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Pakistan in final with easy victory over India

Singapore, April 5: Aamir Sohail and Saeed Anwar started against India from where they had left at Bangalore. But the only difference was that in the World Cup quarter-final they had ended up on the losing side after putting on 83 runs in 13 overs. However, on Friday they put on 144 runs in a mere 118 balls that helped Pakistan maintain its superiority over India on neutral ground.

Courtesy that breath-taking partnership with clean, belligerent hitting which eventually made the recalculated victory target of 187 in 33 overs look so simple that Pakistan registered its biggest victory over India in terms of wickets when they won by eight wickets with 30 balls to spare to book a place in Sunday's final against Sri Lanka on better net run-rate. India have but to pack their bags for return journey home.

Aamir Sohail played a determined captain's knock to remain unconquered on 76 from 89 balls with seven blistering boundaries while the deadly Saeed Anwar playing a scintillating 49-ball 74 innings that sparkled with eight scorching boundaries and three superlative hits over the fence.

Salim Malik also showed glimpses of his brilliance in his brief 24-ball 25 not out that was punctuated with five rubicon hits as India ended up third on net run-rate at -0.46 after Pakistan (0.56) followed up by Sri Lanka (0.22).

For the first time , the Pakistan team looked set and determined for something big. The game plan was prepared which was very well followed. The Pakistanis never panicked at any stage and in the end made every thing look so easy.

If the task was met with ease in the end, it had become very difficult for the organisers to give the brilliant Pakistanis a chance to get that as they found themselves helpless against nature.

After Pakistan had reduced India to 226 for eight in 47.1 overs, heavens opened and it rained cats and dogs. The rain not only jeopardised play in the afternoon , it created doubts if the match would even be rescheduled for Saturday as The Padang gave a sight of a swimming pool.

However, after the rain stopped after 30 minutes, the ground staff went out and started making desperate efforts for a possible reduced overs game in the evening. The venue helped the workers also as it dried by natural process. If anything was left, it was overcome by the sponging machine and saw dust.

Pakistan, who needed to win the match to get on the points table plus a victory margin of 24 runs or by 47 overs to make to the final, were given a new target of 187 for victory in 33 overs. The plus point was that if Pakistan even won in the 33rd over, they would go through the final.

But Aamir Sohail and Saeed Anwar had different ideas. They were determined to punish the Indians for their victory at Bangalore and put a psychological pressure for next week's Sharjah Cup. In addition to this, they had aimed to score as many runs as possible in the first 15 overs so that the later order batsmen face no real problems as at Bangalore when they crashed to defeat after needing a run-rate of 5.10 in the last 35 overs.

The two left-handers batted with discipline, authority, and maturity to collect 100 runs from the first 15 overs which brought the required run-rate down from 5.66 to 4.83. The two picked up 50 runs from the first 48 balls. The next 50 came even quicker, 42 balls.

Sohail and Anwar virtually tore apart the Indian bowling even the latter's fielding was alert. Venkatesh Prasad was blasted for 34 runs from his first four overs, Venkatapathy Raju was hammered for 24 in the first two, Tendulkar conceding eight from his first over. The only bowlers to get respect of some sort were Javagal Srinath who was hit for 24 runs from the first five and Anil Kumble who gave away 13 from his first three.

Sohail was first to reach his half century, 17th of his career, with a single which also brought Pakistan's 100. Sohail took 57 balls and five boundaries. A couple of his boundaries were from the outside edge but in one-day cricket they are said to be im- provised shots.

Sohail, however, was lucky when Anil Kumble dropped a sitter off his own bowling when the batsman was 39 and Pakistan were 61 in 9.5 overs.

Sohail was later adjudged Man-of-the-Match because of his highly responsible batting, good captaincy and a satisfactory bowling spell of nine overs in which he gave away 46 runs and picked up the wicket of his counterpart Mohammad Azharuddin

Anwar soon followed Sohail notching up his sixth half century of his career with a superb sweep boundary off Sachin Tendulkar. Be- sides that boundary, Anwar hit another five fours and a huge six off Venkatapathy Raju.

Anwar turned brutal after his half century and went after the bowling. The worst sufferer was Raju who was hit for 51 runs from his five overs and though the bowler accounted for the batsman at mid-wicket off a mishit shot.

The defeat not only ended India's stay here in Singapore, it also silenced a biased crowd of around 2,500 and only cheering the Indians. Only a handful of Pakistani supporters carrying just three green flags and chanting national slogans of ``Allah-O- Akbar'', in the end were joyous and taunting the Indian team shouting ``Pakistan are the champions'' and ``Indians are chickens for Pakistan.''

If Sohail and Anwar were able to toy with the Indian bowling it was mainly because of some marvellous bowling from Aqib Javed, Waqar Younis and Saqlain Mushtaq, supported by splendid fielding by Mushtaq Ahmad, Aamir Sohail and Ejaz who ran out Rahul Dravid, Ajay Jadeja and Nayan Mongia respectively with direct hits that broke the stumps.

Saqlain Mushtaq followed up his two for 45 against Sri Lanka with three for 38 from 10 overs. But the most impressive bowler was Aqib Javed who has established himself as a world-class one-day bowler. Aqib conceded 12 runs from 7.1 overs before rain interrupted the game. He had already claimed the wicket of Navjot Singh Sidhu.

A part of victory also goes to wicketkeeper Rashid Latif who once again proved to be having safest pair of hands by accounting for four batsmen behind the sticks-three catches and a stump.

The only moment of joy for India in the day was a century by Sachin Tendulkar after Aamir Sohail had won the toss and elected to field.

Tendulkar hit a completely contrasting style of century as that of Sanath Jayasuriya whose 134 was more a 'lathi charge' against Pakistan in the opener.

Tendulkar, expected to take over from Azharuddin after the England tour, reached three figures for the seventh time in his career and for the first time against Pakistan from 109 balls with the aid of nine boundaries and a six off Mushtaq Ahmad.

Together with Manjrekar, who scored 41 from 56 balls with a couple of boundaries, Tendulkar added 59 runs in 11.1 overs for the fourth wicket. The vice-captain with his captain added 66 runs in 13.3 overs for the second wicket. Azhar scored a boundaryless 29 from 51 balls.

In the end, it was a comprehensive and outstanding victory for Pakistan. The Pakistanis outplayed their traditional rivals in all departments of the game issuing a quick warning to the Sri Lankans that they are now out of the World Cup shock and were ready to settle pending scores.