This was the curtain-raiser
to the final, and as it was played on April Fools’ Day, it wouldn’t be
incorrect to state that was foolish on the Indians’ part to make half-a-dozen
changes to their playing eleven – Sadagoppan Ramesh, Ajit Agarkar, Nayan
Mongia, Anil Kumble, Nikhil Chopra and Javagal Srinath made way for Saba Karim,
One-day International debutant Virender Sehwag, Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Laxmi
Ratan Shukla, Gyanendra Pandey and Venkatesh Prasad.
Pakistan (Moham)made three changes to the eleven that last played the Indians – Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq and Arshad Khan made way for Imran Nazir, Saqlain Mushtaq and Shahid Nazir.
On winning the toss, Ajay Jadeja, India’s skipper, chose to bat. Twenty-one balls into the match, Sourav Ganguly was batting on five when he was struck on the chest by Shoaib Akhtar. He had to retire hurt. India had scored 16, and hadn’t lost a wicket at that point. When he resumed his innings, they had scored 47, and lost a couple of wickets.
Rahul Dravid, who faced three balls, didn’t get off the mark. Three dot balls after Ganguly retired, he was caught by Shahid Afridi off the bowling of Akhtar. Karim, whose 51-ball innings included a boundary, scored 18. Seventy-six balls later, he was caught by Ijaz Ahmed, the player of the match. Azhar Mahmood broke the 31-run stand.
Jadeja, whose 44-ball innings included a boundary, scored 14. Thirteen balls later, Mahmood had a reason to be in seventh heaven. Amay Khurasiya, whose seven-ball (Mo)innings included a boundary, scored half-a-dozen. Nineteen balls later, he was stumped by Khan. Mushtaq broke the 17-run stand.
Ganguly, whose 90-ball innings included four boundaries, scored 57. A hundred and five balls later, he was caught by Afridi. Shahid Nazir broke the 74-run partnership. Sehwag, who faced a couple of balls, scored a run. Five balls later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Akhtar, who broke the run-a-ball stand.
The seventh-wicket pair put on 22. Kanitkar, whose 15-ball innings included a boundary, scored a dozen. Twenty-three balls later, Ahmed ran him out. Shukla, who faced nine balls, scored five. Eighteen balls later, he was caught by Shahid Nazir. Mushtaq broke the 14-run stand.
The ninth-wicket pair didn’t get off the mark. Singh, whose 67-ball (Rob)innings included a boundary, scored 42. A couple of balls later, Mushtaq ran him out. Pandey, who never represented India again, faced nine balls, scoring four. He was unbeaten. Prasad, who faced seven balls, scored four. Fourteen balls later, he was caught by Moin. Mushtaq was in seventh heaven.
Pakistan conceded 33 extras. The Indians were dismissed for 196 off 49.5 overs. Wasim Akram, Pakistan’s skipper, bowled 10 wicketless overs, conceded 42. Shahid Nazir, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 45. He picked up a wicket.
Mahmood and Akhtar and bowled 10 overs, including a maiden, each, picking up a couple of scalps apiece. While the former conceded 31, the latter conceded 18. Mushtaq, who bowled 9.5 overs, conceded 49. He picked up three scalps.
Pakistan were fined three overs for a slow over rate. Their openers didn’t get off the mark. Saeed Anwar, who faced six balls, didn’t open his account. An over into the chase, he was caught by Karim off the bowling of Prasad. Imran, who faced 13 balls, scored four. Twenty balls later, he was caught by Karim. Prasad broke the 14-run stand.
Afridi, whose 21-ball innings included a boundary, scored 16. Thirty-five balls later, he was caught by Dravid. Prasad broke the 20-run stand. Ahmed, whose 129-ball innings included five boundaries and a couple of sixes, scored 89. He was unbeaten, as was Inzamam-ul-Haq, who scored 63. His 88-ball innings included four boundaries.
India conceded 25 extras. The Pakistanis, who scored 197 for the loss of three wickets off 42 overs, won by seven wickets with five overs to spare. Sehwag and Pandey bowled three wicketless overs each. While the former conceded 35, the latter conceded 21.
