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By BV Swagath

Two games in Pakistan and the Indian team have realized how hard it is to beat the Pakistanis in their own backyard. Though India scraped through in the game at Karachi, Pakistan now has a new self belief in themselves that their batting is as good as their arch rivals. Their coach, Javed Miandad went to the extent of making Umpire Simon Taufell stand during the team's nets and call out for noballs and wides. India on the other side, were worried about their bowling - even their spearhead Zaheer Khan not spared. The second ODI at Rawalpindi - a venue where India never played and the hometown of Shoaib Akthar. And what else, Shoaib Akthar playing his 100th ODI on his homeground.

THE FLIP OF THE COIN

Inzamam for the second consecutive time in the Samsung Cup won the toss and this time chose to bat first. A "graveyard for the fast bowlers" was what Imran Khan had quoted. The Pindi wicket was no different from the wickets at Lahore and Karachi. A dry surface with cracks - cracks which wouldn't widen up easily and a track where you needed a microscope to find a tinge of grass. Pakistan brought back one of the crowd's favourite player - Shahid Afridi and the tall lanky Shabbir Ahmed who had recovered from his finger injury. For India, Ashish Nehra miraculously passed the fitness test, Saurav decided to play inspite of his fever but the real big news was the debut for Romesh Powar. Romesh Powar, the offspinner and the hard hitting lower order batsman from Mumbai replaced Murali Kartik. Not to forget the obvious change (or is it a forceful change?) of V.V.S.Laxman getting back after his sore knee and to replace the faultless Hemang Badani.

THE PAKISTANI INNINGS

It was the comeback innings for the big hitting Shahid Afridi and he had a lot to prove. It was an ideal platform for Afridi to revive his career – facing the toothless Indian attack on a flat track. Zaheer Khan must have taken the term “Friendship Series” very seriously to his heart as it was evident in his bowling which lacked the usual venom. Afridi and Yasir helped themselves with the latter playing more of orthodox drives. Ashish Nehra was the only seamer to have got respect from the two openers as both these batsmen put up the 100 for Pakistan. Ganguly was exploring means of containing Afridi and one of the move was to bowl Yuvraj’s slow left armers. It worked out well for India, as the batsmen struggled to time the ball and soon Afridi was done in by a slow flighted delivery. Afridi was two minutes too early to Yuvraj’s delivery and it was a “you miss, I hit” as Pakistan lost their first wicket for 138/1. Afridi, what an innings that was – 80 coming of 58 balls with 10 fours and 4 big sixes. The success of Yuvraj, encouraged Ganguly to depend on his slow bowlers on this wicket and soon the debutant – Romesh Powar was introduced. The pair of Yuvraj and Powar bowled intelligently to curtail the runs. Youhana tried to play a clever shot and had to pay for it, again it was a wicket to Yuvraj. Who would have thought before the match that it would be Yuvraj picking up the 1st two Pakistani wickets! Last match hero, Inzamam joined Yasir and Pakistan were back on the track, with both these batsmen striking some clean hits to the fence. Yuvraj completed an outstanding spell of 10 overs giving away only 41 runs which also included a wicket maiden. Yasir Hameed made a fatal mistake of watching the ball rather than watch his partner and was run out, this time it wasn’t Inzy’s fault. Hameed was out for a classy 86 with 8 hits to the fence.

Ashish Nehra came back for his second spell and came back in great style – dismissing Inzamam and Moin Khan of the first two balls of his new spell. First it was Inzy who was yorked and then Moin was trapped infront by a late in swinger. That was a great day’s work by Nehra but sadly for him, he split his right hand webbing and is in doubt for the next matches. It was a great opportunity for India to restrict Pakistan under 310 but for the two partnerships that followed; Shoaib Malik first with Younis Khan and then with Razzaq as Pakistan finished at 329/6 thanks to a couple of expensive overs from Sachin and Zaheer.

THE INDIAN PURSUIT FOR 330

A good start was the key for India to move 2-0 up in the Samsung Cup. But a much improved and disciplined Pakistan bowling led by Shoaib and Shabbir didn’t allow Sehwag and Sachin to score as quickly as they did at Karachi. Sehwag had to chance his arms a lot and his stumps were soon dismantled by Shoaib’s express delivery. Laxman who came in at no.3 was completely beaten by pace and was trapped lbw by the skiddy Md.Sami. It was now left over to Sachin and Saurav to do what Inzy and Youhana did at Karachi. Saurav was playing a double minded innings – whether to hit out or to play himself in. A predetermined step out from Saurav of Afridi’s bowling meant India lost their 3rd wicket at 140/3 in less than 24 overs. It was still a good position for India and they needed someone to stay with Sachin. And Dravid did the same and together they put in 105 runs for the 4th wicket. The partnership ended when Sachin, who was now in the top gear, lashing out some big shots, picked the fielder at Deep mid wicket. Shoaib Malik the wicket taker and Razzaq was the fielder taking that good catch. Sachin was out for 141 from 135 balls with 17 fours and a slog sweep for 6. During his innings of 141, the little master crossed yet another milestone – a milestone which would be very hard to overtake – 13,000 runs in ODI cricket. And there is plenty of daylight between him and the 2nd highest run getter! Dravid failed to see things through like Sachin and was cleaned up by Md.Sami and India 260/5, still plenty of work ahead. It was now left to the NATWEST FINALS pair of Yuve and Kaif. Yuvraj hit a couple of meaty shots but one of his lusty blows was straight into the fielder’s hands at the squareleg fence. It was getting tough for Kaif and India now and he got foxed by a big change of pace from the Rawalpindi Express. Zaheer Khan came and went back like how Moin did for Pakistan early on. That meant, Shoaib like Nehra was on a hattrick which wasn’t given away by Balaji. It was all over for India, but a sudden burst of fours from debutant Powar and Balaji kept some interest going in the final moments of the match. Balaji was run out and Pakistan could now breathe properly. Still 13 runs required from 8 balls, but it wasn’t Indian bowling but Pakistan's and Sami didn’t waste any time as his express delivery disrupted the stumps of Nehra. Pakistan won by 12 runs but like it was in Karachi, this game also proved that the two arch rivals are evenly matched. As a pattern has been set in the Samsung Cup, Man of the Match going to the player from the losing side, it was undoubtedly awarded to Sachin Tendulkar.

With the series now leveled at 1-1, the 3rd match at Peshawar on 19th March will be a crucial one. Will it be yet another neck to neck game? All answers must hopefully come out only after the end of the Peshawar match. Until then it’s BYE BYE from Cricketfundas Highlights.

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