Bangalore, December 9:

Sourav Ganguly slammed his maiden double century as India exerted pressure in the third and final Test against Pakistan today.

Ganguly’s elegant 239 and his brisk 178-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Irfan Pathan, who posted his first hundred, boosted India’s first innings total to 626 on the second day. Pakistan responded with 86 for the loss of opener Yasir Hameed (19). Opener Salman Butt (50) and skipper Younis Khan (seven) were together at stumps with Pakistan still needing 341 to avert a follow-on.

Playing in his 99th Test, Ganguly struck two sixes and 30 fours off balls to surpass his previous best of 173 made against Sri Lanka a decade ago. Ganguly batted for more than eight and a half hours to help India post its highest total at home against Pakistan. India’s previous best was 616-5 at Kolkata in the second Test of the current series.

Pathan marked his return to Test by smashing a career-best 102 that eclipsed his previous best of 93 against Sri Lanka in 2005. Pathan struck four sixes and 10 boundaries off 133 deliveries.

Resuming at 365-6, India added 246 runs in two sessions before Pakistan’s bowlers ran through the lower order. Debutant paceman Yasir Arafat claimed 5-161 for Pakistan. Overnight batsmen Ganguly and Dinesh Karthik batted aggressively to put on 66 runs for the sixth wicket, but the run-rate dropped after Arafat dismissed Karthik.

Ganguly completed his double century by driving Arafat to covers, but fell in trying to sweep Danish Kaneria who then snared Anil Kumble (4) and Pathan to finish with 3-168. Pathan lofted Kaneria into the galleries over long-on to complete his century before miscuing the next delivery for wicketkeeper Akmal to snap an easy chance.