LAHORE, Pakistan, 15 October 2004 — Inzamam ul-Haq played a captain’s knock of 76 to lead Pakistan to a six-wicket win over Sri Lanka yesterday in the dress rehearsal of the three-nation one-day tournament final to be played tomorrow.
Inzamam, only the second batsman in world cricket to score over 10,000 one-day runs, produced his 72nd half century as Pakistan overhauled a Sri Lankan total of 293 with relative ease to reach 297 for four with seven balls to spare under lights.
Pakistan ended with 21 points in the competition’s qualifying rounds after four straight wins, followed by Sri Lanka with 11 points, while Zimbabwe went home with four points and no wins. It was Pakistan’s highest successful run chase since June when English coach Bob Woolmer joined them to replace former captain Javed Miandad. Inzamam came into bat when the second wicket fell for 139 in the 30th over and proceeded to push the pace with some brilliant strokes, reaching his half century from 42 balls with six fours.
With 80 required in the last 10 overs, he and Yousuf Youhana (30) played some magnificent shots to put on a brisk 74.
Youhana was caught in the deep by Upul Chandana off Vaas with 10 runs required from 11 balls. Inzamam remained unbeaten on 76 from 58 balls with eight fours and one six.
The successful chase in heavy dew conditions was built on an opening stand of 99 between Salman Butt (57 from 73 balls) and Yasir Hameed (48) who came into form with after scores of 0, 0 and 13 in the tri-series.
Yasir was let off twice on one and 13 off Nuwan Zoysa and Dilhara Fernando while Jayawardene dropped a straight-forward chance from Butt at slip off the luckless Zoysa.
Playing audaciously at times, the two consumed 21 overs in their partnership which was Pakistan’s best of the tournament.
Butt reached his maiden half-century in his fourth match from 69 balls with five fours.
Inzamam took control to forge a third wicket stand of 71 with Malik (56) who was out at the total of 210 bowled by Fernando after another compact innings.
Earlier, Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu stroked a fluent 111 to guide his team to their total of 293 for six. Atapattu, who was dropped on 31, put on 146 runs from 159 balls with Kumar Sangakkara (69). Sri Lanka added 49 runs in the dramatic last five overs in which Pakistan fast bowler Muhammad Sami was stopped from bowling by umpire Simon Taufel for intimidatory bowling.
Sami having received an earlier warning in the innings bowled a beamer to Dilshan on the first ball of the 48th over, which was called by Taufel who asked captain Inzamam ul-Haq to take him out of the attack. Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar also had a miserable day as he went for 30 runs in four overs and was not called on to bowl again by Inzamam in the innings.
