The Hindu : Sport : Naved, Butt script Pakistan victory

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 10, 2005

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Naved, Butt script Pakistan victory

By Sanjay Rajan

I CAN DO IT SINGLE-HANDED: Salman Butt's century laid the base for Pakistan's runaway victory in the third one-dayer. - Photo: S. Subramanium

JAMSHEDPUR, APRIL 9. Younis Khan took three of his four catches at second slip, and smiled every time he pouched one. Wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal held three. But India's slide began much earlier — at the start of its innings — when Virender Sehwag's cut off seamer Rana Naved-ul-Hasan was plucked by Shahid Afridi at point.

It showed what pressure could do to the best of batting line-ups. India, chasing for the first time in the series, was faced with an uphill task after Pakistan rattled up 319 for nine in its 50 overs. Opener Salman Butt scored a decisive century — his second — and Shoaib Malik made a punitive 75. And when India batted Naved returned figures of six for 27 off 8.4 overs, his best by a long margin.

India lost the third ODI by 106 runs at the Keenan Stadium on Saturday, but continues to lead the six-match Pepsi Cup limited-overs series 2-1. It's hard to tell whether the lack of sufficient rest between innings contributed to India's bad start. Sourav Ganguly's men took 27 minutes more than the prescribed three and a half hours to bowl their quota.

The time lost was offset with the break time which gave Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar just 18 minutes before having to take on the well-rested new-ball pair of Md. Sami and Naved-ul-Hasan.

Early blow

It was imperative for India to have a good start, but Sehwag, who scored a century and 74 in the first two matches, departed in the second over much to the shock of the 25,000-capacity full-house crowd. Tendulkar followed suit in the next over, caught by Younis at second slip driving Sami away from the body.

At two down for 11, India was in deep trouble. Mahendra Dhoni, playing in his first international at his hometown, carried with him the confidence of a man who scored a century in his previous innings, while his partner, skipper Sourav Ganguly, looked every bit the one who was short on self-belief. The skipper struck a boundary, but did little else in his eight-ball sojourn, before the Naved-Younis combo accounted for him.

Dhoni played some bold shots, and then grew a touch too adventurous. It resulted in him top-edging a hook off Naved, much to the balding seamer's glee. Naved got the ball to move a bit, while his quicker delivery hurried the batsmen.

India lost half its side by the 12th over, and then Sami returned in the 17th to dismiss Rahul Dravid with a lifter, which the Indian vice-captain edged to Younis at second slip. Pakistan had introduced leg-spinner Danish Kaneria in the 16th and brought on off-spinner Malik for the first time in the series, in the 27th over. The all-rounder's action had come under the microscope recently and the ICC has not cleared it yet. However, the ICC has not barred him from bowling either.

Inzamam-ul-Haq, the Pakistan skipper, explained, "we have worked on his action and are quite sure that the present one is clean. I am fully aware that he can be called again. We saw him closely at nets, and felt that his new action is quite faultless. But if he is called, we still have 21 days to rework his action."

Entertaining stand

Md. Kaif and Irfan Pathan, who notched up his maiden half-century, were involved in an entertaining 61-run seventh-wicket stand, when the latter smashed sixes and fours. However, he was under no pressure then as the contest was as good as over.

The toss favoured the visitor for the first time in the series and its approach in the early overs was refreshingly different. Butt, a pugnacious left-hander, anchored the innings impressively. Shahid Afridi left in the sixth over with the score at 31, but Malik took a cue from Butt's approach and focussed on getting his eye in first. The second-wicket stand of 145 in 25.3 overs between Butt and Malik laid the base.

Malik, blessed with both reach and timing, had failed in the first two games. He played some streaky shots at the beginning, but once he began middling the ball, he proceeded to decimate the attack.

A shuffler

A shuffler, Butt, gets on to the front foot quickly, but prefers to play square of the wicket on either side, as he likes to use the pace of the bowler to his advantage. Pathan, at third man, was a tired bloke at the end of it.

Butt and Malik reached their individual half-centuries one after the other off a Harbhajan Singh over. Sachin Tendulkar's around the wicket tactic did not work, and Malik struck him for a six and a boundary with aplomb.

Ganguly turned to Sehwag for a breakthrough, which he provided, when Malik gave him the charge. Butt put on 43 with Inzamam before the latter was dismissed. Butt departed 20 runs later, while Yousuf Youhana and then the tail helped reaching the winning total. Butt was as much a hero as Naved, who was adjudged the Man of the Match.

The fourth ODI will be held at Ahmedabad on April 12.

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