Waqar forces India into submission

By Our Special Correspondent

SHARJAH, MARCH 27. The Pakistan cricketers can now walk on the streets of Sharjah with their heads held high. They were the sleeping giants for the first three days of the tri-series. They were in such poor form and predicament that they looked like the team that would make an early exit from the tournament and prepare for an early departure to the West Indies.

But the Pakistanis' tryst with cricket in this emirate is so reputed and legendary, especially their tug-of-war like brush with traditional rival India that they were more likely to pull off a coup of sorts when the odds were stacked against them. In the event, Inzamam-ul-Haq's dynamic batting and Waqar Younis' five-wicket haul that brought his tally to 299 wickets in limited-overs internationals, only made Pakistan's first win a foregone conclusion.

The Indians' reply was too feeble to face the immediate challenge after Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram proved too smart for the top two Indian batsmen. Once Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar were eased out from the middle, Pakistan held firm grip of the match it eventually won by 98 runs to get its first two points in the tri-series. The Man of the Match award was shared by Haq and Waqar.

Sunday's result in favour of Pakistan has also put it behind South Africa which leads the tablwe with four points. The onus is now on the Indians to put it across South Africa on Monday. This will make it a must-win situation for Pakistan for a berth in the final.

South Africa has a positive net run rate of 1.37 against Pakistan's 0.31. India's net run rate is minus 1.37. South Africa's net run rate is so superior that there is some safeguard even should they lose both the matches on Monday and Tuesday. So the stakes are bigger for India and Pakistan.

Pakistan's high score was made in near-perfect batting conditions though daylight was not bright when the Indians tip- toed in the first half an hour, taking two wickets. This was the early part of the match the Indians seemed to be in the game. Thereafter Haq put up a grand show which rattled the Indian bowlers and ruffled their feathers. On flat pitches that were laid out for the Pepsi series, the likes of Ganguly, Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid might have succeeded against the South Africans.

But on Sunday, the wily Akram outwitted Tendulkar and Waqar lured Ganguly with variation in pace. Tendulkar had driven Akram through extracover for four and placed a shot on the on side for a two, picking the ball in front of his pad. Akram, noticing Tendulkar's inclination to whip off his legs, cleverly changed his line, made the ball nip back at him and knocked back the leg stump.

It was the 33rd time Tendulkar was dismissed in a most direct manner. As he so often does, Tendulkar played across the line. It is all a matter of inches and the angle of the delivery that skilled bowlers like Akram exploit. Tendulkar left too much between bat and pad.

There has never been an occasion in recent times when the Indians have won a one-day international, chasing a big score without Ganguly or Tendulkar playing to a definite plan. Dravid did not look like a batsman geared up to play a match-winning role all by himself. And though Azharuddin made a half-century last Thursday against Pakistan, he has reached a stage in his career where he can only manage to maintain a tempo. The Indian captain had to send a message to Dravid and Azharuddin to give the charge or get out when the two were defying the likes of Waqar and Akhtar. The Indians simply gave in thereafter.

Waqar Younis, who was the wrecker-in- chief for Pakistan with five wickets, exults after dismissing India's Sunil Joshi.

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