Sahara Cup

ODI # 1232
Sahara Cup, 1997
India v Pakistan, 5th One-day International
Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club
21 September 1997

Result: Pakistan won by 5 wickets
Series: India wins the 5-ODI series 4-1

Match report:

• Ganguly is Pakistan's scourge by Qamar Ahmed (Dawn)
• Sahara Cup for India but Pakistan win last match by Qamar Ahmed (Dawn)
• CricInfo Exclusive Report from Arup Das

Ganguly is Pakistan's scourge

Pakistan, after 19 overs, however, were cruising well at 138 for four in 19 overs but little room for error left. Inzamamul Haq (15) and Hasan Raza (3) were at the crease.

Ijaz Ahmad, who opened in place of an injured Saeed Anwar, slammed nine boundaries and two sixes in his 42-ball 60 while Shahid Afridi scored 39 off 30 balls with five boundaries and two sixes.

Salim Malik (8) was the fourth Pakistan batsman to end his outings in Canada but in controversial circumstances. The ball had clearly taken the thigh guard before going into the gloves of Saba Karim off Harvinder Singh.

Besides Ganguly, India skipper Sachin Tendulkar scored 51 while Mohammad Azharuddin cashed in on the opportunity of getting a life when one to scored 50. Azhar was dropped by Pakistan skipper Ramiz Raja off Shahid Afridi.

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

Sahara Cup for India but Pakistan win last match

By Qamar Ahmed

TORONTO, Sept 22: Pakistan finally won a game and as a parting gift of a five-wicket win in the Sahara Cup they at least were able to save a little bit of embarrassment of a 4-1 defeat in the five-match series. Their win owed much to a solid partnership of 113 between Inzamam-ul-Haq and young Hasan Raza who steadily rallied them to victory after Pakistan had lost three wickets for 111 despite an opening stand of 109 between Ijaz Ahmed and Shahid Afridi.

Inzamam, having served his two-match ban, batted sensibly to score an unbeaten 71 with the help of nine fours in 86 balls and help in the process Hasan Raza to gain his lost confidence as well. Raza made a useful contribution before being given out caught at the wicket by Saba Karim off Debashish Mohanty when Pakistan required only 11 more runs to win, which they did in the 42nd over.

Ijaz Ahmed and Shahid Afridi, opening the batting while chasing 251 set to win, provided Pakistan a start of 109 runs in only 11 overs to lay the foundation of a confident run chase. Afridi offered a catch at mid-on to Sachin Tendulkar when 39 off Surav Ganguly but not before he had smashed 2 sixes and five fours. Ijaz went in the next over at the same score when Tendulkar took another catch, this time off Harvinder Singh. Ijaz's 60 had come with nine fours and 2 sixes off Mohanty and Abey Kuruvilla.

Ramiz Raja had his stumps knocked off on the first ball he faced off Ganguly and Salim Malik may have been unlucky to be given out caught at the wicket off Harvinder Singh when 8.

Once again Pakistan looked like giving in but then Inzamam and Raza steered the side safely near the target. Inzamam, who surprisingly made to field in front of the Indian supporters' stand earlier during the day, was taunted and jeered all day but managed to keep himself well composed even when he took charge at the crease under extreme pressure. India, after being inserted in earlier, made 250 for 5 with the help of an opening stand of 98 between Tendulkar and Ganguly. Tendulkar was leg before to Azhar Mahmood for 51 in 64 balls in which he hit four boundaries and a six.

Vinod Kambli was the next victim of Mahmood as Saqlain Mushtaq took a magnificent diving catch in the slips to dismiss him for 1. But then Ganguly and Azharuddin added 104 runs for the third wicket in an entertaining stand. Azhar was run out off Ijaz and Saqlain combination for 50 but Ganguly with his 96 with 5 fours and two sixes before he was caught off Saqlain made sure of India putting a difficult target to Pakistan. He was declared Man of the Match and the series.

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

A CricInfo Exclusive Report from Arup Das and Krish

He's not too bad after all on the leg side, we almost heard a few people say. A few overs later, Tendulkar warmed up to the task, with three exquisite cricketing shots. A turn off his toes, a cover drive and the best one of them all, a spanking straight drive. Shahid Nazir is young and will learn. Rameez brought on Pakistan's best bowlers of the tournament, Azhar Mehmood and Saqlain. Tendulkar and Ganguly were beginning to look ominous. Saqlain almost immediately had Ganguly in a spot of bother. He has oodles of talent.

Azhar Mehmood again showed a lot of penetration. He should have had Tendulkar with a ball that moved away on pitching, but Inzamam couldn't latch on to a sharp, high catch in the slips. Ganguly once drove Saqlain for four through the covers, there is nothing quite like watching a left hander cover drive. India had reached sixty. Ganguly moved up a gear in an over from Saqlain, to sweep one fine for 4 and then late cut delightfully for another. Saurav has begun to show an urge to dominate, in youngsters this must be encouraged.

