GWALIOR, 16 November 2007 — Sachin Tendulkar’s commanding 97 led India to a six-wicket victory over Pakistan in the fourth One-Day International and an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the five-match series of the Indian Oil Cup here at the Roop Singh Stadium yesterday.
Chasing Pakistan’s total of 255 for six from 50 overs, India reached 260 for four with 21 balls to spare, Tendulkar again falling short of a century.
Like Tendulkar, Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf also failed to reach a hundred, unbeaten on 99 at the end of his team’s 50 overs.
Limited-overs cricket’s highest century-maker, Tendulkar fell in the 90s for sixth time in the past five months when he was bowled by paceman Umar Gul. The last of his 41 one-day hundreds came in January against the West Indies.
Tendulkar hit 14 boundaries off 102 deliveries, laying the foundation of India’s victory through his 107-run partnership for the third wicket with Virender Sehwag, who contributed 43.
After the departure of Sehwag and Tendulkar, in-form batsman Yuvraj Singh (53 not out) and skipper Mahendra Dhoni (45 not out) steered India home through their unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 101.
Earlier, spurred by Yousuf’s splendid unbeaten 99 and Younus Khan’s cracking 68 Pakistan managed to put up a moderate 255 for six wickets.
Pakistan innings was built on three partnerships and apart from Yousuf’s contribution handsome knocks of 68, 40 and 31 from the blades of Mohammad Younus, Misbah-ul-Huq and Shoaib Malik. The highest of the three partnerships was for the fifth wicket of 94 runs in 90 balls between Yousuf and Misbah-ul-Huq. The other two were of 78 and 51 runs between Shoaib Malik and Younus Khan for the second wicket and between Yousuf and Younus for the third wicket respectively.
Pakistan innings was marked by three leg before wicket decisions as the ball kept low and did not come on to the bat well. The players to be out in such a fashion were Salman Butt, Shahid Afridi and Sohail Tanvir.
Yousuf was unlucky not to complete his well earned century and missed it just by one runs. His 99 came off 104 balls studded with seven hits to the boundary and two over it. He survived a life when he was on 79 as Saurav Ganguly failed to hold on a catch off the bowling of RP Singh in the 47th over of the innings. Captain Shoaib Malik’s decision to opt to bat first after winning the toss misfired as opener Salman Butt was out on the second ball of the very first over of the Pakistan’s innings. Butt, who had not opened even his own account and that of his country, was adjudged leg before the wicket to RP Singh by umpire Aamish Saheba. The packed home crowd burst into raptures and RP Singh was the cynosure of all eyes.
After unexpected early departure of Butt, Younus joined his captain Malik and the two put down their heads together to repair the damage done early on in the innings. They held on together till the 20th over and in the process put on 78 valuable runs for the second wicket. Malik departed when the scoreline read 78 as he was clean bowled by Zaheer Khan. Prior to this Pakistan escaped a jolt when Younus Khan, with only six runs to his credit, was dropped by captain wicketkeeper MS Dhoni off the bowling of Irfan Pathan on the last ball of his second over and inning’s fourth. An inside edge of Younus fell on the left of Dhoni just short by a few inches which was difficult but not an impossible catch to hold on.
Shahid Afridi, the danger man for India, was out cheaply once again as in Kanpur.
Ganguly was the bowler who removed Afridi when he tried to sweep him and missed the ball completely to be wrapped on the pads.
Umpire Saheba did not hesitate to raise his dreaded finger to the glee of Ganguly and his team mates. Afridi’s dismissal was Ganguly’s 100th ODI victim.
Ganguly became the third cricketer to have claimed 100 ODI wickets and scored over 10,000 runs thereby equaling Sachin Tendulkar and Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya’s feat.
India will face Pakistan in the final match at Jaipur.
— With input from agencies
