The Hindu : Sport : Mohammad Asif's spell scuttles African hopes despite Shaun Pollock's effort

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Mohammad Asif's spell scuttles African hopes despite Shaun Pollock's effort

K.C. Vijaya Kumar

CAPTAIN'S KNOCK: Mahela Jayawardene led from the front with a fine innings. — Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

Bangalore: Mohammad Asif churned up an evening storm and paved the way for Asia XI's 34-run triumph over Africa XI in the Afro Asia Cup series' opening One Day International at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Wednesday night.

Chasing Asia XI's 317 for nine in 50 overs, Africa XI scored 283 in 47.5 overs with Shaun Pollock's maiden one-day hundred delaying the inevitable defeat. Asif's (three for 57) opening spell of 7-0-30-3 along with Zaheer Khan's initial two-wicket burst effectively shut Africa out of the match. Asif showed what Pakistan missed in its jinxed World Cup campaign. He bowled with verve and variety and his added pace unhinged batsmen.

Blazing shots

Asif went for runs in his second spell as the Africans went down with some blazing shots. Asif castled A.B. De Villiers with a peach in the very first over as the batsman shouldered arms.

Zaheer, then swung one right through Boeta Dippeniaar's defence and later had Loots Bosman nibbling to Jayawardene at first slip. Asif then had Steve Tikolo hopping and the off-balance Kenyan batsman, trode onto his stumps. Asif was not yet finished and he scythed one into African skipper Justin Kemp's citadel and at 31 for five, the visitors were staring at a dark night but Pollock and the tail had other ideas.

Man of the match, Shaun Pollock (130, 110b, 19x4, 1x6), playing purely as a batsman owing to a foot-injury, struck Mashrafe Mortaza twice past the ropes early in the chase and provided the runs amidst the ruins. Late in the night, he smacked Zaheer repeatedly and freed his arms in the power-plays. Briefly Pollock had company as Chigumbura (40) carved Harbhajan for six and threw his bat around.

Later Pollock and Thomas Odoyo (39) shared a 103-run ninth-wicket partnership off 76 deliveries, that frustrated Jayawardene's men.

Blitzkrieg beginning

Earlier, a blitzkrieg beginning, a sedate middle and a tame slog defined the Asian XI innings after Mahela Jayawardene opted to bat. Jayawardene's 65 (62b, 7x4, 1x6), Mohammad Yousuf's 66 (74b, 5x4) and their 94-run fourth-wicket partnership were the pivots on which the innings revolved.

The initial runs flowed unabated as ODI debutant Morne Morkel strayed. At the other end, Virender Sehwag spanked Thomas Odoyo for a cracking four and nearly chopped the next delivery onto his stumps. Jayasuriya, however, perished with an uppish square-drive off Morkel. At 37 for one, Sourav Ganguly (32) walked in and faced a predictable first-ball bouncer from Morkel, which was fended to fine-leg for four. The next one was eased to the cover picket and the third ball was streakily glided to third man for four and the crowd was on its feet. Sehwag (45) meanwhile carved one past the ropes and another over it off Chigumbura. Sehwag and Ganguly hustled the score to 104 in 13 overs before both perished, dragging deliveries onto their stumps.

Consolidation mode

The innings then went into consolidation-mode as Jayawardene after a few rousing pulls and languid drives kept finding the gaps for the customary singles and twos in tandem with Yousuf. A century for both was there for the asking before Jayawardene and Yousuf fell in an attempt to puncture the inner circle.

The scores: Asia XI: S. Jayasuriya c De Villiers b M. Morkel 14, V. Sehwag b Chigumbura 45, S. Ganguly b M. Morkel 32, M. Jayawardene c Pollock b Tikolo 65, M. Yousuf c De Villiers b A. Morkel 66, Yuvraj c Kemp b M. Morkel 31, M.S. Dhoni (run out) 2, Harbhajan Singh c Pollock b Chigumbura 20, M. Mortaza c De Villiers b A. Morkel 13, Zaheer Khan (not out) 6; Extras: (b-2, lb-3, nb-2, w-16) 23; Total: (for nine in 50 overs) 317.

Fall of wickets: 1-36, 2-104, 3-126, 4-220, 5-274, 6-276, 7-279, 8-307, 9-317.

Africa XI bowling: M. Morkel 10-1-68-3, T. Odoyo 10-0-52-0, E. Chigumbura 9-0-56-2, A. Morkel 10-0-64-2, S. Tikolo 8-0-49-1, J. Kemp 3-0-23-0.

Africa XI: A.B. De Villiers b M. Asif 4, L. Bosman c Jayawardene b Zaheer 2, B. Dippenaar b Zaheer 10, S. Tikolo (hit wicket) b Asif 5, J. Kemp b Asif 5, M. Boucher b Jayasuriya 25, S. Pollock c Yousuf b Mortaza 130, A. Morkel c Dhoni b Jayasuriya 9, E. Chigumbura c Yousuf b Jayasuriya 40, T. Odoyo c Tharanga b Harbhajan Singh 39, M. Morkel (not out) 4; Extras: (b-1, lb-5, nb-2, w-2) 10; Total: (in 47.5 overs) 283.

Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-15, 3-18, 4-26, 5-31, 6-77, 7-87, 8-154, 9-257.

Asian XI bowling: Asif 10-0-57-3, Zaheer 9-2-43-2, Mortaza 6.5-0-57-1, Harbhajan 10-0-53-1, Jayasuriya 10-0-53-3, Yuvraj 2-0-14-0.

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