Just as Tendulkar threatened to cut loose with a clubbed hit over longoff off one of Malik's gentle wobblers, Mehmood cut one back into him sharply, to have him trapped in front. A wicket well deserved, for Mehmood had bowled very well, and holds a lot of promise. For the first time in the series an umpire had relented, and upheld an lbw appeal. Randell couldn't possibly have refused, for Tendulkar had been struck plumb in front. The cheers for Kambli batting for the first time in the series had barely died down, when he cut one quite fiercely to gully's right only to see Saqlain dive full length to bring off a spectacular catch. He looked quite despondent the poor chap, sometimes in cricket, things don't quite go your way. The catch was quite simply the best of the tournament. Azhar walked in and almost right afterward, aimed an indecisive drive at Saqlain, but Rameez bending lazily at midoff dropped what should have been an easy catch. Poor Rameez in the autumn of his career, is right now very much in the doldrums.

Shortly afterward, Ganguly swept Afridi fine for 4 to bring up his 50, this young man has made this series very own. India at 115/2 in the 28th over were looking to push on to a big total. Ganguly then lifted Afridi over the bowler's head and into the stands to move smoothly into the sixties. There's this sense of timing that when on song makes Saurav special.

A bit later, in over number 37, Azhar waded into young Nazir, hitting him first through midwicket, then straight, edged one through the slips, all for 4's and followed it up with a steepling top edge over point. India had galloped to 168. Ganguly hoisted Afridi for another six full of timing and in a bit, the 100 partnership had come up in a mere 114 balls. Soon though, Azhar failed to ground his bat in time for what should have been an easy single and got run out by a direct hit from Ijaz. A bit of shoddy running, but he has scored so many in recent times that you tend to forgive such lapses. Ganguly got to 96 but skied one to long off, off Saqlain. He departed shaking his head, he'd richly deserved a 100. He has been quite a revelation this series. Robin Singh and Jadeja then swung at a few lustily and scampered a few quick two's so that India ended up with 250. Challenging, not quite impossible though, we felt.

Afridi and Ijaz walked out to save Pakistan the embarassment of a 5-0 whitewash. And, quite unexpectedly it was Ijaz who took the lead. A rousing cover drive off Mohanty was followed up with an amazing flick off his toes off Kuruvilla into the stands at midwicket. These weren't exactly bad balls, but Ijaz was in one of those moods, in a zone, as athletes like to term it. Mohanty was contemptuosly dismissed from his presence with a four over the slightly shellshocked bowler's head and then swung over midwicket for another 6. Afridi joined in the fun with a huge hit that went out of the stadium and onto neighbouring Wilson Avenue. But for the major part, he watched as Ijaz toyed with the Indian opening attack. The 50 came up in less than 6 overs.

The Pakistani openers were playing and missing at quite a few in between, but that is how cricket is, fortune sometimes favours the brave. Afridi completed the mauling of Mohanty with a six over midwicket, and a four through point. Pakistan had got off to a real flier, they'd reached 82 in a mere 8 overs. It had a touch of the desperate, but a lot of it was unquestionably breathtaking.

It was now time for the slower pace of the man with the golden arm from Bengal. He struck soon enough, Afridi went holing out to Tendulkar at midoff, Pakistan 109/1 in a ridiculous 11 overs. The young Harvinder struck almost immediately thereafter, possibly surprising Ijaz with a bit of bounce, as he skied a pull for Tendulkar to take a good catch at midon. He'd torn the Indian opening attack asunder, a 60 run blitz off a mere 42 balls. Rameez came in and was walking back almost immediately, bowled by a beauty from Ganguly. He'd left a yawning gap between bat and bad, and the ball had swung back into him, possibly held a trifle bit back by Ganguly. Rameez is really at the fag end of his career, there is always a hint of sadness when a good batsman goes out of the game. Malik hit one elegant cover drive, but was then given out caught behind as Harvinder beat him with a beauty. The ball as replays seemed to indicate later, hadn't taken the edge. At 127/4, within the space of a few minutes, the game's complection had changed.

A wicket here might've caused a few nervous twitches in the Pakistan dressing room, but a very determined looking Inzamam and the very young Hasan Raza stood firm. Playing with minimum fuss they took the score serenely past 200. Raza showed remarkable temperament for one so young, he has a few failings outside offstump, but he will improve. There were a couple of sweet square drives from him that sped to the fence, he has a natural sense of timing. Inzamam looked untroubled throughout and had a point to prove, both to himself and to the crowd. Towards the end after Raza had got out for a well-compiled 41, he allowed himself the liberty of picking Kuruvilla off for a couple of rather disdainful fours as Pakistan cruised to victory in the end with half a dozen overs to spare. A very well paced out knock, Inzamam owed that to himself. We might've opted for him to be man-of-the-match, but Boycott plumped for Ganguly. A face saving win for Pakistan, they'll hope to carry the momentum into the three match series at home. There will be much more pride at stake there.

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