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Bad light and light rain halts India-Pakistan match

The weather gods were very much in favour of Pakistan as they helped them to squeeze out of fight corner in their crucial Pepsi Asia Cup qualifying round match played at the SSC grounds Sunday.

Pakistan put into bat first under heavy overcast conditions were struggling at 30 for 5 wickets in nine overs when bad light followed by light rain forced the match to be abandoned as a no-result.

The result meant that the match will be replayed Monday en- abling Pakistan to fight another day.

It was cruel luck for India that rain should force the game to be abandoned when they had everything under their control.

Having lost to Sri Lanka in their opening game, and with cap- tain Sachin Tendulkar under tremendous pressure to deliver the goods, following their poor run in South Africa, and West Indies and in the Independence Cup at home, everything seemed to be going right for India.

Tendulkar won an important toss and had no hesitation in in- serting Pakistan first. The move paid great dividends as by the third over, fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad had removed openers Saeed Anwar (0), Aamir Sohail (1) both lbw, and Inzamam-ul-Haq (5) to have them struggling at 10 for 3.

When the first stoppage for rain occurred Pakistan were 19 for 3 in five overs.

After a two-hour interruption, the umpires recommenced the game with each side being allotted 33 overs, but after a fur- ther four overs, bad light followed by rain forced the match to be halted.

During that period, India snapped up a further two wickets to reduce Pakistan to 30 for 5. Prasad induced Salim Malik to edged a catch to Azharuddin at slips for 10, and six runs later, skipper Rameez Raja gave Abey Kuruwila his first wicket of the innings when he of- fered a similar catch to the same field at five.

Prasad's figures of 4 for 17 was his beat in one-day cricket beating his previous best of 4 for 27 against South Africa at Bombay in 1996-97.

If the weather intervenes today also and forces another no-re- sult, both Pakistan and India will share two points, leaving the second finalists to be decided after the India-Bangladesh clash on July 24.

Pakistan currently have two points from two games, and India are still in search of their first points in the tournament hav- ing lost their only match played so far to Sri Lanka.

Sports Comment: Pakistan live to fight another day
By Elmo Rodrigopulle

The Pakistanis must certainly be thanking the rain gods and the bad light for saving them from certain defeat in their vital clash against India which was called off with only nine overs bowled and Pakistan 30 for five at the SSC ground, Sunday.

Had the game progressed the Pakistanis would have been further in the mire as the overcast conditions favoured seam bowling and Venkatash Prasad and Abey Kuruwilla threatening with their in- telligent seam bowling.

However it must be said in Saeed Anwar and Aamer Sohail's favour that no one would have disputed had the benefit of the doubt in their lbw decisions gone in their favour.

The ball was wobbling about and Anwar and Sohail were really unlucky. But Inzamam Ul Haq got a superb diving catch by Rahul Dravid in the gully.

The game will be played Monday and the Pakistanis will have a chance of redeeming themselves.

When Tendulkar won the toss he did the right thing in asking Pakistan to take strike as the conditions were overcast, the wicket slightly damp, favouring seam bowling.

What happened in the nine overs bowled is history now.

India made one change bringing in Navojot Sidhu for off_spin- ner Noel David. Now this selection was a bit intriguing because while the Indian batting could hold its own, it is the bowling depart- ment that India is woefully weak in.

The teams have yet another chance to rethink their teams in this crucial encounter. No team can afford to take chances be- cause a defeat would mean that they will tumble out and have no chance in contesting the final with Sri Lanka.

On paper Pakistan is the better equipped side. They have a formidable batting line up and bowlers who could exploit any wicket. They have not won the Asia Cup before and are determined to make it to the final and have a shot at the Sri Lankans.

Anwar, Sohail, Inzamam, Raja and Malik are not going to fail today. Along with Raja, Malik, Moin Khan and Afridi they are dominat- ing batsmen who could take their side to a formidable score from which point their bowlers Javed, Kabir Khan, Saqlain and Afridi could let go at the Indian batsmen.

As for India they will be hoping that Tendulkar will not play the rash shot that brought about his dismissal against Sri Lanka. He is the man they are depending on most to see them off to a good start so that the other batsmen of the calibre of Azharud- din, Dravid, Jadeja and Robin Singh could build on.

As for their bowling it was evident in the game against Sri Lanka that it was for most of the time just up and down stuff. Paceman Prasad seems to be missing his new ball partner Srinath.

Anil Kumble on whom they rely a lot is not a leg spinner in the true sense of the word. He is more a top spinner and once the wick- et loses its life and allows batsmen to dominate, Kumble too looks innocuous.

The consensus is that Pakistan is the better side and they de- serve to front up to Sri Lanka in the final.

Meeting for the first time on Sri Lanka soil in a one_day international both teams are determined to make this match a block- buster and the team playing the better cricket will win today.