Pakistan in India 2004-05

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Shahrukh Khan

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Younis Khan has been named as Pakistan's vice-captain for their forthcoming tour of India, while Arshad Khan, the tall offspinner, has earned a recall to the Test team. Shoaib Akhtar, who recently ruled himself out of contention with a hamstring injury, was left out of the 15-man squad announced today by the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Shabbir Ahmed, who has been struggling with injury, did not recover in time and nstead the pace department is spearheaded by Mohammad Sami, and also includes Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Mohammad Khalil. Pakistan will also lean heavily on Abdul Razzaq's medium-pace.

Danish Kaneria heads the spinners and will be assisted by Arshad, who was rewarded with a recall for performing consistently in domestic cricket in Pakistan. Arshad last played a Test against England in 2000-01. Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi, the allrounders, strengthen the spin department.

Squad Taufeeq Umar, Salman Butt, Yasir Hameed, Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Yousuf Youhana, Younis Khan, Asim Kamal, Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal (wk), Danish Kaneria, Mohammad Sami, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Arshad Khan, Mohammad Khalil.

Posted 20 Feb 2005

Bazigaar says
younas khan again

Posted 28 Mar 2005

Bazigaar says
yasir hameed contributes with 76

Posted 28 Mar 2005

PAKISTAN JEET GAYA
Posted 28 Mar 2005

Pakistan clinch a famous victory

The Bulletin by Chandrahas Choudhury

March 28, 2005



Pakistan 570 (Younis 267, Inzamam 184, Harbhajan 6-152) and 261 for 2 dec (Younis 84*, Hameed 76, Afridi 58) beat India 449 (Sehwag 201, Laxman 79*, Kaneria 5-127) and 214 (Gambhir 52, Afridi 3-13) by 168 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary
How they were out



For once, Rahul Dravid failed in a crunch situation, falling to Arshad Khan for 16© Getty Images



On a thrilling final day that went all the way down to the wire, Pakistan defied the odds at Bangalore and pulled off a magnificent series-levelling victory, taking all ten Indian wickets - the last one falling with just six overs left in the day – and winning by 168 runs. Shahid Afridi was the star performer with the ball for Pakistan, taking three middle-order wickets for 13, but every member of the team played his part in a famous victory.

It was Pakistan's second remarkable fifth-day effort of the series, after the staunch resistance offered by Kamran Akmal and Abdul Razzaq at Mohali, and the 1-1 result was just reward for the fighting qualities displayed by Pakistan all series. It is a result that is likely to have a far-reaching impact on Pakistani cricket.

A draw was still the most likely result when the day began, with Pakistan not appearing to have the ammunition to bowl the entire Indian line-up out in 90 overs. And when India went to lunch at 103 for 1, they were comfortably placed to save the game. But Pakistan struck just after lunch, claiming the wicket of Gautam Gambhir for 52 (108 for 2). And then Arshad Khan, recalled to the team for this series after more than four years out of Test cricket, claimed the most important wicket of his career, having Rahul Dravid snapped up at silly point (118 for 3).

All this while Afridi, who produced an incendiary half-century yesterday to set up the declaration for Pakistan, had been straining at the bit, firing in his mixture of legbreaks, offbreaks and topspinners and from time to time advertising his impatience with these subtleties with a faster ball that made Akmal wince with pain every time it beat the bat.

Now he struck two decisive blows to break open the Indian batting, trapping VVS Laxman in front with a quick skidding delivery (127 for 4), and then comprehensively bowling Sourav Ganguly with a breakback that beat Ganguly's optimistic drive (135 for 5). Ganguly, stunned, hung around the crease for quite a while, as if wishing to turn time back one ball and not play the same stroke this time around.

India's hopes now rested on Sachin Tendulkar, the last man left from the top six, and for a while Tendulkar batted magisterially. Neither Afridi's variations, nor the varied words he let the batsman hear after each ball, seemed to trouble him, and he struck majestic poses in defence, offering a dead bat to virtually everything. But almost on the stroke of tea Mohammad Sami surprised Tendulkar with a short ball that he fended off his face, and the heart of every man on the field was in his mouth as Asim Kamal at short leg reached for the ball, seemed to pouch it in one hand, and then juggled it and spilled the chance.

