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Sahara CupSeptember 1997India v Pakistan
ODI # 1231
Result: India won by 7 wickets
Match report: Match scorecardPakistan thrashed in 4th one-dayer as wellTORONTO, Sept 21: Pakistan were made to look a mediocre outfit yet again in the Sahara Cup when India beat them to take an irreversible 4-0 lead in the five-match series. In a rain-marred match in which the game was restricted to only 28 overs they once again showed in this tournament that their seven-wicket triumph was not a flash in the pan. Chasing a target of 160 set by Pakistan India batted effectively to recover from 54 for 3 in the eighth over to make 162 for 3. Surav Ganguly and Ajay Jadeja, in an unbroken 108-run stand for the fourth wicket, did what they were required to do. They frustrated the Pakistan bowlers with gutsy display with the bat not allowing them any more break or respite.Commendable more so because India had to get to the target in only 26 overs because they were not able to bowl their 28 overs in the time allowed. They reached the target with three balls to spare. Ganguly, the man of the match, made an unbeaten 75 with the help of 8 fours and a six and Jadeja 37 with three fours. Shahid Nazir who was ignored for selection and was flown here later bowled with venom to get 3 for 38. He had Sachin Tendulkar caught at the wicket by Moin Khan for 6. The third umpire's help was taken in that case. Then Robin Singh was taken at third man by Mohammad Akram off him and Mohammad Azharuddin was brilliantly caught at point by Ijaz Ahmed who held on to a scorching cut by Azhar when 7. Pakistan bowlers, except for Shahid Nazir, bowled without much penetration as Aqib Javed, Akram, Azhar Mahmood and Saqlain Mushtaq conceded over five runs each. The least said about Pakistan's batting the better it would be. Throughout this competition they were made to look like novices against a bowling side which could only be termed average. There was total lack of application or seriousness in their method giving one the impression that all was not well. This, their fourth defeat in a row, the most humiliating ever against India, needs a lot of mind-searching. In the Pakistan innings of 159 for 6 in 28 overs Saeed Anwar made 30 with three fours and two sixes off Debashish Mohanty, Ramiz Raja 20, Moin Khan 23 and Azhar Mahmood 33 not out as Ganguly, Harvinder Singh picked up 2 wickets each and Abey Kuruvilla and Mohanty shared the rest. There was none amongst them who looked like staying at the wicket long or even attempting to do that and share a useful stand.Pakistan cricket, it seems, is in a complete mess at the moment and in need of new direction at all levels or else there is plenty more heartaches in store in the coming months. Source:: Dawn (http://dawn.com/) Match scorecard | Series main page Note: Reports from external media sources are reproduced by CricInfo with permission. Copyright in these cases resides with the original sources, and reproduction by any other party is forbidden without permission of the copyright holders. CricInfo is not responsible for the content or accuracy of reports obtained from external sources. |
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