Pakistan level series, D(h)o(w)ning India

India made just one 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 Sohail Tanvir.

On winning the toss, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s skipper, chose to bat. Sourav Ganguly, whose three-ball innings included a boundary, scored half-a-dozen. Three balls into the match, Shoaib Akhtar broke the six-run stand.

India scored 50 off 9.5 overs (63 balls). Pakistan had conceded 10 extras at that point. While Sachin Tendulkar’s contribution to the partnership was 29, Gautam Gambhir’s contribution to it was 13.

The second Powerplay of India’s innings was between the 11^th and the 15^th over. Thirteen overs into the match, the first drinks break was taken. India had scored 71 for the loss of one wicket at that point. While Tendulkar was batting on 38, Gambhir was batting on 17.

The third Powerplay of India’s innings was between the 16^th and the 20^th over. Tendulkar’s half-century – which included nine boundaries – came off 57 balls.

India scored 100 off 17.2 overs (109 balls). Pakistan had conceded 11 extras at that point. The second-wicket pair put on 100 off 112 balls. While Tendulkar’s contribution to the partnership was 62, Gambhir’s contribution to it was 27. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was a dozen.

India scored 150 off 22.2 overs (141 balls). Pakistan had conceded 13 extras at that point. Gambhir’s half-century – which included seven boundaries – came off 58 balls. The third-wicket pair put on 150 off 145 balls. While Tendulkar’s contribution to the partnership was 88, Gambhir’s contribution to it was 51.

Tendulkar, whose 91-ball innings included 14 boundaries and a six, eventually scored 99. A hundred and fifty-one balls later, he was caught by Kamran Akmal. Umar Gul broke the 173-run partnership.

Gambhir, whose 68-ball innings included seven boundaries, eventually scored 57. Eleven balls later, he was caught by Shahid Afridi. Needless to say, Gul was in seventh heaven.

A hundred and sixty-five balls into the match, the second drinks break was taken. India had scored 186 for the loss of three wicket at that point. Sehwag was batting on a couple.

India scored 200 off 31.2 overs (199 balls). Pakistan had conceded 25 extras at that point. The fourth-wicket pair put on 50 off 60 balls. While Sehwag’s contribution to the partnership was 22, Yuvraj Singh’s contribution to it was 18. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was 10.

The fourth-wicket pair put on 53. Sehwag, whose 31-ball innings included a boundary, eventually scored 25. Fifty-seven balls later, he was (Afri)dismissed. India scored 250 off 38.2 overs (248 balls). Pakistan had conceded 34 extras at that point.

Yuvraj, whose 44-ball innings included three boundaries, eventually scored 34. Sixteen balls later, he was caught by Gul. Tanvir broke the 20-run stand. Robin Uthappa, who faced a couple of balls, didn’t get off the mark. A couple of balls later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Tanvir, who broke the one-run stand.

The 42^nd over of India’s innings – bowled by Tanvir – was a five-ball over. It was called by umpire Suresh Shastri.

Dhoni, who faced 10 balls, scored just four. Thirteen balls after Uthappa’s dismissal, he was caught by Akmal. Akhtar broke the six-run stand. Irfan Pathan, who faced 14 balls, had no reason to be in seventh heaven – 13 balls later, he was caught by Mohammad Yousuf. Akhtar broke the 12-run stand.

India scored 300 off 47.5 overs (311 balls). Pakistan had conceded 41 extras at that point. That was, incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded. Harbhajan Singh, whose 20-ball innings included a couple of boundaries and as many sixes, scored 38. He was unbeaten.

The ninth-wicket pair put on 33. Zaheer Khan, whose 18-ball innings included a boundary, scored nine. Twenty-nine balls later, Akmal ran him out. R P Singh, who faced a ball, scored a run. He was unbeaten.

India scored 321 for the loss of nine wickets off 50 overs. Shoaib Malik, Pakistan’s skipper, bowled three overs, conceding 31. He was wicketless, as was Rao Iftikhar Anjum, who bowled seven overs, conceding 64. Afridi, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 65. He picked up a wicket.

Both Tanvir and Gul (whose spell included a maiden) bowled 10 overs each. They conceded 65, picking up a couple of wickets apiece. Akhtar bowled 10 overs, including a maiden. He conceded 42, picking up three scalps.

Akmal, whose 19-ball innings included a boundary, scored 13. Thirty-three balls into the chase, he was caught by Yuvraj. R P broke the 38-run stand.

Pakistan scored 50 off 9.1 overs (59 balls). India had conceded 13 extras at that point. The second Powerplay of Pakistan’s innings was between the 11^th and the 15^th over. Salman Butt, whose 50-ball innings included seven boundaries, scored 37. Fifty-six balls later, Pathan broke the 43-run partnership.

Eighty-nine balls into the match, the first drinks break was taken. Pakistan had scored 81 for the loss of a couple of wickets at that point. Younis Khan, the player of the match, was batting on 13.

Pakistan scored 100 off 21.2 overs (137 balls). India had conceded 18 extras at that point. Yousuf, whose 25-ball innings included a boundary, scored a dozen. Forty-eight balls after Butt’s D(hon)ismissal, he was stumped. Harbhajan broke the 24-run stand.

Younis’ half-century – which included three boundaries and a six – came off 61 balls. Pakistan scored 150 off 29.1 overs (184 balls). India had conceded 18 extras at that point.

The fourth-wicket pair put on 50 off 44 balls. While Younis’ contribution to the partnership was 58, Malik’s contribution to it was 21. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was one. Malik, whose 28-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 25. Fifty-nine balls after Yousuf’s dismissal, he was caught by Pathan. Harbhajan broke the 69-run partnership.

Pakistan scored 200 off 36.2 overs (230 balls). India had conceded 21 extras at that point. The fifth-wicket pair put on 50 off 45 balls. While Younis’ contribution to the partnership was 29, Misbah-ul-Haq’s contribution to it was 20. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was four.

Younis’ ton – which included eight boundaries and a couple of sixes – came off 99 balls. Pakistan scored 250 off 41.5 overs (267 balls). India had conceded 25 extras at that point.

The fifth-wicket pair put on 100 off 78 balls. While Younis’ contribution to the partnership was 49, Misbah’s contribution to it was 45. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was half-a-dozen.

Younis, whose 110-ball innings included nine boundaries and a couple of sixes, eventually scored 117. Seventy-six balls after the dismissal of Malik, Zaheer broke the 102-run partnership. Misbah, whose 44-ball innings included three boundaries, scored 49. Eight balls later, R P had a reason to be in seventh heaven.

Pakistan scored 300 off 47.4 overs (303 balls). India had conceded 26 extras at that point. That was, incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded. Afridi, whose 14-ball innings included three boundaries and a six, scored 29. He was unbeaten, as was Tanvir, who scored 14. His 10-ball innings included a couple of sixes.

Pakistan, who scored 322 for the loss of half-a-dozen wickets off 49.5 overs, won by four wickets with a ball to spare. Tendulkar, who bowled an over, conceded 11. He was wicketless, as was Ganguly, who bowled nine overs, conceding 55.

Pathan, who bowled 9.5 overs, conceded 53. He picked up a wicket, as did Zaheer, who bowled 10 overs, conceding 70. Harbhajan and R P bowled 10 overs each, picking up a couple of scalps apiece. While the former conceded 65, the latter conceded 59.

The five-match series was levelled 1-1.