Pakistan must have gone into tea with a sinking feeling in their hearts, but on resumption their spirits seemed to have flagged not one jot, and Sami quickly struck again by uprooting Dinesh Karthik's offstump with a full inswinger (164 for 6).

But it was in the next over that Pakistan struck the killer blow, Afridi getting one to lift on Tendulkar and loop to short leg off the inside edge. This time Kamal made no mistake (164 for 7).



Gautam Gambhir batted well for his half-century, but his dismissal sparked off a collapse© Getty Images



If India succeeded into taking the game as far into the evening as they did, it was because of some staunch resistance from Anil Kumble, who rounded off a wonderful series with the bat – he was dismissed just once in five innings – by making an unbeaten 37. Kumble managed to play out nine overs with Irfan Pathan and another five overs with Harbhajan Singh, and Pakistan were just beginning to worry again after he saw out another five overs with Lakshmipathy Balaji when Balaji padded up to Danish Kaneria and was adjudged lbw.

When all was over, it seemed remarkable that there was one stage in the morning when Virender Sehwag and Gambhir skipped along at four an over, and Sehwag seemed to be entertaining thoughts of actually going for the target. This remote possibility was shut out when he was run out in a misunderstanding with Gambhir, and after that, as has happened so often this season, the runs dried up completely and Pakistan were able to surround the batsmen with close fielders.

India could be justifiably criticised for going too much on the defensive after lunch and playing into Pakistan's hands, but it has to be granted that runs by this stage had ceased to matter – in fact, this was precisely for this reason that Inzamam-ul-Haq delayed his declaration yesterday and let his batsmen amass such a big lead.

The truth was that Pakistan wanted victory urgently, pushed for it on every day of this Test match, and finally - after five days of sapping, often nervewracking cricket, and with shadows falling on the final day – left the field with their heads held high.


How they were out

Sehwag run out 38 (Razzaq) (82 for 1)
Responded to Gambhir's call for a single and was left stranded when his partner changed his mind.

Gambhir lbw Sami 52 (108 for 2)
Played across a full-length delivery from Sami.

Dravid c Younis b Arshad 16 (118 for 3)
Played forward to a sharp offbreak and was well-taken at silly point off pad and bat.

Laxman lbw Afridi 5 (127 for 4)
Was caught half-forward by a full delivery that skidded on.

Ganguly b Afridi 2 (135 for 5)
Was suckered into a drive at a wide ball that turned and bowled him through a yawning gate.

Karthik b Sami 9 (164 for 6)
Failed to bring his bat down on a late inswinger that sent his off-stump cartwheeling.

Tendulkar c Kamal b Afridi 16 (164 for 6)
Could not keep down a ball that kicked a little and was caught at short leg.

Pathan c Youhana b Arshad 0 (189 for 8)
Played the ball down defensively but it popped off his boot and was caught at silly point.

Harbhajan c Younis b Kaneria (210 for 9)
Jabbed at a legbreak and was caught at silly mid-off.

Balaji lbw Kaneria 0 (214 all out)
Offered no stroke to Kaneria and was given out, though the ball seemed to be heading past off stump.

Posted 28 Mar 2005

Rain Man says
woooooooooooooohoooooooooooooooo
wat a kick azz win...
PAKISTAN RULEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ...
thats how we do it when we do it
afridi n kaneria they all move like assasins...
Posted 28 Mar 2005

also younis khan
Posted 28 Mar 2005

Rain Man says
hellz yes, thats the first time i've seen him play that good...
Posted 28 Mar 2005

veeru paa jee aapne zyada cric nahi dekha...if you watch cric on tv...or check his prof..he is a good player
Posted 28 Mar 2005

wohooooo! go Pak!

so now the Test series is tied 1-1 right?

i think the ODI will start Sat April 2nd in Cochin.

