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Dutch Tri- Series - 2004 |
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icricketer.com > Series >
Dutch Tri-
Series - 2004 > News
Pakistan spin India to
defeat
AMSTERDAM: Pakistan spinners Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik took
seven wickets between them to bowl their side to a 66-run win over
arch-rivals India in the opening match of the triangular event on
Saturday.
Afridi took four for 20 and man-of-the match Malik, who earlier made
68, three for 18 as India, chasing a target of 194 to win, were
bowled out for 127 with six overs to spare.
But India were without Sachin Tendulkar after the star batsman was
ruled out of the whole tournament, also featuring world champions
Australia, earlier Saturday because of an elbow injury.
Pakistan, after losing the toss, made 192 for six. That left India a
revised target of 194 to win in their 33 overs after the innings had
twice been reduced in length by rain.
An unbroken stand of 56 between Abdul Razzaq and Moin Khan took
Pakistan to their final total.
Razzaq (35 not out) and Moin (27 not out) took 42 runs off the last
three overs.
Lakshmipathy Balaji kept things tight with three for 27 from seven
overs but could do nothing about the late onslaught.
Earlier Malik weighed in with 68 off 67 balls after India captain
Sourav Ganguly won the toss and elected to field.
Venkatsai Laxman took the fight to Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar.
He on-drove him for an elegant four and next ball saw his top
edged-hook off the Rawalpindi Express fly over the keeper and slips
for six.
Left-hander Ganguly, opening in place of Tendulkar, fell for 25 when
his pull off Razzaq was caught by Yousuf Youhana running round at
mid-wicket.
And 69 for two became 70 for three thanks to an even more
spectacular piece of fielding which saw star batsman Rahul Dravid
out for nought.
Laxman pushed Mohammad Sami for a single and set off. But Dravid,
casually ambling in, was beaten by Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq's
left-handed direct hit from mid-on.
Inzamam, famed throughout his career for being involved in run-outs
rather than inflicting them on his opponents, saw his moment of
magic lead to a Pakistan stranglehold on the match.
Batsmen were finding it hard to time the ball and as the boundaries
dried up so did the noise from the hordes of India fans in the
10,000 capacity crowd.
The temporary stands went even quieter when Laxman's patient 51-ball
37 ended when he played on to off-spinner Malik.
At 96 for four the game, now being played in bright sunshine, was
almost out of India's reach with Malik adding a couple of wickets to
his haul.
After a four hour delay, Afridi lofted the fifth ball of the match,
from Irfan Pathan, high over long-on for six, before falling for 19.
Inzamam managed just one, caught behind off seamer Balaji and at 58
for three in the 15th over Pakistan were in trouble.
Malik, on 29, had a narrow escape when Kaif, fielding close in at
short mid-off, just failed to hold a one-handed diving chance off
Ganguly.
But he eventually fell when Kaif got under a skyer off Kumble.
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