NEW DELHI, Feb 5 (AFP) - India's spin duo of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh ripped through Pakistan's first innings to throw open the bowler-dominated second cricket Test here on Friday.

Leggie Kumble grabbed 4-75 and teenage off-spinner Harbhajan 3-30 as India, shot out for 252 on the opening day, hit back to dismiss Pakistan for 172 on the second day.

The home team, needing a win to square the short two-Test series, were 46-1 in their second innings by stumps, an overall lead of 126 with nine wickets in hand.

Sadagopan Ramesh was unbeaten on 22 and Rahul Dravid was on six after Venkat Laxman was bowled by Pakistani captain Wasim Akram for eight.

With 21 wickets having fallen in two days, an uphill struggle lies ahead for batsmen on the uneven Ferozeshah Kotla wicket which was vandalised by Hindu militants last month.

Pakistan, who won the first Test at Madras by 12 runs, face the daunting task of batting last on the under-prepared wicket where some balls keep alarmingly low.

But Akram, hoping to emulate his mentor Imran Khan's feat of winning a Test series in India, said the gripping Test could still go either way.

``We are not out yet,'' he said. ``The first task is to dismiss India quickly and then bat to our potential.

``The wicket is difficult, but not impssible to bat on. Anything around 300 can be chased,'' Akram said.

Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin hoped his batsmen could continue the good work done by Kumble and Harbhajan.

``The spinners have given us a great chance to win,'' he said. ``We will be very silly to let the advantage slip now.''

India added just five runs to their overnight score of 247-8 before being all out 10 minutes into the second day.

Pakistan needed 12 deliveries to end the innings as Nayan Mongia and last man Harbhajan Singh ran themselves out attempting risky singles.

Off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq finished with his overnight figures of 5-94, his third successive five-wicket haul against the Indians. Mushtaq Ahmed had 2-64 and Akram 1-23 off 13 overs.

The out-of-form Anwar, who made 24 and seven in the first Test, fell in the second over when he edged Venkatesh Prasad to wicket-keeper Nayan Mongia for one.

Shahid Afridi and new man Ijaz Ahmed added 53 for the second wicket, before both were dismissed in successive overs by the Indian spinners.

Afridi welcomed Kumble with two sixes in his first over but was bowled by teenage off-spinner Harbhajan attempting another big hit.

Afridi, who hit 141 in the Madras Test, looked comfortable making 32 when he gifted his wicket with a poor shot.

In the next over, Kumble made one jump from the good length which Ijaz fended to Dravid at silly point. Ijaz scored 17.

Pakistan added just one run to their lunch score of 59-3 when Kumble took a one-handed return catch to remove Yousuf Youhanna for three.

Inzamam-ul Haq and Salim Malik retreived the situation with a 54-run stand for the fifth wicket, before another collapse saw Pakistan slip to 139-7 before tea.

Kumble once again provided the break by bowling Inzamam, who looked in awesome form while making 26 with three superbly-timed boundaries.

Prasad had Malik caught off bat and pad by Azharuddin at short cover for 31, while fellow seamer Javagal Srinath trapped Moin Khan leg-before with a ball that kept low.

Harbhajan removed Akram and Mushtaq Ahmed after tea, before Kumble wrapped up the innings by claiming Saqlain leg-before.