Sahara Cup

ODI # 1227
India v Pakistan, 1st One-day International
Toronto Cricket, Skating & Curling Club
13 September 1997
Result: India won by 20 runs

Match report:

• CricInfo match report by Arup Das and Dave Liverman.
• India all out for 208; Saqlain scintillates by Qamar Ahmed (Dawn)
• Pakistan's poor batting puts India one-up by Qamar Ahmed (Dawn)

Match reports from CricInfo's correspondents in Canada: Arup Das, and Dave Liverman.

Pakistan won the toss, and Rameez Raja chose to field, following the advice of groundsman Mike Corley. Corely said he was happy with the pitch, but thought that there might be life early on from overnight moisture. Pakistan took the field in typical Toronto weather, humid, but cloudy and breezy. India made Kambli twelth man, staying with their establshed batting line up, and a largely inexperienced bowling attack, whilst Pakistan, strengthened by the release of Saqlain Mushtaq and Mohammad Akram from their English county committments, left out youngster Hasan Rasa, Azhar Mahmood, and Kabir Khan.

Openers Tendular and Ganguly made a cautious start, with the pace bowlers getting considerable swing and movement from a dampish pitch in the early overs. All India's early runs came from wides as Mohammad Akram struggled for control, taking 11 balls to complete his 2nd over. Aaqib Javed troubled both bats in an excellent early spell.

Neither opener looked confident but the partnership reached 52 before both fell in the course of an over, each making 17. Ganguly was the first to go, hurried into a shot by Mohammad Akram, and caught at square leg. Tendulkar top-edged a hook off Azhar Mahmood, apparently losing his patience, after, for him, a slow innings.

This brought together Azharuddin and Dravid, India's best bats in the 1996 Sahara Cup. Playing confidently, they saw off the pace bowlers, and started well against the spin of Shahid Afridi and Saqlain Mushtaq. Dravid fell to an excellent catch at backward point, as he tried to cut an Afridi leg break. Ijaz diving to his left, got his left hand to the ball, defelected it into his body and then clutched it in on the second attempt. The 100 came up in the 31st over, with Pakistan keeping the scoring rate well under control.

In the 36th over, Jadeja finally cut loose, hitting his first boundaries, two big sixes off Afridi, and followed this by lofting Mohammad Akram back over his head for another. After hitting Saqlain Mushtaq over mid-wicket for his fourth six, Jadeja was well caught at fine leg by Mohammad Akram, one short of his 50. The 4th wicket partnership was worth 91.

Robin Singh joined Azharuddin and immediately hit out. Azhar Mahmood dropped an easy chance from Singh at deep mid-wicket off Aaqib Javed, but Singh was almost immediately bowled by Saqlain Mushtaq, hitting over and round an arm-ball from the off-spinner. Aaqib Javed finally took well deserved wickets in the penultimate over, yorking Karim for 3, and bowling Chauhan for a duck. Azharuddin completed an invaluable half-century off 85 balls, before falling to Saqlain Mushtaq in the 50th over, well stumped by Moin Khan. Azharuddin batted with considerable restraint, curbing his natural aggression. Two further wickets fell off the last two balls, Kuruvilla and Harvinder Singh both caught going for big hits, India all out for 208. Saqlain finished with 5 wickets, although not bowling his best. Due to slow over rates, Pakistan were only alloted 49 overs for their reply.

When Pakistan started their reply, debutant Mohanty made a spectacular entry by bowling Saeed Anwar with his 5th ball in international cricket, beating him all ends up with a superb delivery. Pakistan were reduced to 6/2 when, in the next over, Kuruvilla had captain Rameez Raja caught at slip. Some extra bounce from Kuruvilla unsettled Inzamam-ul-Haq, caught at point for 13, bringing in Shahid Afridi. Conditions were still helping seam and swing bowlers, under cloud cover.

Harvinder Singh also made a quick impression on international cricket, getting danger-man Afridi caught in his second over for 13. Afridi played a poor shot to a short delivery, and only succeeded in dabbing it to slip where Azharuddin took his 111th one-day international catch. Pakistan were in dire straits at 57/4. This brough Saleem Malik in to join Ijaz Ahmed, and these two experienced players took few risks, understanding the need to conserve wickets. The partnership was broken when Ijaz Ahmed drove at Ganguly, and sent a sharp edge towards the slips. Azharuddin moving to his right, and slightly off balance took an outstanding catch low, and on the run. Ganguly soon struck again, having Moin Khan caught at cover for a duck trying to drive on the up. Only Malik was left of the recognised bats, and Pakistan were 84/6.

