What an exhilarating game of cricket this has been! India, under pressure at stumps on the previous day, came back all guns blazing, to terminate the Pakistani innings for 393, atleast 150 short of what the visitors would have wished to get after the Younis-Youhana stand on day two.

The resurgence of the Indian bowlers was one of the many factors that made day three an incredible one. Besides some incisive bowling by both sides, there was some scintillating stroke-play, an animated crowd, a missed trick by a captain and yes, a horrid umpiring decision.

Tight fielding and penetrative bowling by India's spin twins, as also a much improved performance by Pathan and Balaji, ensured Pakistan's demise 14 short of the Indian first-innings total. Inzamam missed a trick when the Indian openers took the field, by tossing the new ball to debutant Mohammed Khaleel. He ought to have opened with Abdul Razzaq, his most experienced bowler. Razzaq had bowled well with the old ball in the first innings and had in fact initiated India's slide, and giving him the new ball in the second would have made the Indian batsmen wary. As it turned out, Khaleel allowed the situation and the animated Kolkata crowd to get to him, and was hit by Sehwag for three fours in his first over. Mohammed Sami struck at the other end with a lovely Yorker to castle Gambhir, and proceeded to stun Indian supporters with the prized scalp of Sehwag.

India's mainstays then joined hands in a masterly exhibition of batting on a deteriorating pitch, and what later became deteriorating light. Dravid was his usual classy self, and Tendulkar looked ominous. The little champion looked determined to get a big one. His best stroke was a cover drive off Khaleel that breached a densely populated off-side field. Inzamam then commanded Kaneria to bowl from round the wicket onto the right-handed batsmen's pads, but was forced to do a rethink after some belligerent sweeps and back-drives.

Tendulkar was 48 short of his 35th Test hundred when he fell prey to umpire Steve Bucknor. A Razzaq delivery swung dramatically after passing his bat, and a half-appeal by the bowler and slip-fielder and no appeal by the keeper prompted Bucknor to raise his finger. Replays showed that the bat was nowhere close to the ball, and Indian fans had more reason to doubt Bucknor's feelings for them. The man has consistently made calls that have gone against the Indians at critical junctures in the recent past, and had it not been for the ICC Code of Conduct that prohibits players from giving vent to their feelings during a match, there would have been strong words said against Bucknor by the Indian team management at the post-day press conference. Indeed, one imagines John Wright, coach of the Indian team, would have already spoken to the Match Referee.

That he was declared out minutes after appealing against the poor light did not please Tendulkar at all, who, it must be said, did a pretty good job suppressing his rage as he returned to the pavilion. The other way of looking at it is that cricket is a great leveller. Tendulkar had been given not out at Mohali when the replays clearly showed that he had been caught at forward short-leg. Kamran Akmal was introduced to cricket's 'levelling' capabilities earlier in the day when he fell for a duck after scoring a match-saving hundred in the previous Test. Having said that, Bucknor would be advised not to watch TV today evening or read the papers tomorrow morning. One can see the headlines; "Bucknor the Butcher" or something like that!

Dravid and Ganguly hung on against an opposition that had suddenly gained an opportunity to come back into the game by capitalizing on the Indian indignation at Tendulkar's dismissal. Finally, after indecision and deliberation, the umpires offered the light to the batsmen.

Dravid had completed his second 50 of the match by then, and India will depend upon him, Ganguly and Laxman to stretch the present lead of 147 to around the 350-mark. India's gameplan on day four will be to stretch the lead as much as possible and set Pakistan a competitive target by the evening. Pakistan on the other hand will look to dismiss the Indians as quickly as possible. Any target of over 250 will be a daunting prospect on a steadily turning track against Kumble and Harbhajan.