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Cricket
By S. Dinakar
Abdul Razzaq plays a shot square of the wicket as Rahul Dravid watches. - Photo: S. Subramanium
PESHAWAR, MARCH 19. One-day cricket matches can turn in a flash. Abdul Razzaq, with Pakistan against the wall, smacked the ball back and Sachin Tendulkar could not quite hold on to the hard hit. The moment was gone in a jiffy, and with it, the chance of an Indian win. Eventually, the depth in the Pakistani batting, and the lack of options in the Indian bowling were decisive factors as the host, chasing 245, clinched the third ODI by four wickets in the 48th over, at the Arbab Niaz Stadium, here, on Friday. The host now leads the five-match Samsung ODI series 2-1. The calm Razzaq remained unbeaten with a 52-ball 53 comprising some booming blows, and with the experienced Moin Khan providing him useful support, the unbeaten seventh wicket pair rattled up 74 off 75 balls, helping Pakistan to a memorable win. Lanky paceman Shabbir Ahmed rocked the Indian batting early with an incisive spell of 7-0-27-3 after Inzamam-ul-Haq wisely chose to field on a seaming track. Later, opener Yasir Hameed kept the Pakistani chase going with a fluent 98 after India had the home team struggling at 65 for four. For India, left-arm paceman Irfan Pathan operated spiritedly to make the early dents, but the team let Pakistan off the hook in the middle overs where the absence of a specialist bowler was clearly felt. India's bowling plight might have been worse, but for a good spell of assorted spin bowling by Tendulkar. Pakistan's chase began disastrously when Shahid Afridi swiped across a full length delivery from Pathan only to see his stumps in disarray. Yousuf Youhana drove at a Pathan delivery leaving him and Younis Khan backed up only to see a straight drive from Hameed ricochet off bowler Balaji into the stumps. Shoaib Malik was then prised out by Zaheer Khan, with Sehwag pouching a fine catch in the slips. The 26-year-old Hameed, a compact top-order batsman who is especially fluent off his legs, was still in the middle, though. This was a day when Hameed, even as wickets fell around him, kept his cool, played deliveries on merit, and produced some handsome strokes. The straight drive off Pathan, the flick of Zaheer and the walking stroke over mid-wicket off Ganguly, were all telling shots from the local boy, who was adjudged the `man of the match'. Hameed and Inzamam, who came in at No. 6 since he could not field for a period due to a stomach disorder, raised 91 for the fifth wicket in 103 balls before the Pakistan captain chose a wrong ball from Tendulkar to cut. Inzamam had played second fiddle to Hameed, although his knock of 28 included a massive straight six at the expense of off-spinner Ramesh Powar. Hameed departed soon. The home crowd had roared in anticipation of his hundred, but Hameed (98, 116b, 14x4) could not keep a square-drive off Pathan down, and Yuvraj held on to the catch at gully. With Pakistan 173 for six, India was back in the hunt, but Razzaq and Moin had other ideas.
Yuvraj sparkles
Yuvraj Singh had been short of runs in the series, but there is so much quality in this southpaw that it was always on the cards that he would come good sooner than later. On the surface when application was called for from the batsmen, Yuvraj during his 76-ball 65, blended studied defence with blissful strokeplay, with the back-foot drives between cover and point standing out. The left-hander also improvised during the end overs, revealing a quickness of feet and mind, and did get the lower order to rally with him. The contributions of Powar, Pathan, and Balaji, who remained unbeaten on a hectic 12-ball 21, were crucial as India reached a respectable total. In fact Yuvraj and Balaji gathered 39 off just 19 balls in a whirlwind ninth-wicket partnership. Balaji withstood a couple of vicious short-pitched deliveries from Shoaib Akhtar, but also struck a stunning six off Mohammed Sami, over mid-wicket. Sami generated speed, but also went for 24 runs in his last two overs. Inzamam elected to field and there was some early life on this pitch. In a testing first over from Akhtar, Virender Sehwag did edge a mean delivery around the off-stump, but the speeding ball touched the fingertips of Inzamam at first slip before streaking past the ropes. It was the lanky Shabbir, with his probing off-stump line, and natural bounce, who made the most of the early freshness in the pitch. Tendulkar had not yet opened his account when he was snared in the corridor by Shabbir. There were patches when Shabbir was erratic - reflected in 14 wides sent down by him - but then there was more right than wrong about his bowling today. V.V.S. Laxman, put down in the slip cordon off Shabbir, was cleverly dismissed by the same bowler when he brought one in after testing him outside the off-stump. Soon Sehwag was walking back, attempting to work Shabbir on to the leg-side, only to see the leading edge being picked by Afridi at gully. India was 37 for three. Rahul Dravid, wisely stretching fully forward in defence to counter a hint of uneven bounce, and producing the odd drive laced with elegance and Sourav Ganguly, who square-drove exquisitely, with the left-hander's grace coming into view, added 68 runs for the fourth wicket in 93 balls, with the skipper playing the dominant role. Ganguly had raced to 39 off only 41 balls and was looking good for more, when he dabbled at a delivery leaving him from support paceman Razzaq and Moin did the rest. Dravid, who held one end up, was dismissed trying to sweep a delivery delivered from wide off the crease from the steady off-spinner Shoaib Malik. The Pakistan team appeared convinced that the ball had kissed the gloves on way to the 'keeper Moin. However, the Indian vice-captain did not seem too happy with the verdict. Razzaq, who turned in a tidy bowling display for Pakistan after quite some time, struck again, trapping Mohammed Kaif leg before for one. India was wobbling at 140 for six, but Yuvraj and the lower order put up a worthy resistance. In the end, it was not enough.
Pakistan bowling: Akhtar 10-0-50-1 (2-w), Shabbir 10-0-33-3 (3-nb, 14-w), Sami 10-0-71-1 (1-nb, 5-w), Razzaq 10-1-44-2 (1-w), Malik 10-0-40-2 (1-w).
Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Afridi), 2-29 (Youhana), 3-55 (Younis), 4-65 (Malik), 5-156 (Inzamam), 6-173 (Hameed). India bowling: Pathan 10-0-58-3 (2-w), Balaji 9.2-0-41-0 (2-w), Zaheer 9-0-56-1 (2-w), Ganguly 6-0-24-0, Powar 4-0-17-0, Tendulkar 8-1-31-1 (1-w), Yuvraj 1-0-9-0.
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