so tell me, whoes doin the best in pak
whoes doin the worst?
Posted 29 Mar 2005

Bazigaar says
wow...we won...phew... what a releif
Posted 29 Mar 2005

Bazigaar says
Gautam Gambhir assualts paki bowlers

Posted 29 Mar 2005

Bazigaar says
shewag in action

Posted 29 Mar 2005

Bazigaar says
Rahul Dravid- a man best equipped to bat out day falls to arshad

Posted 29 Mar 2005

Bazigaar says
nara-e-takbeer -- allah-o-akbar

Posted 29 Mar 2005

Bazigaar says
danish...yessssssssssssssssssss

Posted 29 Mar 2005

Bazigaar says
inzi - ya allah tera shuker hae


abey kamran hath chor mera


Posted 29 Mar 2005

Bazigaar says
credit for win goes to every member of the team, but more to inzi...he fought back good and made his boys fight well
Posted 29 Mar 2005

Bazigaar said:

inzi - ya allah tera shuker hae


abey kamran hath chor mera




thats asim kamal
Posted 29 Mar 2005

Bazigaar said:

credit for win goes to every member of the team, but more to inzi...he fought back good and made his boys fight well



inzimam captaincy..younis batting
Posted 29 Mar 2005

sony free a raha hai on hot bird..you can watch one day

tp91
freq 11304
27500
horizontal
Posted 29 Mar 2005

Shahid Afridi neh dhaari rakhli?
Posted 29 Mar 2005

Bazigaar says
shahrukh khan said:

Bazigaar said:

inzi - ya allah tera shuker hae


abey kamran hath chor mera




thats asim kamal


sorry yar..mae pak ke new players se abhi achi tarah wakif nahi hoon...isn't the wicket keeper kamran akmal?
Posted 30 Mar 2005

Bazigaar says
ohh but this guy can;t be wicket keeper...he;s not wearing pads..lol...my mistake
Posted 30 Mar 2005

wicket keeper tu kamran akmal who is standing left of inzi...asim kamal is good batsmen...he should also play in odi
Posted 30 Mar 2005

Pakistan's stars in the ascendancy

Osman Samiuddin

March 29, 2005



Pakistan were expected to lose this series, and sure enough, they seemed down and out on numerous occasions. And yet, they managed to stay afloat and finally level the series, an achievement that speaks volumes for the resilience and spirit of this young side



Shahid Afridi: a breakthrough series? © Getty Images





8.5 Shahid Afridi
Afridi's breakthrough series? An irresistible force when the mood takes him, he was irrepressible in the two Tests he played. At Kolkata he provided gusto to a deflated top order and then briefly scared the life out of the Indians on the fourth afternoon. But at Bangalore, Afridi turned the game on its head, with both bat and ball. His batting gave Pakistan time where previously there had been none, and the following day, he provided the key breakthroughs with what he terms legspin – Sachin Tendulkar is a nice bunny. In your face, intimidating, annoying and ebullient, Afridi was at the heart of Pakistan's aggression.

8.5 Younis Khan
Mohali was as bad a Test as anyone can have – dropped catches and joke dismissals galore. But his comeback in Kolkata was a testament to his character. Finally, he began to convert starts into substance and his running was supreme throughout. His energy levels were phenomenal, especially in Bangalore, and on the field, he was the team's engine, geeing people up, consoling, applauding, setting fields, offering and taking advice. Often he was over-exuberant, but mostly he was refreshing. His Bangalore epic will enter folklore, and as a potential future captain, the whole series might come to be viewed as the beginning of the succession.



7.5 Inzamam-ul-Haq
Amidst a galaxy of batting superstars, Inzamam was often the brightest of them all – rarely has he been as unconcerned, imperious and lordly with the bat as this. At Mohali, his anger at the top-order elicited from him an innings for the ages, but he saved his most glorious effort for his most memorable occasion - his 100th Test at Bangalore. His captaincy in Mohali and Kolkata was caricature Inzi – laid back, reactive, onerous and made to look worse by the vivacity of his deputy, Younis Khan. But in the emotional cauldron of Bangalore, he belatedly let his poker face slip, becoming as expressive as he has ever been on the field, and even discovered an audacious lucky streak.


7.5 Kamran Akmal
An abnormally poor final Test, where he didn't collect cleanly and dropped a sitter, shouldn't detract from his status as Pakistan's leading glovesman. Amazingly graceful and efficient otherwise, his century at Mohali was important for two reasons; it saved the test and the series and it removed question marks about his batting back home. Moin and Rashid who?

