RAWALPINDI, 17 March 2004 — The vaunted pace attack led by Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar came good just when Pakistan needed it most against India here, blunting a majestic 141 off 135 balls from Sachin Tendulkar that nearly turned the match on its head. In the end Pakistan won by 12 runs.
Pakistan, who piled up a mammoth 329 for 6 after taking first strike in the day-night international, bowled out India for 317 to level the five-match series 1-1.
Tendulkar surpassed 13,000 One-Day runs with his 37th century, but it was fiery fast bowler Akhtar, reveling in his 100th One-Dayer in front of 19,300 home fans at the Pindi Stadium, who broke the Indian charge by picking up three wickets and along with new-ball partner Mohammad Sami, who had 3 for 41, restricted the Indian tail from wagging in yet another tight finish.
India had won the first match in Karachi by five runs.
Openers Shahid Afridi and Yasir Hameed laid the foundation for Pakistan’s total. Both stroked their way to brilliant half centuries during an opening stand of 138. Afridi, selected for the first time since Pakistan’s World Cup loss to India last year in South Africa, smashed 80 off 58 balls with the help of four sixes and 10 boundaries. Hameed, the more circumspect of the two, batted till the 35th over to make 86 before he was run out following a mix-up with his captain Inzamam-ul Haq.
Pakistan stuttered briefly, losing their way in the latter part of the innings. But a smashing onslaught by Shoaib Malik and Abdul Razzaq in the last five slog overs took Pakistan to a total that they could defend. They flogged the weary Indian attack for 50 runs and this in the end proved decisive.
Tendulkar, already the most successful batsman in One-Day history, made a gallant effort for India with an array of strokes all round the wicket. However, an impetuous shot over mid-wicket just when he and Rahul Dravid were pacing the innings nicely saw him hole out to Razzaq in the deep off Malik in the 39th over with 85 still needed.
Tendulkar put on 69 for the third wicket with Indian captain Ganguly and 105 for the fourth with Rahul Dravid, whose 36 was the second highest score for India, and their presence in the middle gave India the hope of making a late charge. Though the late flourish in the death overs by Laxmipathy Balaji (18) and debutant Ramesh Powar (14) did come, needless attempts to force the pace and a senseless run out of Balaji left India adrift. It was in these key overs that Akhtar and Sami showed their mettle, bowling a good length and a tight line despite the desperate attempts by the tail that threw their bat at everything.
Pakistan’s bowling and fielding showed marked improvement in comparison to the Karachi match. With the bowlers pushing the ball through a narrow corridor, the Indian batsmen were held in check.
In comparison, India’s opening bowlers, Balaji and Zaheer Khan were wayward in their line and length and were duly punished by Hameed and Afridi. Afridi and Hameed plundered 81 runs in the first 10 overs and brought up the 100 by the 13th over before Afridi’s brilliant knock ended tamely when he missed a heave off spinner Yuvraj Singh and was bowled.
Pakistan moved to 191 for 1 by the 29th over, before left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra stopped the steamrollering Pakistanis with two wickets off successive balls, clean bowling Inzamam for 29 and then trapping Moin Khan leg-before first ball. Nehra finished with 3 for 44.
Pakistan slipped to 249 for 5, but Shoaib Malik and Razzaq took centerstage by plundering 50 runs in the last five overs to steer Pakistan past the 300-run mark. Malik remained unbeaten on 30 while Razzaq scored a rapid 31 not out off just 19 deliveries.
Razzaq became only the fourth Pakistani after Wasim Akram, Imran Khan and Afridi to claim the double of 3,000 runs and 100 wickets in One-Day cricket.
Inzamam later heaped praise on Tendulkar for his brilliant century and the setting of a new standard. “There is no doubt about his talent. He is the best batsman in the world today,” Inzamam said.
“He thoroughly deserves the honor of being the first to score 13,000 runs in One-Dayers.”
“The amount of hard work he’s put in for this landmark is amazing. I don’t think it’s easy to achieve this milestone. It takes a long time to get there,” said Inzamam.
Inzamam described the pitch as a batting paradise. “I think the amount of runs scored on it are a clear indication that it was not a bad pitch to bat on,” he said.
Tendulkar said his century would have carried greater value if his team had won. “It wasn’t an easy track to bat chasing a big total under lights,” he told reporters. “The ball stopped and came on slow. You had to be selective in your shots. Their bowlers did pretty well and pushed the ball through and made it difficult for us.”
Tendulkar said that he was unaware that he had reached 13,000 till after he was dismissed. The Indian also said he was happy to score a century in Pakistan, where he made his debut in 1989.
“I’m feeling very good being back in Pakistan. The hospitality is great and I’m enjoying it,” he said.
Inzamam said that given 1,339 runs had been scored in the first two matches, it was difficult to say what a safe score would be for any team in the remaining three games.
“The matches are going to be close and tough and our bowlers will have to bowl as well as they did today,” he said. “They’re our strong point and have to play a decisive role in this series.”
Ganguly said his team did not give up till the end. “In high scoring games like this, anything is possible,” he said. “Our tailenders did well to get us close to the total and I admire the courage they have shown in the face of fast bowling. In the remaining three games, whoever bowls first must restrict the other to below 300, but that could be difficult on such good wickets.” — Additional input from Agencies.
