°•~India Vs Pakistan House°•~ - Page 6

Pakistan Aims to thrash India back!
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We made a few mistakes and dropped a few catches and it cost us dear
Shoaib Malik

Captain Shoaib Malik insists Pakistan can get back into the five-match one-day series against India despite their five-wicket opening defeat.

A century stand between Mahendra Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh helped India ease past Pakistan's 239-7 with 18 balls left.

Malik said: "I felt that 240 was defendable but we didn't field well.

"We're struggling a bit right now but we have learned a lot from this. There are still four games to go and I'm sure we can get back into the series."

However, Malik admitted his side would have to start taking their chances if they were to trouble India in Thursday's match in Mohali.

Gautam Gambhir twice edged through the slip cordon without being caught, while wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal spilled a thin edge off Ganguly early in the Pakistan innings, allowing the pair to share a stand of 82 and provide the platform for the hosts' victory push.

"We made a few mistakes and dropped a few catches and it cost us dear," he said. "It let them get off to a great start and it made all the difference."
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How do you think the series will go?


India captain Dhoni was full of praise for his bowling unit.

"They realised what was a good length and bowled to the field," he said.

"Murali Kartik and Harbhajan Singh have been doing well consistently and the conditions favoured the spinners."

Dhoni scooped the Man of the Match award after promoting himself to number four and smashing eight fours in 63 off 77 balls, sharing 105 for the fourth wicket with Yuvraj.

"We needed a left-right combination in the middle, it was turning but we always knew if Yuvraj and me were settled we could go after the bowling.

Plays of the day

Rehman's namesake and Younis' twin spills

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan in Guwahati

November 5, 2007

Shoaib Akhtar set-up Tendulkar by changing his pace with every ball AFP

Irony of the day

It's no secret that the sun sets early in Guwahati, one of the eastern-most cities in the country. Both captains spoke about the light yesterday, the match referee had his views, and the umpires chipped in too. Walking towards the Nehru Stadium, early enough to catch the 8 am toss, and you're greeted by four light towers, one draped with a poster of Sunny Deol, a Bollywood star. The grand irony is they're suitable only for football and other sports. No sunlight, no cricket.

Paddle of the day

Forty-sixth over, Mohammad Yousuf in fine nick, and Pakistan in need of quick runs. Irfan Pathan does his bit by keeping it full on middle and off but Yousuf, as if expecting just that, moves across the stumps and brings out a sweet paddle-sweep past short fine leg. Pathan isn't a spinner but, during this shot at least, was made to look like one.

Manic charge of the day

This was like a bull charging at a red rag. Sachin Tendulkar's spinning legbreaks were spinning big but Shahid Afridi decided to take him on anyway. It wasn't a charge straight down but a diagonal one, giving himself room, trying to butcher it inside-out. Once Tendulkar saw him coming he fired it in quicker outside off and Afridi stood no chance. Stumpings usually don't come easier.

Set-up of the day

Faster, faster, fastest, slow. That's the sequence that did Tendulkar in. After thunder-bolting his first eight deliveries, one of which rocketed off Tendulkar's leading edge to the third-man fence, Shoaib Akhtar slowed down the pace just a bit. Tendulkar, probably expecting yet another screamer, was too early on his flick and was trapped on the knee roll in front of the stumps. You could term it a slower ball but at 143 kph it was faster than what RP Singh and Umar Gul clocked through the day. One man's quicker one is another man's floater.

Double-edged sword of the day

The first two balls of Shoaib's fourth could have produced two wickets. Instead it ended in Shoaib kicking the ground in frustration. Gautam Gambhir poked away from his body, not once but twice, and nicked between Kamran Akmal and Younis Khan, at first slip. On the first occasion the gap was too large but even after the gap was bridged, Younis struggled to get his hands to the second chance. One slip but, two slips.

Rahman scores

"Two Abdur Rahman's will play today. One in the field and one in the press-box." Veteran scorer Abdur Rahman, an offspinner in his time, kept reminding everyone that his namesake was playing for Pakistan. Rahman, who's been scoring in various centres across the country since 1964, claims to have watched 104 Tests and 106 ODIs. He turned slightly glum when Rehman was run-out for a duck and shared a good laugh when he was tonked around later in the day. "Bad day for Rehman the bowler but a good day for Rahman the scorer," he signed off after announcing his final spell.

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan is an assistant editor at Cricinfo

Cricinfo

Hey!! I watched the game and I must IT WAS AWESOME!!

Everyone played well!!

2 topics moved to Ind. Vs. Pak. House!

Originally posted by: #1EijazFan

WE WOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!!
india played soooo well!!
it cuda easily been the otha 1's game but pak wicket keeping was poor 2dai
loved the run out by dhoni 👏👏
i think most players got a decent score 😊 👏

1 down..4 to go 😉 😛

oh yes!...we should win the rest of the 4 as well😃

ugh, I wish I could have seen it! But I'm soooo happy for my men in blue! Congrats to all the Indian team fans!!!

Originally posted by: sim_indian

i don't know...indians are going to give a very tough competition😃

we'll c abt that😛

Originally posted by: *kiwi*

we'll c abt that😛

yep we sure will😉

OMG!!!...not again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sachin got out once again at 99... 😭
just one run was left...

maybe they should have a new sec...record for most # of times 99 was reached but couldn't become 100...