Azhar Mahmood resisted briefly before giving Azharuddin his fourth catch, again at slip, Harvinder Singh's second wicket. Harvinder, though lacked control, and Saqlain Mushtaq, playing sensibly, helped bring Pakistan to within striking distance of India's total. With 10 overs left, Pakistan required just 53, with only 3 wickets remaining. Saleem Malik reached his 50 off 54 balls. With Pakistan seeming set, Saqlain Mushtaq was run out for a valuable 29. Saqlain dabbed to gully, and was was on the back foot as Salim was half way down the pitch. Jajeda fielded, and Saqlain sacrificed his wicket. Saleem Malik, seemingly stung into action took two fours off the rest of the over. When Azharuddin dropped Aaqib Javed off a very hard chance, only 21 runs were needed off five overs.

Harvinder Singh, somewhat suprisingly still in the attack, took the critical wicket of Saleem Malik for 64, when Malik carved him high to third man where Chauhan held the catch. Malik had played a fine innings, and Pakistan always looked to be in with a chance whilst he was there. An exciting game ended abruptly as Aaqib Javed was run out off the next ball, leaving India the winners by 20 runs.

After the match Rameez Raja commended India's bowling, and felt that 208 was not a big score under the conditions. Geoff Boycott awared the man-of the-match prize to Jajeda for his fine innings.

Thanks :: badri, dsqa

India all out for 208; Saqlain scintillates

TORONTO, Sept 13: India were all out for 208 in the 50-over match at the Cricket, Skating and Curling Club of Toronto. It was a slow effort by India against Pakistan's attack, without their main strike bowlers in the opener of the second Sahara Cup match on Saturday with just 3,000 spectators present in the stands.

India were struggling and their run-rate did not cross four per over until the 40th over when Azharuddin, in form, pushed up the pace of scoring. Azhar was top scorer for India with 52. Ajay Jadeja made 49 runs. For Pakistan, Saqlain Mushtaq, showed his class as an off-spinner and took five wickets for 45. Aqib picked up 2 for 39.

Mohammad Akram, a failure in County Cricket for Northamptonshire started his comeback for Pakistan unimpressively by bowling eleven wide balls when India were put in by Pakistan but in his second spell managed to get rid of Ganguly for 17. Azhar Mahmood, the young allrounder, also had success when he had the prized wicket of Sachin Tendulkar who also was caught for 17 by Akram at long leg. In the presence of about 3,000 people India were struggling with 128 for 3 in 38 overs of the 50 over match but the game was still a long way to go.

Wasim Akram: Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram may not be fit enough yet to play in a match but he certainly is having his presence felt at the club in Toronto. He is here along with Asif Iqbal as part of the panel of television commentators and looks fit enough to have to go at the Indian batsmen as well. After the operation to his bowling arm at the end of July Wasim Akram has been going through an intensive session of physiotherapy to correct the movement of his left shoulder which has been the cause of his being absent from the game for the whole of the English summer.

The encouraging prospect of his being fit for the coming Test series against South Africa and West Indies in Pakistan cannot be ruled out. He has made a rapid recovery and has already been bowling in the nets to get back to his full fitness. On the eve of the match between Pakistan and India for the Sahara Cup he bowled in the nets to the Pakistan players and looked very impressive. The movement, it seems, is getting back to its usual self and he is confident that it will not be long when once again he will be in the middle to terrorise the batsmen. Now a father of a three-week-old son whom he has named Taimur, Wasim Akram is keen that he plays for Pakistan again coming season. "The improvement is very heartening and the injury, which had bothered me for some time, seems to have gone, Wasim said.

Source:: Dawn (http://dawn.com/)

Pakistan's poor batting puts India one-up

TORONTO, Sept 14: Pakistan would have preferred to make the first strike and start on winning note in the Sahara Cup but their unpredictable and at times fragile batting line-up faltered and let them down. Having restricted India to 208 in the 50 over game after Ramiz Raja had won the toss and beckoned them in, they failed by 20 runs to get to the attainable target.