7.5 Danish Kaneria
In a land where others of his ilk have returned traumatised, Kaneria was a trailblazer. Okay, so he didn't run through the line-up, but then no-one expected him to do that. But he kept coming back for more, even when Sehwag was rattling him. Ineffective at Kolkata, when many thought he had finally been found out, Kaneria bounced back in Bangalore, picking up an admirable five-for in the first innings. For the second series running, he ended up with more wickets than the leading opposition legspinner. For Shane Warne in Australia, read Anil Kumble in India …



7 Asim Kamal
An unflappable performance from an imperturbable character; Asim rescued Pakistan in the first innings at Mohali and provided reassurance in the second. In Kolkata, he held firm while others flailed and it is precisely because of this that his place must now be cemented in the Test team. A poor match at Bangalore – he threw his wicket away – could have been disastrous, had he not made amends by catching Tendulkar, moments after spilling a similar chance.



Younis Khan: an innings for the ages © Getty Images



6.5 Mohammad Sami
Finally, a series to remember. Sami's career has developed in inverse proportions to the hype surrounding him, but now that skepticism has begun to take root, his performances have grown. He was forgettable at Mohali, but he redeemed himself with his spells on the fourth day at Kolkata and throughout most of the Bangalore match. Tireless, aggressive, menacingly quick and largely effective – could this be the series that sorted Sami?



6.5 Yousuf Youhana
A little overshadowed by the emergence of Younis Khan as a batsman and vice-captain, Youhana nevertheless remained an assuring presence in the order, especially against the spin of Kumble and Harbhajan. His century at Kolkata was signature stuff, easy on the eye and the scoreboard and exasperating for the fielders, but his second-innings discomfort under pressure hinted at his failings. He should have made a substantial contribution on that batsman's paradise at Bangalore.


6 Abdul Razzaq
A fitful series. He threatened on occasions to turn games with bat, ball, and even in the field, but elsewhere, when he was busy playing pointless knocks or being brutalised by Sehwag, his place in the Test side still remained questionable.


6 Yasir Hameed
Why he didn't play ahead of Taufeeq Umar remains anyone's guess, but his second-innings fifty at Bangalore was an elegant riposte.

3 Rana Naveed-ul-Hasan
Willing as ever, but not as threatening as a new-ball bowler should be.


3 Arshad Khan
A strange return. He started well in Bangalore, but thereafter looked ordinary until the final afternoon. By then, he never threatened to run through the innings, but extracted some bounce and got the crucial breakthroughs. By removing Dravid and Pathan he wrote his name into one of Pakistan's greatest stories.

2 Mohammad Khalil
Treated like a sautela (step-relation) in Kolkata, a match in which he shouldn't have been picked. He looked largely innocuous and the few overs he bowled were picked off by the likes of Dravid and Sehwag.


2 Taufeeq Umar
This is what you get after a year on the sidelines and selectorial confusion as to your role as a Test- or one-day opener. Taufeeq Umar; a shadow of his former self, just doesn't look an international opener anymore.

Salman Butt
Fading fast after his start in Australia, but he is still young. More worrying will be the manner of his dismissals in Mohali – poor in the first, ghastly in the second.



Posted 30 Mar 2005

India v Pakistan, 1st ODI, Kochi

Indians romp to comprehensive victory

Bulletin by Amit Varma

April 2, 2005



India 281 for 8 (Sehwag 108, Dravid 104, Arshad 4-33) beat Pakistan 194 (Hafeez 42, Tendulkar 5-50) by 87 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary
How they were out



Virender Sehwag played a fine hand on a stiflingly hot day © AFP



Centuries by Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid set India up for a convincing 87-run win against Pakistan in the first one-day international, at Kochi. Recovering from the loss of two early wickets, and despite slowing down in the slog overs, India made 281 for 8. Pakistan lost four early wickets, and Sachin Tendulkar took five wickets in the middle overs as Pakistan crumbled to 194 in 45.2 overs. It was a game played in scorching temperatures of more than 40 degrees celsius and high humidity, conditions that made cricket difficult. India coped the better of the two teams.

They won the toss and batted first on a pitch that was a belter, but lost two wickets in the second over. Rana Naved-ul-Hasan dismissed Sachin Tendulkar for 4 and Sourav Ganguly for 0, and India's two batting heroes of the Test series, Sehwag and Dravid, found themselves at the crease with the score on 4 for 2. Then they added 201 runs.

