitable mood as he carried on and on, and that insatiable hunger for runs he displayed was definitely a trademark of the Mumbai school of batting.

Younis Khan, leading the side in the absence of the injured regular skipper Shoaib Malik, tried all the options, though not much was at his disposal, to rattle Jaffer. But the opener showed fine temperament to ward off all the challenges and temptations to reach his fifth Test century and the first against Pakistan.

Tanvir was at the wrong end of the barrel when Jaffer slipped into aggressive mode. Of the 32 boundaries Jaffer hit, 18 came off Tanvir. The bowler too was guilty of drifting too much into the pads, a strong area of Jaffer and the latter did not need any special invitation to cash in on the freebies.

It was not an all-Jaffer show as Sachin Tendulkar too joined the party in his inimitable style. He picked up the gaps with ease to find boundaries as Pakistan bowlers went through a torrid time during the third-wicket alliance that yielded 175 runs off just 212 balls.

The Mumbai duo batted in sync with each other, and the presence of Tendulkar was helpful for Jaffer as well. The elder Mumbaikar guided his partner through the nervous 90s, and his presence worked as a calming factor. But Tendulkar himself fell short of a hundred when he was bowled by Danish Kaneria. The Pakistan leg-spinner came under the hammer for most part of the day, as he struggled to find the right line and length. But once he managed to land that dangerous googly on the spot, he was able to castle Tendulkar, who went for an extravagant drive.

In the morning session, India started badly, losing Kaarthick in the second over to Tanvir. The Tamil Nadu lad's tentative push ended in the hands of Younis at second slip. But Rahul Dravid and Jaffer eased the tension with a solid stand, milking 136 runs in 39 overs. Dravid was distinctly unlucky to be adjudged caught behind, as Kaneria's leg-spinner had missed the Bangalorean's blade by inches.  Pakistan's luck and joy dried out thereafter, as the Indians marched along merrily.