Sport

Pakistan has something to cheer for

— Photo: R.V. Moorthy

REGAINING TOUCH: Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik was back in form with a superb half-century in the final ODI at the Sawai Mansingh stadium in Jaipur on Sunday.

Jaipur: Pakistan set about vengefully turning every pre-match prediction around its head. And so did India.

Pakistan bowled well, and the Indian batsmen collapsed in a heap, with a couple of face-saving partnerships offering false hope. Chasing 307 for a win, the start was inauspicious for the host. Suddenly there was unpredictability; the sort of fortune-swings that have characterised India-Pakistan matches in the past. The exotic sub-continental ‘virtue’ that went missing in the first four matches sprung up. Defying expectations and form, Pakistan restored some pride and will have something to take back for the Test series. The dead rubber was milked for what it was worth.

The win, though executed by the bowlers, was earlier set up by Mohammad Yousuf and Man of the Match Shoaib Malik’s 168-run partnership. Yousuf’s team-mates had offered him another shot at damage control. But he had an ally this time. Both prospered in each other’s company after S. Sreesanth tore in for a three-wicket burst.

The Indian bowlers, barring debutant Praveen Kumar and Sreesanth in spurts were easy pickings. Irfan Pathan tried too hard for swing, while Murali Kartik was readable. Yousuf and Malik thrived on the bowling inadequacies.

Striking the ball much better than in any of the earlier matches, Malik was exceptional off the backfoot and deadly, when faced with some harmless spin.

He struck two sixes, one over mid-wicket and the other over long-on. An inside-out effort was nearly taken by Yuvraj, but the latter couldn’t hold on to the tough chance. Yousuf chose the safer route, cutting, driving and flicking.

Praveen Kumar had an impressive first over of his international debut. He opened the bowling, got the ball to move, and occasionally skid off the pitch as well.

He impressed with his accuracy, despite his excesses towards the end.

Sreesanth offered width, overcompensated for short ones by bowling too full, but redeemed his figures with the wickets of Salman Butt, Yasir Hameed and Imran Nazir. His dismissal of Hameed was the most impressive. The delivery did everything. He pitched it on a length, after which it bounced at a decent height, moved away. Spoiled for choice, Hameed’s response was reduced to a confused half-hearted jab that Dhoni collected.

Recklessness and a wrong-footed bowler who might not be wrong-footed hampered the Indian chase. Sachin Tendulkar just began whetting appetites with a scary-good brief stay that Sohail Tanvir ended.

Virender Sehwag departed as Sehwag would: edging to the keeper, his feet reduced to immobile spectators.

There was a brief glimpse of India’s future in Rohit Sharma. Sharma’s attitude was the most impressive. There were no signs of nerves or over-ambition at doing everything in this one match.

The ball-striking was good, the most impressive being the bat-speed he generated for the leg-side boundaries. Yuvraj Singh oozed brilliance till an atrocious decision by umpire Suresh Shastri proved a cruel termination. Yuvraj, who was declared man of the Series, was adjudged caught behind, but the ball had brushed his shoulder, and was nowhere near the bat.

Dhoni departed after ankle troubles. The match then crawled towards a foreseeable climax.

There were flashes of entertainment courtesy some lower-order spunk, but nothing more.

Pakistan: S. Butt c R. Sharma b Sreesanth 36, 1. Nazir c & b Sreesanth 20, Y. Hameed c Dhoni b Sreesanth 1, M. Yousuf st Dhoni b Yuvraj 74, S. Malik st Dhoni b Kartik 89, Misbah c & b Pathan 22, F. Alam (not out) 32, S. Tanvir (not out) 3; Extras (lb-10, w-18, nb-1) 29; Total (six wkts., 50 overs) 306.

Fall of wickets: 1-65 (Butt), 2-70 (Hameed), 3-77 (Nazir), 4-245 (Malik), 5-261 (Yousuf), 6-299 (Misbah).

India bowling: Praveen 10-1-50-0, Sreesanth 10-1-52-3, Pathan 10-0-59-1, Kartik 10-0- 62-1, Sehwag 4-0-26-0, Yuvraj 6-0-47-1.

India: G. Gambhir lbw b Tanvir 12, S. Tendulkar c Misbah b Tanvir 30, R. Uthappa c Misbah b Iftikhar 1, V. Sehwag c Ahmed b Tanvir 10, R. Sharma c Hameed b Malik 52, Yuvraj c Ahmed b Gul 50, M.S. Dhoni c Nazir b Malik 24, I. Pathan b Tanvir 44, Praveen c Tanvir b Malik 12, M. Kartik c Nazir b Iftikhar 16, S. Sreesanth (not out) 10, Extras (lb-3, w-11): 14; Total (in 49.5 overs): 275.

Fall of wickets: 1-15 (Gambhir), 2-26 (Uthappa), 3-57 (Tendulkar), 4-62 (Sehwag), 5-143 (Sharma), 6-188 (Yuvraj), 7-195 (Dhoni), 8-214 (Kumar), 9-238 (Kartik).

Pakistan bowling: Gul 10-0-50-1, Tanvir 9.5-0-53-4, Iftikhar 10-1-52-2, Alam 10-0-56-0, Malik 10-0-61-3.

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