Sehwag had a shaky start – he was dropped twice early in his innings, and played a few streaky strokes. But once he settled down, he launched into a flurry of boundaries. When Sehwag is set, aggression is not necessarily risky, and what appears exotic to others is bread and butter for him. Full ball outside off? Midwicket boundary. And so on.

Dravid's innings was more controlled. His strokeplay was precise, he ran hard between the wickets, and India's run-rate lifted to close to six an over. India were 205 for 2 at the end of the 35th over, but both batsmen were utterly exhausted by the heat. Sehwag, who had completed his century, was looking only to slog, and was duly bowled by Abdul Razzaq while trying to smash a ball out of the ground.

Dravid, meanwhile, was panting as he completed his runs, and lay down for a rest when a break in play happened. It was clearly time for the younger men to take over the onus of making big runs, but none of them managed to do so. Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif got their eye in and mish*t slog-sweeps off Arshad Khan to be caught in the deep, and all the other wickets fell off slogging attempts, except Dravid's. Dravid was run out for 104, barely able to stretch himself.



Rahul Dravid: His century came under such trying conditions that he celebrated exuberantly when he reached the landmark © AFP



Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal opened Pakistan's innings, and Butt hit some early boundaries as the bowlers gave him too much width. The pair added 45 runs in 39 balls before Akmal smashed Lakshmipathy Balaji straight to Sehwag at point. Four runs later, Ashish Nehra finally got his captain's instructions right, bowling a short ball on Butt's hips, and Ganguly caught the resultant flick at square leg, taking a good high catch.

Shoaib Malik then smashed Balaji to Yuvraj at point. Four overs later, Zaheer Khan took a diving one-handed return catch to his right to get rid of Yousuf Youhana.

Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez added 48 useful runs in the highest partnership of the innings. Hafeez began slowly, but hit a couple of powerful sixes and used his feet well against the spinners. Once Inzamam was out, though, wickets fell steadily, and by the time Hafeez was the ninth man out, having top-scored with 42, victory was impossible.

Inzamam played a composed innings, driving and pulling powerfully when he got the chance, but doing nothing untoward otherwise. But the required run-rate climbed past seven an over, and he was deceived, and bowled, by a quicker ball from Tendulkar that he tried to glide onto the off side.

Apres him le deluge de Tendulkar wickets. One by one, batsmen tried to slog him and got out, as he finished with the second five-wicket haul of his one-day international career, in which he has now taken 137 wickets. He had failed with the bat, but had made up for it with the ball, and looked rather pleased at the end of it all. And why not?

How they were out

India

Tendulkar c Youhana b Naved 4 (4 for 1) Tried to pull, ball rose more than expected, looped up to mid-on.

Sourav Ganguly b Naved 0 (4 for 2) Stepped across his stumps as the ball swung towards leg and sneaked past him to hit the leg stump.

Sehwag b Razzaq 108 (205 for 3) Bowled while attempting a wild slog.

Yuvraj c Butt b Arshad 16 (241 for 4) Top-edge off a slog sweep, caught in the deep.

Kaif c Afridi b Arshad 7 (255 for 5) Ditto.

Dhoni c Naved b Arshad 3 (260 for 6) Slog to deep midwicket.

Dravid run out 104 (265 for 7) Run out going for a quick single.

Balaji b Arshad 0 (269 for 8) Bowled going for a slog over square leg.

Pakistan

Akmal c Sehwag b Balaji 17 (45 for 1) Slashed uppishly to point.

Butt c Ganguly b Nehra 26 (49 for 2) Flicked a short ball on his hips, good overhead catch at square leg.

Malik c Yuvraj b Balaji 4 (49 for 3) Slashed uppishly to point.

Youhana c & b Zaheer 0 (64 for 4) Powerful drive towards mid-on, superb diving catch with one hand.

