India were set to gain a huge first-innings lead after posting 318-2 at lunch on Thursday in reply to Pakistan's 312, thanks to Sehwag's unbeaten 166 which contained two sixes and 19 fours.

Sachin Tendulkar, returning from an elbow injury, was unbeaten on 47 at the break after surviving a confident appeal for bat-pad catch on eight. He has already added 102 for the unfinished third wicket with Sehwag.

Sehwag, 95 overnight, reached his century early in the morning session with two runs to third-man off seamer Rana Naved-ul-Hasan.

Pakistan could grab just one wicket in the extended two-and-a-half-hour morning session after India had resumed at 184-1, dismissing overnight batsman Rahul Dravid for 50.

Dravid fell immediately after reaching his 36th Test half-century, cutting seamer Mohammad Sami into the safe hands of Asim Kamal at point after adding just 11 runs to his overnight score of 39.

But the middle-order batsman had already put India on course for a massive total, sharing a 103-run stand for the second wicket with Sehwag.

Tendulkar looked a bit tentative in the beginning and got the benefit of the doubt from South African umpire Rudi Koertzen after Kamal had appealed along with team-mates for a bat-pad catch off leg-spinner Danish Kaneria.

But there was no stopping Sehwag, who was initially a bit subdued before returning to his free-stroking ways.

Rana Naved was severely punished for erring in line and length as he was smashed for three fours in an over by Sehwag.

The hard-hitting Indian opener then greeted seamer Abdul Razzaq with an audacious lofted drive past the bowler for a six.

None of the Pakistani fast bowlers could keep pressure on Sehwag, who kept playing shots with freedom to find various parts of the boundary.

Kaneria was the most impressive bowler, keeping a testing line and length during his opening seven-over spell.

(Article: Copyright © 2005 AFP)