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Looking Ahead: Pakistan in India 2004-05: 5th ODI
at Kanpur |
Preview by Venkat
Ananth
It was nothing short of a 7 hour drama that we
witnessed at Ahmedabad - right from the delayed
start to the last ball and more so, after the
game was over. Pakistan emerged on top in the
only encounter in the series, which kept us all
guessing till the last ball, thanks to a cool
and unruffled performance by their skipper
Inzamam-ul-Haq. But, as this series reaches the
climax stage, it will be really crucial for both
sides to perform well, as the tournament moves
into a "Winner Takes It All" situation. This
game will also mark a momentous occasion in
Asian Cricket, with India and Pakistan playing
their 100th match against each other.
Cricketfundas.com gives its readers an exclusive
preview to the fifth Pepsi Cup ODI between India
and Pakistan to be played at Kanpur.
Pitch: By this stage, I guess the readers
know it all. The Kanpur wicket has lived up to
the trend set in this series by other pitches,
which clearly indicates that the wicket is a
batting paradise. The toss becomes crucial on
this wicket, as it is expected to see some wear
and tear and become slower and lower towards the
second half of the second session. The average
first inning score here is 222, but with the
form the batsmen are in at the moment, we could
see a lot more than 222 scored on this wicket.
India would not mind playing on this venue, as
they have a great track record - winning 6 of
the 8 games they have played here before. The
playing conditions in Kanpur might well be the
best we may have come across all series, as the
maximum temperature is expected to be 28 degrees
with more or less no humidity.
India: India
were punished by Pakistan in the earlier game
for some inconsistent and complacent
performances by their bowlers as they failed to
defend over 300 runs successfully. Besides, the
Indians have been forced to make certain changes
as the skipper has been banned for 6 games, on
the basis of the over-rates issue. The last game
at Ahmedabad saw a good effort with the bat by
all the batsmen. Sachin Tendulkar brought up his
38th ton and his form and looks in ominous form.
India will have to bank on his experience and
deliverance, if they have to progress any
further in this series. The rest of the batsmen
also look in good cricketing form, as they have
been stroking runs regularly. It will be
interesting to see as to who replaces Saurav
Ganguly in the team. Dinesh Mongia will bank on
his experience to forge a place for himself,
while Sridharan Sriram might just pip Mongia on
the basis of his form. The Indian bowling looked
pretty ragged at Ahmedabad. But, with Anil
Kumble back in the helm of the attack,
experience might just have come at the right
time for the Indian bowling. It will be a tough
choice for the management to select the second
spinner. Murali Karthik's two wickets do boost
his credentials, while if Harbhajan is fit, he
might just get the nod over Karthik. The pacers
were pretty disappointing at Ahmedabad. With
India likely to go with a 2-pacer strategy, it
will be interesting to see who could be left
out. India will have to play their A-game if
they have to beat Pakistan in this ODI series.
Can Rahul Dravid's boys provide the spark that
was missing at Ahmedabad ? Will this new-look
Indian team put it across to Pakistan ? Only
time will tell !
Pakistan:
Jamshedpur was and could possibly be the turning
point of the series for them. After that huge
win over India, there is a certain amount of
buoyancy about the visitors. Pakistan battled
against odds and won at Ahmedabad, but they
might well be aware that these India-Pakistan
matches could well be decided at any given time,
so over-confidence and complacency is something
they can ill-afford at this stage. The Pakistani
batting in particular looks pretty strong,
especially with the blazing and flying starts
that are being provided by Shahid Afridi. Salman
Butt is also stroking the ball pretty well and
looks in good form. The middle order has been
the striking factor for Pakistan in this series.
Overall they have looked pretty solid and have
mixed their attack with caution in a very mature
manner. Shoaib Malik's bowling and his crucial
half-centuries have lent a proper balance to
this Pakistani team and it is from here that
they can look for better successes. Inzamam
played a crucial and cool innings at Ahmedabad
and it will be imperative for him to guide the
other batsmen along, if Pakistan have to chase a
huge score or set a competitive total. The
Pakistani bowling looks pretty ordinary. Yes,
they succeeded in Jamshedpur, but law of
averages caught up with them at Ahmedabad. The
bowling when under pressure lacks a solution and
seems pretty inconsistent. Rana Naved and
Mohammad Sami are certain to take the new ball,
while the Pakistani Management might just
reconsider the Kaneria selection, as he has
found it tough to put his feet firm on One-Day
International cricket just yet. Pakistan have
the momentum, but it takes only a few moments to
lose it and if they can try and play the same
sort of cricket they have been since the past
two games, a victory is a more than possible
equation.
It may not be a World Cup final for that matter,
but it has its own charm and specialty. The
Hundredth India-Pakistan match will be played at
Kanpur and as fans from both sides of the border
bear the weight of the moment, we hope that the
best cricket is reserved for this special day in
India-Pakistan cricketing history and it gives
us back some moments that can be hard to forget
and may we see the best cricket from both these
mighty Asian cricketing titans.
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