After losing seven wickets for 107, Pakistan had recovered through Salim Malik and Saqlain Mushtaq when the two put on 64 runs for the eighth wicket and nearly steered Pakistan in the vicinity of an exciting finish and victory. But then things do not happen as planned. Saqlain's run out by Ajay Jadeja when he had made 29 at a crucial juncture suddenly gave India the break they wanted. Because Salim Malik also followed him minutes later having made 64 in 87 balls, attempting a massive hit for unknown reasons. In fact Malik's mistake resulted in the run-out of Saqlain, well entrenched while batting.

Aaqib Javed's run-out later in the 43rd over was only a formality then as he scampered and was beaten by a smart throw of Sachin Tendulkar. The target for Pakistan was not much a problem after India was bowled out for 208 in the last over but it was the jittery Pakistan start of the innings which routed Pakistan. The Orissa-born right-arm medium-pace bowler Debashish Mohanty bowled one past the defences of Saeed Anwar to hit his off-stump and get his first wicket on debut and Abey Kuruvilla had Ramiz Raja held at slip by Mohammad Azharuddin when 1. Only six runs on the board and the pressure had already mounted.

Ijaz Ahmed, while making 24, had a brief stand with Inzamam-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi and Salim Malik but when Surav Ganguly was brought in to bowl, he struck twice within minutes to have Ijaz caught in a slip by Azharuddin and Moin Khan at cover by Robin Singh. Harvinder Singh, also making his debut picked up two wickets with his medium-pace which also included the prize scalp of Malik who had threatened to take the game away from India's clutches.

India earlier on had similar problems when they were put in. After Ganguly and Tendulkar were caught off Mohammad Akram and Azhar Mahmood having added 52 for the first wicket they were salvaged by Azharuddin and Jadeja who put on 91 for the fourth wicket and take India to 176 before Saqlain had Jadeja caught by Akram for 49 made in 54 balls and with four sixes and a four, two of those sixes had come off Shahid Afridi.

Mohammad Akram was wayward and in one over bowled a six wide balls, 11 in all and was punished for that.India from 199 for five slumped dramatically to lose their last five wickets adding only nine more runs. Saqlain Mushtaq in his last over had taken three wickets to finish with 5 for 45 and that included the wicket of Azharuddin who made 52 in 87 balls without hitting a four.

Aaqib Javed with 2 for 39 and Azhar Mahmood with 1 for 28 in ten overs also bowled steadily but Pakistan spilled their opportunity of gaining a 1-0 lead in this five-match series when it mattered.

Viren Verma of KT-Dawn service adds: Gutsy Ajay Jadeja refused to be overawed by the grim situation to provide India the kick start it needed badly. He celebrated his elevation to the vice-captain post with a string of powerful shots, executed with grace and conviction. He was particularly severe on Shahid Afridi, hammering the leg spinner for two consecutive sixes, both to long-off. His was a sterling performance which brought the weekend crowd, about 4,000 in number, to their feet. A perfectly balanced straight six off Saqlain Mushtaq brought Jadeja to 49 but the bowler had the final laugh off the very next delivery, forcing the well-set batsman to edge a simple catch.

Azhar held one end intact with sweetly-timed deflections and duly prospered to a stand of 91 runs in 92 balls which was the high point of the Indian innings. Jadeja's superb 49 off 65 balls contained four sixes.

When Jadeja left, India were struggling at 176 for four from 43.2 overs. The need of the hour was brisk batting. But Pakistan, sensing urgency among the Indian batsmen, kept the pressure on, striking at regular intervals. Aaqib, in particular, spoiled whatever plans the Indians had in their minds, removing the tentative Saba Karim, Robin Singh and Rajesh Chauhan in a space of three deliveries, with inswinging yorkers, a trade mark of Pakistani bowlers popularised by the great Waqar Younus. Not to be outdone, Saqlain cast further gloom in the Indian camp by comprehensively clean bowling Robin. His prized wicket, however, was that of Azhar who missed the line, trying to hammer the bowler off the ground, only to be stumped by Moin Khan. Azhar top scored with 52 off 87 deliveries with no hits to the boundary.

Source:: Dawn (http://dawn.com/)

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