The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Pakistan asserts supremacy

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Monday, Sep 20, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

Pakistan asserts supremacy

By Vijay Lokapally

BIRMINGHAM, SEPT. 19. Pakistan held its nerves when it mattered the most at Edgbaston on Sunday to win its must-win Pool `C' contest against India by three wickets and qualify for the semifinals of the ICC-Champions Trophy here.

Chasing 201 for victory, Pakistan recovered admirably from young Irfan Pathan's three early strikes, thanks to the 75-run fourth-wicket stand between skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq and the rock-solid Yousuf Youhana.

Youhana, who scored a match-winning knock of 81, and the big-hitting Shahid Afridi — who scored consecutive sixes of Pathan in the left-armer's second spell — took the side to within striking distance of the target with their 35-run seventh-wicket association, before the latter holed out in the deep while giving left-arm spinner Yuvraj Singh the charge with the side needing 14 runs off the last 28 deliveries. Youhana, however, didn't leave anything to chance, staying on to the very end.

Dismal show

With the exception of Rahul Dravid, who reiterated he is a performer for all seasons indeed, India contributed immensely to attract pressure with a dismal batting show, once again in keeping with the trend from the time it lost to Pakistan in the Asia Cup. If cricket is a mind game, Pakistan is far ahead of its opposition in terms of tactical preparation for this crucial encounter.

Where did the Indian batting go wrong? It did nothing right actually, from the time Inzamam-ul-Haq invited his counterpart to bat first. The delayed start, due to dampness in the pitch, spot on a length, weighed on the minds of the Indians, and effectively influenced their attitude in the middle.

The desperation in the Indian ranks was shocking, for the batsmen adopted the bold track, which was an indiscreet strategy under the circumstances.

Sourav Ganguly, on the eve of the match, might have observed that the toss did not mean much but he would have quickly realised his folly when he struggled to middle the ball. The ball was seaming enough to cause discomfort to the batsmen, who failed to counter the pressure that Inzamam maintained through some thoughtful plan of attack and an innovative field.

Pakistan had done its homework astutely. The first phase was to dry the run-flow in the first 15 overs and here the team earned a huge bonus by claiming three wickets during the period when the field restrictions were in work. It was hard to believe that in the absence of Sachin Tendulkar, the Indian batting looked so brittle. It had no reason to panic only because the bowlers held the advantage in the morning.

Needless aggression

Was the Indian batting line-up so naïve it played into the hands of the opposition with a timid display that suggested a streak of indiscipline? A tentative and casual Ganguly lashed at a ball on the eighth stump literally. Needless aggression.

V.V.S. Laxman, showed unwise haste and poor cricketing sense in trying to take on an accurate Naved-ul-Hasan. He was surprised by the pace, if not the bounce, as he mistimed a pull. Needless aggression again.

Struggling to identify what path to tread, Virender Sehwag once again became a victim of indecision. A fielder was in place to check the impulsive flick that Sehwag indulges in and on this occasion it was too uppish to get to the destination. Shoaib Malik snapped up the catch at square leg and India had made a mess of its innings by launching into the aggressive mode despite having studied the bowler-friendly conditions enough to chart the appropriate course. Sehwag had fallen to Naved-ul-Hasan, the same bowler he had so contemptuously destroyed during that electrifying charge at Karachi.

Dravid to the fore

Pakistan called the shots. Dravid dug in; so did Mohammad Kaif, who stood up to the challenge. This was intense cricket, bringing quality to the competition. Pakistan had sensed the chance to wrap it up. India resisted, and resisted well through Kaif and Dravid, the former pleasantly judicious in picking the bad ball.

A hook by Kaif off Hasan provided relief to the Indian dressing room. He was soon dropped by Afridi off Sami but the next ball was punched stunningly. Kaif was showing the way, and Dravid too had his say. Temperament and patience came into play and India managed to thwart the bowlers with sensible batting from Kaif and Dravid.

It was tactful batting indeed. Kaif was confidence personified even as Dravid blunted the attack where Naved-ul-Hasan bowled with venom, Shoaib Akhtar with a purpose and Abdul Razzaq with guile as India struggled most of the first half. Mohammad Sami made the first dent but lost direction and was clobbered by the batsmen. The same fate befell Shahid Afridi, who discovered his tricks against Kenya made no impression on the Indians.

Kaif, having done the spadework for a meaty knock, emulated his predecessors and perished when changing gears. His was a neat effort that lifted the mood of the Indian dressing room but no lessons appeared to have been learned when Yuvraj Singh, without getting his eye in, flirted with the ball and took leave from the middle with Pakistan on top — Akhtar having grabbed two wickets in an over. "I haven't been bowling well for the last few series, but I was able to turn it around today. It was a very slow pitch, but we held the line," Akhtar said later. No doubt, Akhtar played a big role by rocking the Indian middle order, not to forget Hasan, who also took four wickets.

It was a great chance for Rohan Gavaskar to cement his place but his honest approach did not carry him far. It became quite embarrassing for India when Ajit Agarkar, short of confidence, joined Dravid. It was a test of character for Dravid and he only enhanced his reputation as the best batsman in the team.

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