India still the favorites, says Inzamam

Despite his team's herculean effort to hold the Indians in the first Test at Mohali, Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq feels that the hosts would still be the favourites for the second Test at Kolkata, beginning on Wednesday.

"In Kolkata, it will be a new game and both the teams will start fresh. The result [at Mohali] has been tremendous for the spirit of the team but the result doesn't mean that we will be favorites," Inzamam told Pakistan's Indus TV in an interview.

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"India will once again start at favorites at Kolkata, but now they will be aware of our prowess, strength, capacity and fighting skills. As regards Pakistan, the team now realizes that if it can draw the match from a precarious situation, it can also beat the Indian team," Inzamam said.

Kamran Akmal and Abdul Razzaq featured in a record 184-run seventh wicket partnership to snatch draw from the jaws of defeat in the first Test.

Akmal scored his maiden Test century and became Pakistan's first wicketkeeper to score centuries in both the forms of the game.

The Pakistan skipper said the Mohali Test result had further gelled the team together.

"It [result] has motivated the team and injected a new spirit. Before the Mohali Test, we were a well-knit family but this result has brought us even more closer.

"We made plenty of mistakes by dropping catches and not capitalising on the good starts [on the first couple of days at Mohali]. But I am sure that things will dramatically change after the Mohali Test and we should emerge as an improved and different outfit in the matches ahead," he said.

Inzamam also rued the missed opportunities and said had his fielders accepted the catches offered by the Indian batsmen, Pakistan might have taken a shot at the host team.

"If we had held our chances on the second and third day, we would have definitely set the Indian team a target on the fifth day.

"Frankly speaking, besides dropping crucial catches, we bowled poorly on the second day and allowed the home team to race for 184 for one from 40 overs. Nevertheless, I must give credit to my bowlers to peg the Indians down and didn't allow them to bat us out of the Test," Inzamam said.

Inzamam was also full of praise for Danish Kaneria who took six for 150. But he admitted that the other bowlers needed to rise to the occasion and give the wrist spinner the required support.

"If we start getting the aggression and penetrations we are hoping from the other end, I am sure we would not allow India to reach 300 in any innings. This is a long tour and I am sure Mohali had been a great learning place for all. Hopefully, the bowlers will also learn from their mistakes and will bowl better."