India's Ganguly misses out on a rare feat

India's Sourav Ganguly fell nine runs short of becoming the seventh batsman to score a double-century and a hundred in the same match in the third and final Test against Pakistan here Wednesday.

The left-hander, who smashed a maiden double-ton in the first innings, was dismissed for 91 as India reached 221-5 at lunch on the fifth and final day for an overall lead of 310 after resuming at 131-2.

With the match heading for a draw, India were poised to clinch their first Test series against Pakistan at home since 1980. The hosts lead 1-0 following their victory in the opening Test in New Delhi. The second match was drawn.

Dinesh Karthik (23) and Venkatsai Laxman (14) were the not-out batsmen at the interval.

Ganguly looked set to join the elite club in his 99th Test before uppishly driving fast bowler Mohammad Sami to Faisal Iqbal, who took a smart catch at gully. But he had completed 1,000 runs in a calendar year at that stage.

Australians Doug Walters and Greg Chappell, West Indies' Lawrence Rowe and Brian Lara, Indian Sunil Gavaskar and England's Graham Gooch are other batsmen to have scored a double-century and a hundred in the same Test.

Former captain Ganguly, 63 overnight, was involved in an engrossing duel with ace paceman Shoaib Akhtar who bowled his heart out on a placid track and tested the Indian batsmen with short-pitched deliveries.

Ganguly was once struck on the body by an Akhtar delivery, but continued to play his shots. He was more aggressive than Rahul Dravid, driving and cutting firmly during his 134-ball knock containing one six and 12 fours.

Leg-spinner Danish Kaneria provided the breakthrough when he trapped Dravid leg-before. The Indian added just seven to his overnight score of 35. Three balls later, Ganguly also fell at the same total of 178.

Dravid and Ganguly put on 152 for the third wicket.

Yuvraj Singh, who smashed a century in the first innings, had little to celebrate on his 26th birthday when he was caught behind off Sami after contributing just two.

India lost three wickets in the space of six runs before Karthik and Laxman denied Pakistan further success.