Inzamam-ul-Haq b Tendulkar 37 (112 for 5) Tried to steer a faster one on the off side, missed

Razzaq c Sehwag b Tendulkar 5 (129 for 6)
Full toss outside leg, desperate attempt at a sweep popped up to short fine leg

Afridi c Zaheer b Tendulkar 8 (146 for 7) Slog to square leg

Sami c & b Tendulkar 2 (151 for 8) Beaten by flight, easy return catch

Hafeez c Nehra b Tendulkar 42 (152 for 9) Pulled to deep midwicket

Naved b Zaheer 25 (194 all out) Tried to slog, missed

Posted 02 Apr 2005

India v Pakistan, 2nd ODI, Visakhapatnam

Dhoni shines in Indian win

The Bulletin by Anand Vasu

April 5, 2005



India 356 for 9 (Dhoni 148, Sehwag 74) beat Pakistan 298 (Razzaq 88, Youhana 71, Nehra 4-72) by 58 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out



Exuberance is congratulated by experience: Mahendra Dhoni completes his first ODI hundred © AFP



Mahendra Singh Dhoni's maiden international century, a rousing 148 at No. 3, on the back of a typically belligerent 74 from Virender Sehwag, took India to a mammoth 356 for 9 and set up a 58-run win, giving them a 2-0 lead in this six-ODI series. On a heartbreaker of a pitch for bowlers 654 runs were rattled off in 94.1 overs, but most of them were India's, batting first, and the head of pressure this built up on Pakistan proved their undoing.

To chase 357 a team needs at least one batting miracle. Two Pakistani batsmen – Abdul Razzaq (88) and Yousuf Youhana (71) - got close to pulling off miracles, but fell short in the mad scramble to score quickly enough to keep the required run-rate in check. India's bowlers were more than adequate - the fast men endeavoured to stick to a decent length while the spinners took as much pace off the ball as was possible. Ashish Nehra bowled the most balls in that awkward length too short to drive and too full to pull safely, and was rewarded with four wickets. Yuvraj Singh floated the ball into the rough with enough control to snaffle three wickets.

But it was probably a run-out that did the most damage. Inzamam-ul-Haq, who was beginning to settle into his groove after Salman Butt and Razzaq had given Pakistan a start, embraced disaster. Razzaq played Sachin Tendulkar down to fine leg, and with his weight on the back foot, was reluctant to answer Inzamam's call for a sharp single. Inzamam had charged down the pitch and could not turn around before Harbhajan's throw came in at the non-striker's end. A roar of agony rang around the stadium as Inzamam bemoaned his luck, and Pakistan had lost their finest.

From there on it was a brave display of canny and aggressive strokeplay from Razzaq and Youhana, and then Kamran Akmal briefly towards the death, that kept Pakistan in the hunt. But, with every passing over, the required run-rate was creeping too far away from the realm of the manageable, and Pakistan fell comfortably short of the target.

But the game was truly won in the first half of the day. The pace was set early by Sehwag, and Dhoni ensured the tempo did not flag at any stage. India, who had reached 50 in just 5.1 overs, and then 100 in only 10.3 overs, trotted comfortably past 300 in 42 overs. It was certainly Dhoni's day – his 148, the first ODI century by an Indian wicketkeeper – barring Rahul Dravid – increased the pressure Pakistan must already be feeling in trying to level this series 1-1.

Virender Sehwag, once again, rattled Pakistan with an explosive start © AFP


Sehwag began with a streaky edge down the leg side, but soon decided that he was not going to be holding back. Mohammad Sami and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan came in for fearful tap. Pakistan had struck once, when Tendulkar was run out by a direct hit from Yousuf Youhana as he misjudged a single (26 for 1), but this did nothing to slow the rate of scoring.

Dhoni, promoted to No. 3, began with a crunching extra-cover drive, but appeared nervous, picking up boundaries with edges either side of the wicketkeeper, before settling down to show the world exactly what he was capable of. He showed the full face of the bat and drove off front and back foot with power. His intention always seemed to be to play with a straight bat, and this meant that his margin for error was much reduced.

But it was Sehwag who did the early damage. He was able to pick up perfectly good deliveries and hit them over the top, and this made the bowlers run for cover. When the second wicket fell, with Sehwag mistiming an on-side hit only to be well-caught by Butt at midwicket, India had already run away with the game, having reached 122 for 2 in just 13.4 overs. Sehwag's 74 came off a mere 40 balls, and included 12 fours and two crisply struck sixes.

