The Hindu : Sport : Younis Khan’s brilliant unbeaten century takes Pakistan home

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Younis Khan’s brilliant unbeaten century takes Pakistan home

K.C. Vijaya Kumar

CRICKET / India’s place in the final in jeopardy after the defeat

— Photo: AFP

MASTER CLASS: Younis Khan’s magnificent century not only helped Pakistan put it past India on Wednesday but also kept the host’s chances alive in the Asia Cup tournament.

Karachi: His walk to the pitch is always a jaunty stride. Confident steps, shadow-playing of few shots and then a loud request to the umpire for fine-tuning his stance, have been his signature style.

Younis Khan has always been a picture of confidence and it was perfect that he was at the crease while anchoring Pakistan’s chase against his favourite rivals.

Younis Khan’s unbeaten 123 (117b, 11x4, 1x6) guided Pakistan to an eight-wicket victory over India in a STAR Cricket Asia Cup semifinal league match at the National Stadium here on Wednesday. Younis, who struck 108 to help Pakistan defeat M.S. Dhoni’s men and win the Kitply Cup at Dhaka, continued to be India’s scourge on a day when a victory was imperative for the host to keep its hopes of a berth in the final alive.

Chasing India’s 308 for seven in 50 overs, Pakistan scored 309 for two in 45.3 overs. Pakistan gained two points and now needs to defeat Bangladesh on Friday while hoping that India loses to Sri Lanka on Thursday.

In that context when both Pakistan and India will be level on four points, the home side will qualify on the basis of having more victories in the semifinal league, according to the tournament officials who clarified late in the night.

Opening stand

Younis Khan’s fifth ODI hundred may have helped him carry the fans along with him through the night but the chase was initially helmed by the opening duo of Salman Butt (36) and Nasir Jamshed (53 retired hurt). Butt’s whiplash shots and Nasir’s audacious pulls that smacked of disdain, set a rollicking pace.

After carting Praveen Kumar’s first spell of three overs for 28 runs, Butt latched onto an errant Ishant Sharma and Nasir carted Irfan Pathan. Butt was run out while Nasir, a precocious 18-year old talent, had to leave due to cramps.

Younis however zipped boundaries all over against a clueless attack, though the penchant for the extravagant drive and the heave over mid-wicket was evident. At 97, he applauded Misbah’s scampered single and a section of the crowd thought that he had reached his hundred and applauded! Thankfully his fans did not have to wait long as he cut Praveen fine and did two push-ups to celebrate his ton.

And while Mohammad Yousuf missed out on the party, stand-in captain Misbah ul Haq, who stepped in for an unwell Shoaib Malik, remained unbeaten on 70 and shared an undefeated 144-run partnership with Younis that gifted ecstasy to the fans.

Brilliant start

In the evening, Dhoni’s decision to bat found a booming echo in the broad bats of Virender Sehwag (49) and Gautam Gambhir (35). The duo’s 88-run partnership off 63 deliveries set a frenetic pace that also cushioned India’s stutter and the resultant stagnant run-rate in the middle overs.

Sehwag smote Sohail Tanvir while Gambhir often danced down to pound a few through the off-side. It also undid him and when Iftikhar scalped Sehwag and Raina in the 12th over, the challenge of reviving the innings fell on Dhoni and he stood out with a composed 76 (96b, 4x4) that was built on patience and the hard-run single. Yuvraj’s quick 37 assuaged a few nerves before Dhoni consolidated the innings with a 112-run fifth-wicket partnership with a watchful Rohit Sharma (58).

Dhoni’s first four came off the 46th delivery he faced as he cut Afridi but towards the end, he was tiring and slumped to the turf, clutching his sides.

Meanwhile Rohit, conscious of his poor run in this tournament, ably supported his skipper. The slog overs however turned sluggish as Rohit miscued a pull, Yusuf Pathan tried to hit against the spin and Dhoni fell with a tired hoick.

SCOREBOARD

India: G. Gambhir c Afridi b Iftikhar 35, V. Sehwag c Sarfraz b Rauf 49, S.Raina c Salman b Rauf 1, Yuvraj c Sarfraz b Iftikhar 37, M. Dhoni c Sarfraz b Tanvir 76, R. Sharma c Rauf b Iftikhar 58, Yusuf c Nasir b Saeed Ajmal 0, Irfan (not out) 38, Praveen (not out) 1; Extras (b-1, lb-4, w-8): 13; Total (for seven in 50 overs): 308.

Fall of wickets: 1-88, 2-90, 3-91, 4-129, 5-241, 6-249, 7-290.

Pakistan bowling: Tanvir 10-0-87-1, Rauf 10-0-66-2, Iftikhar 10-1-51-3, Afridi 10-0-52-0, S. Ajmal 10-0-47-1.

Pakistan: S. Butt (run out) 36, Jamshed (retd. hurt) 53, Younis (not out) 123, Md. Yousuf b Chawla 21, Misbah (not out) 70; Extras (b-1, w-2, nb-3): 6. Total (for two in 45.3 overs):309.

Fall of wickets: 1-65, 2-165.

India bowling: Praveen 8.3-1-61-0, Irfan 10-0-68-0, Ishant 10-0-63-0, Yusuf 4-0-29-0, Chawla 8-0-53-1, Sehwag 5-0-33-0.

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