Anil Kumble leads from the front

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Anil Kumble fills in as umpireWe have a friend who follows from the front. It’s not very productive when you’re trying to get somewhere and you realise that the person you thought was leading the way is in fact shuffling along with no clue as to where he’s going.

India’s new captain, Anil Kumble, took 4-38 in Pakistan’s first innings. These aren’t even close to his best figures against Pakistan at Delhi, because it was here that he took 10-74 against them. Those are bowling figures for an innings, not a match, for the few of you who don’t know about that performance.

India will get a first innings lead after the day ended with them on 228-6, but it took a lower middle-order fightback to edge them up, as it did in Pakistan’s innings. At one stage they were 93-5, but VVS Laxman, the classiest batsman to have spent an entire Test career under threat, has made 57 not out. Mahendra Dhoni also contributed 57.

Low scoring still prevails. We had to check our reflection to check it wasn’t the Eighties. We looked like a grown-up – it’s not the Eighties. According to the reflection, it’s 2019.

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