da apostaganha： India notched up a 51-run win – and levelled the series 1-1 – through a solid batting performance backed up by a fine bowling effort
The Bulletin by Anand Vasu19-Apr-2006
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Rahul Dravid’s 71st ODI fifty boosted India to a target that proved too much © Getty Images
India levelled the series 1-1 through a solid batting performance backedup by a fine bowling effort by a team that understood the need of the hourand sent down a mixture of diligent pace and crafty spin, supported wellby the field, to notch up a 51-run win. It was Virender Sehwag’s timely73, and Rahul Dravid’s meaty 92 that took India to 269, a sizeable score,and then Irfan Pathan checked in with early breakthroughs and Ramesh Powarweighed in with a crafty spell to take the game away from Pakistan.When Dravid won the toss and quickly chose to bat it was obvious that theIndian team had learnt quickly from the first match. They decided early onthat there was no point in going for the big hits even with the powerplayson, and instead settled down to build partnerships and conserve wicketsfor a late charge. It was a throwback to the times when wickets were at apremium in ODIs and runscoring took care of itself.Mohammad Asif was at his usual accurate best, landing the ball on a lengthand allowing it to seam one way or the other if it did. But, with Dravidand Sehwag taking no chances, he had little joy, and was merelyeconomical. Sehwag, struggling for form to the extent that he had only twohalf-centuries in 21 ODI knocks leading up to this game, was lucky not tobe bowled off the inside edge early on, and settled down. Dravid, in hislatest avatar as limited-overs opener, kept things under control.Although both batsmen struggled to beat the infield early on, soon supplewrists and confident on-the-rise drives came into play. Dravid was severeon anything that was straight – drifting down leg or just plain straight -flicking both in front of and behind square for boundaries, while Sehwagshowed that even in bad form he is no blocker.Before Pakistan knew it, both Dravid and Sehwag had fifties, and theopening partnership had gone past the century-mark. Eventually, on 138,Pakistan struck, as a quick, skidding delivery from Shahid Afridi beat theoutside edge of Sehwag’s bat and hit the top of off stump. Sehwag, who hadrested for the last game and come into the side for this one in place ofRobin Uthappa, had scored 73, and put India well on the way to a bigscore.Mahendra Singh Dhoni ran out to the middle as is his wont at No. 3 andensured that Sehwag was not missed. Although not teeing off from thecrease like he is famous for, Dhoni kept the run rate up with a successionof cheeky strokes. A dab here, a push there, a whip through midwicket, afine sweep past the keeper with an almost-straight bat, and suddenly Indiawere clipping along.When Dravid fell, eight short of a century, his powers of concentrationnot being equal to keeping out an Asif yorker, India were still well placed.Soon after Dhoni played all over a Naved-ul-Hasan slower ball, and wasgone for 59. India were not quite in trouble, but there was a chance thatbatsmen fresh to the crease would not score as quickly as desired. Butno-one told Yuvraj Singh that the pitch was low and slow. He walked out tothump three consecutive boundaries and a nonchalantly flicked six, rackingup 24 from just 10 balls to push the Indian score to 269 for 5 from 50overs.Pakistan needed a good start and they did not get it. Irfan Pathan, withsome help from Rudi Koertzen, had his 100th ODI wicket, when Imran Farhatwas adjudged lbw as he fell over and missed a scrambled-seam straight one.Soon after Shahid Afridi, sent in at No. 3, played all over a classicindipper from Pathan and was cleaned up. When Younis Khan, one of the realdangermen, tickled Ajit Agarkar to the keeper, Pakistan were 45 for 3 andin deep trouble. Then Yuvraj plucked a stunner out of the air as Malikswept Powar on 45, and trouble became distress.Inzamam-ul-Haq, calm as ever, cool and calculating, batted safely yetconfidently, and kept one end up. Mohammad Yousuf was the first tounderestimate Powar, and was caught at midwicket trying to heave over theleg side. Abdul Razzaq forgot to reckon with Powar’s dip and only managedto find Kaif at long-on. Naved-ul-Hassan clattered the ball here andthere, taking the pressure of his captain, but his innings of 27, off only17 balls, was always fraught with danger, and it ended when Venugopala Raotook a well-judged catch on the roped at long-on.If Pakistani hopes were still afloat they were properly snuffed out whenInzamam was, yes, run out, as he jogged across for a non-existant singlewhen Iftikhar Anjum played the ball to midwicket and Dravid collected theball, ran to the stumps at the bowler’s end and took off the bails. Soonafter Pakistan folded for 218 and India had levelled the series 1-1.How they were out
India
Virender Sehwag b Afridi 73 (138 for 1)
Rahul Dravid b Asif 92 (228 for 2)
Mahendra Singh Dhoni b Naved-ul-Hasan 59 (234 for 3)
Yuvraj Singh c Asif b Naved-ul-Hasan 24 (255 for 4)
Suresh Raina run out (Akmal/Razzaq) 6 (269 for 5)
Pakistan
Imran Farhat lbw b Pathan 8 (22 for 1)
Shahid Afridi b Pathan 0 (23 for 2)
Younis Khan c Dhoni b Agarkar 5 (45 for 3)
Shoaib Malik c Yuvraj b Powar 45 (91 for 4)
Mohammad Yousuf c Raina b Powar 5 (108 for 5)
Kamran Akmal c Dravid b Harbhajan 18 (167 for 6)
Abdul Razzaq c Kaif b Powar 1 (148 for 7)
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan c Rao b Pathan 27 (198 for 8)
Inzamam-ul-Haq run out (Dravid) 79 (209 for 9)
Iftikhar Anjum b Sreesanth 11 (218 for 10)