By ICF Staff
January 17 2006

Virender Sehwag's destructive power has the Pakistanis running for cover as he is supported by Rahul Dravid to pile on 403/0, 11 runs away from breaking the record for cricket's highest opening partnership. The record for the highest opening partnership ever is 413, also by India, put together by Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy in 1955-56 against New Zealand.

India's captain and vice-captain have responded to Pakistan's mammoth first innings total in most overwhelming manner.

Virender Sehwag must be considered Pakistan's arch nemesis after he scored double centuries in successive matches against them (he had hit 201 against them in the previous Test at Bangalore), in addition to a triple century and a couple other tons.

It was the fastest century by an Indian, then the second-fastest double century in the history of Test cricket as he slammed his way to the double ton mark with four consecutive boundaries off Rana Naved. His unbeaten 247 was studded with an astounding 46 boundaries and one six, 5 away from the highest number of boundaries ever in an innings.

At the other end, Rahul "The Wall" Dravid put together an impressive 21st Test century with 19 hits to the fence.

1082 runs have been scored so far on this Lahore pitch for the loss of 7 wickets - all of them Pakistani. Shoaib Akhtar, Danish Kaneria, Rana Naved, Mohammad Sami, Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik are unlikely to forget their collective misery at the hands of the Indian openers.

But the fact that Sehwag has scored a big double-century at better than a 100 strike rate will take its toll on the Pakistani bowlers psychologically. Tendulkar, Laxman, Ganguly and Yuvraj will fervently hope to get their own chance to batter those bowlers on the fifth day.