Sourav Ganguly failed once more, but the fall of his wicket did not deter Dhoni, who found settled circumstances in Rahul Dravid's company to convert a blistering half-century into something more substantial. Dravid (52) kept the strike turning over, and watched with unabashed joy as Dhoni dismantled the Pakistan bowling attack. His scorching hits in the V off the fast bowlers and lofted sixes off the spinner demoralized the opposition no end. Nothing could stop Dhoni, and even when all the players on the field hit the ground in flash as a swarm of bees came into the ground, he stood tall, casually sauntering about his crease, almost wondering what the fuss was all about.

Well, the fuss was about a 149-run partnership that took India to 289 before tiredness ended Dhoni's stirring effort. One heave too many on the on side sent a catch swirling in the air via the top edge, and Dhoni's innings was terminated on 148, off only 123 balls. The Indian team stepped out to applaud Dhoni's effort, and the fans cheered lustily, having enjoyed every one of Dhoni's 15 fours and four sixes. The tail then wagged obligingly, taking India to 356, and virtually the shores of victory.

How they were out

India
Tendulkar run out (Youhana) 2 (26 for 2)
Misjudged a quick single and was found short by a direct hit.

Sehwag c Butt b Naved-ul-Hasan 74 (122 for 2)
Well-caught at midwicket trying to clear the infield.

Ganguly b Sami 9 (140 for 3)
Cleaned up trying to work a full delivery to the on-side.

Dhoni c Malik b Hafeez 148 (289 for 4)
Top edged a big heave.

Dravid c Afridi b Naved-ul-Hasan 52 (300 for 5)
Mistimed a pull to the fielder in the deep on the leg side.

Kaif lbw b Naved-ul-Hasan 0 (301 for 6)
Plumb in front playing across the line to a straight one.

Yuvraj Singh lbw b Arshad 15 (318 for 7)
Swept and missed a full one.

Harbhajan b Arshad 11 (325 for 8)
Dragged a slightly slower delivery onto his stumps.

Zaheer c Razzaq b Hafeez 17
Caught in the deep trying to hit the last ball of the innings for a six.

Pakistan
Afridi b Nehra 0 (5 for 1)
Played all around a full one.

Butt c Sehwag b Nehra 36 (89 for 2)
Mis-hit an expansive drive over the off-side.

Inzamam run out (Harbhajan/Tendulkar) 16 (129 for 3)
Set off for a quick single to short-fine leg but the striker did not respond to his call.

Razzaq c Dhoni b Yuvraj 88 (176 for 4)
Tickled one down the legside into the wicketkeeper's gloves.

Malik c Sehwag b Yuvraj 12 (204 for 5)
Holed out to long-off.

Hafeez c Balaji b Yuvraj 7 (222 for 6)
Hoicked a short one to midwicket

Youhana c Kaif b Nehra 71 (263 for 7)
Mis-hit an ambitious drive on the up . Ballooned to cover.

Naved-ul-Hasan c Dhoni b Nehra 2 (268 for 8)
Tickled a delivery that was angling away from him to the keeper.

Sami c Yuvraj b Harbhajan 2 (296 for 9)
Top-edged a sweep to short fine leg.

Akmal lbw b Zaheer 41 (298 for 10)
Trapped in front.

Posted 06 Apr 2005

Bazigaar says
lo je 2 one days har chuke hain..ek aur haar gye to series mae come back kerna mushkil ho jae ga
Posted 09 Apr 2005

Bazigaar says
so far situation is:

India's chase of 320 got off to a horror start with the loss of four early wickets in the third one-dayer against Pakistan in Jamshedpur.

Naved-ul-Hassan was main destroyer with three scalps - Virender Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly and Mahendra Dhoni - as India fell to 54-4 in the 10th over.

Opener Salman Butt struck a century as Pakistan posted an impressive 319-9.
Posted 09 Apr 2005

Bazigaar says
pak started off good..could have scored more runs....but kher...provided india lost 4 key wickets...seems like pak will win...dravid is still on crease...he and kaif have ability to steal the game though... one of these 2 fall...and pak surely wins...

abhi bhi seems like pak will win anyways...
Posted 09 Apr 2005

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