The Hindu : Sport : Gautam Gambhir guides India home

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Friday, Aug 17, 2007
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Sport

Gautam Gambhir guides India home

Ted Corbett

Hamilton plays a determined knock for the Scots

— PHOTO: PTI

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST: Piyush Chawla and M.S. Dhoni celebrate after combining to pack off Neil McCallum.

GLASGOW: Munaf Patel, tall, thin as a reed and bristling with promise, told you all you needed to know as India beat Scotland by seven wickets on Thursday on the wind-blown Titwood Ground in the affluent, brownstone southern side of this once beautiful city.

Munaf was called up as first change, stripped off his sweater, bowled one ball and immediately put it back on again. No wonder. The temperature was far below the forecast of 15 degrees, the breeze rattled the canvas on the press tent where even the hardiest Scots were wrapped in overcoats and rain jackets.

Tough conditions

It was far from ideal for Rahul Dravid’s cricketers who are used to 40 degrees Celsius but not 40 degrees Fahrenheit with a stiff breeze that made the flags fly as horizontally, where hand warmers were a necessary extra and two sweaters essential.

Scotland had already lost both openers for 22 when, at 49, we were shown another reason increase the use of new technology. Ryan Watson, the captain, drove the ball to R.P. Singh and made it clear in his long, slow walk towards the pavilion that he was not impressed to be given out caught. As he paused just short of the boundary line the umpires Ian Gould and Ian Howell yes, it had to be the villain of the Oval Test again consulted before Howell reversed his decision and Watson returned to the crease.

The rest of the Scotland innings is best characterised as showing great determination in the face of high grade bowling. Gavin Hamilton, the England and Yorkshire all-rounder who lost all his skills for a while, and Neil McCallum put together 82 for the fifth wicket, the biggest stand in the history of this ground.

Hamilton top-scored with 44 before he was bowled by Ajit Agarkar. Scotland totalled 203 for nine in 46 overs and the scorers even argued over that figure.

When the dispute ended, India faced a revised total of 209. Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir made 104 for the first wicket which settled the result by the 20th over although there was still time for elegance from Yuvraj Singh.

It suggested that India might have a handsome victory in the seven-match one-day series against England, while Gambhir had an undefeated 85 when India won in the 40th over.

SCOREBOARD Scotland: F. Watts c Dhoni b R.P. Singh 6, N. Poonia lbw b Agarkar 1, R Watson c Chawla b Munaf 24, M. Haq c Chawla b R.P. Singh 11, G. Hamilton b Agarkar 44, N. McCallum c Dhoni b Chawla 41, C. Smith lbw b Chawla 4, C. Wright (run out) 37, J. Blain c Chawla b Munaf 4, P. Hoffmann (not out) 5 D. Nel (not out) 0; Extras (b-2, lb-2, w-20, nb-2) 26; Total (for nine wkts. in 46 overs) 203.

Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-22, 3-49, 4-49, 5-131, 6-146, 7-178, 8-199, 9-200.