India win series; Pakistan D(hon)isappointed

India made just change to their playing eleven – Murali Kartik made way for Virender Sehwag. Pakistan made just one change to the eleven that last played the Indians – Abdur Rehman made way for Rao Iftikhar Anjum.

On winning the toss, Shoaib Malik, Pakistan’s skipper, chose to bat. Their openers didn’t get off the mark. Salman Butt, who faced a couple of balls, didn’t open his account. A couple of balls into the match, he was tRaPped leg before wicket by Singh.

The second Powerplay of Pakistan’s innings was between the 11^th and the 15^th over. Their second-wicket pair scored 50 off 14 overs. Extras had no contribution to the partnership. While Malik’s contribution to the partnership was 18, Younis Khan’s contribution to it was 32.

Malik, whose 55-ball innings included three boundaries, eventually scored 31. A hundred and fifteen balls after Butt’s dismissal, Zaheer Khan broke the 78-run partnership. He became the left-arm pacer’s 200^th One-day International victim.

Younis’ half-century – which included five boundaries – came off 70 balls. Pakistan scored 100 off 24.4 overs (148 balls). India had conceded three extras at that point.

Pakistan’s third-wicket pair scored 50 off 57 balls. While Younis’ contribution to the partnership was 22, Mohammad Yousuf’s contribution to it was 26. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was a couple.

Younis, whose 89-ball innings included five boundaries and a six, scored 68. It was his 29^th half-century in One-day Internationals, and his fourth against India. Sixty-three balls after Malik’s dismissal, he was caught by Yuvraj Singh, who broke the 51-run partnership.

Shahid Afridi, who faced four balls, scored a run. Thirteen balls later, he was trapped leg before by Sourav Ganguly, who broke the five-run stand.

The all-rounder’s wicket was the Bengal cricketer’s 100^th wicket in One-day Internationals, and he became the third all-rounder in the 50-over format to scored 10,000 runs, take 100 wickets and take 100 catches. His India teammate Sachin Tendulkar (who was, incidentally, adjudged the player of the match) and Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya were the others.

A hundred and ninety-three balls into the match, the first drinks break was taken. Pakistan had scored 134 for the loss of four wickets at that point. Yousuf was batting on 31. The Pakistanis scored 150 off 35.3 overs (213 balls). India had conceded three extras at that point.

Yousuf, whose half-century – which included four boundaries – came off 64 balls. Pakistan scored 200 off 43.2 overs (261 balls). India had conceded five extras at that point. Misbah-ul-Haq, whose 39-ball innings included a couple of boundaries and a six, scored 40. Ninety balls after Afridi’s dismissal, Irfan Pathan broke the 94-run partnership.

Tanvir, whose four-ball innings included a boundary, scored half-a-dozen. Ten ballS(ohai)later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Zaheer, who broke the 15-run stand.

Pakistan scored 250 off 49.5 overs (300 balls). India had conceded eight extras at that point. That was the number of the extras they eventually conceded.

Yousuf, whose 104-ball innings included seven boundaries and a couple of sixes, scored 99. It was his 59^th half-century in One-day Internationals, and his 10^th against India. He was unbeaten, as was Kamran Akmal, who faced three balls, scoring a couple.

Pakistan scored 255 for the loss of half-a-dozen wickets off 50 overs. Sehwag bowled a couple of overs, conceding 11. He was wicketless, as was Harbhajan Singh, who bowled 10 overs, conceding 52. Yuvraj bowled three overs, conceding a dozen. He picked up a wicket. Ganguly bowled five overs, conceding 29. He picked up a wicket.

R P and Pathan bowled 10 overs, including a maiden, each, picking up a wicket. While the former conceded 53, the latter conceded 52. Zaheer, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 40. He picked up a couple of scalps.

Ganguly, whose run-a-ball innings included a boundary, scored five. Fourteen balls into the chase, he was caught by Younis. Shoaib Akhtar broke the 11-run stand. Gautam Gambhir, who faced 13 balls, scored three. Thirty-six balls later, he was caught by Tanvir. Anjum broke the 37-run stand.

India scored 50 off 8.4 overs (54 balls). As far as the number of extras they had conceded at point was concerned, Pakistan had no reason to be in seventh heaven. The second Powerplay of India’s innings was between the 11^th and the 15^th over.

Tendulkar’s half-century – which included 10 boundaries – came off 48 balls. Fourteen overS(ach)into the chase, the first drinks break was taken. India had scored 74 for the loss of a couple of wickets at that point. While Tendulkar was batting on 52, Sehwag had scored half-a-dozen. The third Powerplay of India’s innings was between the 16^th and the 20^th over.

The third-wicket pair put on 50 off 62 balls. While Tendulkar’s contribution to the partnership was 27, Sehwag’s contribution to it was 21. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was a couple.

India scored 100 off 20 overs (122 balls). Pakistan had conceded eight extras at that point. The third-wicket pair put on 100 off 106 balls. While Tendulkar’s contribution to the partnership was 55, Sehwag’s contribution to it was 43. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was three.

India scored 150 off 26.4 overs (162 balls). Pakistan had conceded nine extras at that point. The third-wicket pair put on 107. Sehwag, whose 49-ball innings included four boundaries and a six, didn’t add to the aforementioned score. A hundred and fifteen balls later, Malik ran him out.

Twenty-nine overs into the chase, the second drinks break was taken. India had scored 159 for the loss of three wickets at that point. While Tendulkar was batting on 97, Yuvraj had scored just a run. It was the former’s 82^nd half-century in One-day Internationals, and his 14^th against Pakistan.

Tendulkar, whose 102-ball innings included 16 boundaries, didn’t add to the aforementioned score. Ten balls later, Umar Gul broke the four-run stand.

India scored 200 off 36.3 overs (222 balls). Pakistan had conceded a dozen extras at that point. The fifth-wicket pair put on 50 off 63 balls. While Yuvraj’s contribution to the partnership was 32, the contribution of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s skipper, to it was 14. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was four.

India scored 250 off 44.5 overs (273 balls). Pakistan had conceded 14 extras at that point. That was, incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded. Yuvraj’s half-century – which included four boundaries and a six – came off 58 balls. It was his 33^rd fifty in One-day Internationals, and his eighth against Pakistan.

The fifth-wicket pair put on 100 off 106 balls. While Yuvraj’s contribution to the partnership was 52, Dhoni’s contribution to it was 45. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was four.

The former, whose 65-ball innings included four boundaries and a six, eventually scored 65. He was unbeaten, as was the latter, who didn’t add to the aforementioned score. His run-a-ball innings included three boundaries and a six.

India, who scored 260 for the loss of four wickets off 46.3 overs, won by half-a-dozen wickets with 21 balls to spare. Butt bowled nine wicketless balls, conceding 16. Afridi bowled 10 wicketless overs, conceding 67. Tanvir bowled seven wicketless overs, including a maiden. He conceded 43.

Gul bowled eight overs, conceding 42. He picked up a wicket. Akhtar and Anjum bowled 10 overs each, picking up a scalp apiece. While the former conceded 49, the latter conceded 35.

India led the five-match series 3-1.