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Cricket is not all about bat and ball, as was
proved yet again at Peshawar. It is rather a
deceptive game of daggers and swags. But the beauty
of the game is that scintillating strokeplay and a
deluge of runs tend to overshadow everything else.
It makes for wonderful viewing, unless you happen
to be a bowler!
The daggers had to be dragged out once India lost
the third Test in Karachi. Anything less would have
been sacrilegeous. One man who came under the
scanner (with Sourav Ganguly already headed home
playing no further part in the one day series) was
none other than Sachin Tendulkar.
Even as touted experts called for his boots, the
man answered in the only way he knew best. His
thirty-ninth one-day international century could
not have been any more eventful under the
circumstances. But from Team India's point of view,
it gave India a huge lift and impetus to start off
on a fine note in the first of five one-day
internationals. That they ended up on the losing
side was the big downside.
Even as Virender Sehwag perished to some probing
bowling by Mohammed Asif, Tendulkar found an able
partner in India's latest all-round sensation Irfan
Pathan, and the duo plundered the bowling in style.
While Pathan showed his belligerent intentions,
Tendulkar was a mixture of majesty and mindfulness.
On a batting-biased pitch, with the short
boundaries beckoning, Pathan cut loose and Umar Gul
was made to appear rusty as the former stroked five
successive boundaries off him.
With a half-century to Pathan followed by another
scintillating one for Mahendra Singh Dhoni,
Pakistan found trouble aplenty at both ends as
Tendulkar stood sturdy at the other. A score in
excess of 300 was always on the cards, and with
Yuvraj Singh playing the perfect cameo for
thirty-nine, matters seemed well placed to
challenge the highest score.
Tendulkar's only flaw through the entire innings
lay in his choice of shot after getting to his
hundred. A misguided reverse sweep saw the ball
brush his glove (a point the umpire missed) and
thudded into his pad. Thereafter, the hara-kiri
surfaced as India lost six wickets for a mere
twenty-three runs, which clearly indicates that
their 'finishing' needs finesse.
328 was still a formidable total and while Rana
Naved-ul Hasan ended up with four wickets, it was
more a case of persistence paying off. India would
do well to learn a lesson or two.
A blissful stroke-filled morning for the Indians
turned into a nightmarish afternoon and darkness
enveloped not just the stadium, but the weary eyes
of the Indian bowlers who were clobbered all round.
Unfazed by the loss of Kamran Akmal, who looked
good during his cameo of twenty-five, Salman Butt
and Shoaib Mallik put together a blistering stand
that demoralised the Indian bowlers.
Butt has been under the hammer for
less-than-spectacular ends to his innings after
impressive starts. But he made amends as he found
an equally sparkling partner in Mallik. The two
young players dented India, and despite the best of
Rahul Dravid's bidding and hearty bowling from
Pathan and Sreesanth, Pakistan were galloping along
at an even pace.
The daunting run-rate failed to rein in the
batsmen, who clocked a 150-run partnership that put
their team in the driver's seat. But the boat
rocked when they suddenly found themselves 244-4
with a little more than ten overs of hard work
still left. Butt perished after completing his
third one-day international century, and Mallik
missed his by ten runs, and to think he made ninety
off just sixty-seven balls! With Afridi back in the
hut as well, it was up to the senior pros to
complete the terrific momentum generated by the
youngsters.
India were banking on stoutness of mind and spirit
to bring about a win in unlikely circumstances. But
Inzamam's stay ended in the most bizarre fashion,
with the skipper fending off a throw from Suresh
Raina in the outfield with his bat. But there were
more conundrums as the game went on. Pakistan,
standing on 311-7, won the game by seven runs as
per the Duckworth-Lewis method that came into play
as the umpires decided no further play was
possible, when the home team needed eighteen at a
run-a-ball. |