Kanitkar, who bowled four wicketless overs, conceded 21. Ganguly, who bowled five wicketless overs, conceded 26. Singh, who bowled seven wicketless overs, conceded 24. Shukla, who bowled 10 wicketless overs, conceded 37. Prasad bowled 10 overs, including a couple of maidens. He conceded 27, picking up three scalps.
Pakistan (Moham)made three changes to the eleven that last played the Indians – Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq and Arshad Khan made way for Imran Nazir, Saqlain Mushtaq and Shahid Nazir.
On winning the toss, Ajay Jadeja, India’s skipper, chose to bat. Twenty-one balls into the match, Sourav Ganguly was batting on five when he was struck on the chest by Shoaib Akhtar. He had to retire hurt. India had scored 16, and hadn’t lost a wicket at that point. When he resumed his innings, they had scored 47, and lost a couple of wickets.
Rahul Dravid, who faced three balls, didn’t get off the mark. Three dot balls after Ganguly retired, he was caught by Shahid Afridi off the bowling of Akhtar. Karim, whose 51-ball innings included a boundary, scored 18. Seventy-six balls later, he was caught by Ijaz Ahmed, the player of the match. Azhar Mahmood broke the 31-run stand.
Jadeja, whose 44-ball innings included a boundary, scored 14. Thirteen balls later, Mahmood had a reason to be in seventh heaven. Amay Khurasiya, whose seven-ball (Mo)innings included a boundary, scored half-a-dozen. Nineteen balls later, he was stumped by Khan. Mushtaq broke the 17-run stand.
Ganguly, whose 90-ball innings included four boundaries, scored 57. A hundred and five balls later, he was caught by Afridi. Shahid Nazir broke the 74-run partnership. Sehwag, who faced a couple of balls, scored a run. Five balls later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Akhtar, who broke the run-a-ball stand.
The seventh-wicket pair put on 22. Kanitkar, whose 15-ball innings included a boundary, scored a dozen. Twenty-three balls later, Ahmed ran him out. Shukla, who faced nine balls, scored five. Eighteen balls later, he was caught by Shahid Nazir. Mushtaq broke the 14-run stand.
The ninth-wicket pair didn’t get off the mark. Singh, whose 67-ball (Rob)innings included a boundary, scored 42. A couple of balls later, Mushtaq ran him out. Pandey, who never represented India again, faced nine balls, scoring four. He was unbeaten. Prasad, who faced seven balls, scored four. Fourteen balls later, he was caught by Moin. Mushtaq was in seventh heaven.
Pakistan conceded 33 extras. The Indians were dismissed for 196 off 49.5 overs. Wasim Akram, Pakistan’s skipper, bowled 10 wicketless overs, conceded 42. Shahid Nazir, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 45. He picked up a wicket.
Mahmood and Akhtar and bowled 10 overs, including a maiden, each, picking up a couple of scalps apiece. While the former conceded 31, the latter conceded 18. Mushtaq, who bowled 9.5 overs, conceded 49. He picked up three scalps.
Pakistan were fined three overs for a slow over rate. Their openers didn’t get off the mark. Saeed Anwar, who faced six balls, didn’t open his account. An over into the chase, he was caught by Karim off the bowling of Prasad. Imran, who faced 13 balls, scored four. Twenty balls later, he was caught by Karim. Prasad broke the 14-run stand.
Afridi, whose 21-ball innings included a boundary, scored 16. Thirty-five balls later, he was caught by Dravid. Prasad broke the 20-run stand. Ahmed, whose 129-ball innings included five boundaries and a couple of sixes, scored 89. He was unbeaten, as was Inzamam-ul-Haq, who scored 63. His 88-ball innings included four boundaries.
India conceded 25 extras. The Pakistanis, who scored 197 for the loss of three wickets off 42 overs, won by seven wickets with five overs to spare. Sehwag and Pandey bowled three wicketless overs each. While the former conceded 35, the latter conceded 21.
Kanitkar, who bowled four wicketless overs, conceded 21. Ganguly, who bowled five wicketless overs, conceded 26. Singh, who bowled seven wicketless overs, conceded 24. Shukla, who bowled 10 wicketless overs, conceded 37. Prasad bowled 10 overs, including a couple of maidens. He conceded 27, picking up three scalps.
No comments:
Post a Comment