After drawing level in Rawalpindi, a confident India take on Pakistan with renewed vigour in the third one-day international here on Monday, imbuing the third of the five-match series with greater interest.
India defeated Pakistan by seven wickets at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday to level the series 1-1 after the hosts had taken a 1-0 lead in Peshawar.
India can look up to the several plus points gained from the Rawalpindi win, especially their fielders, who were razor sharp. The four run outs in the Pakistani innings is ample proof of the visitors' improved performance.
The other positive factor was Virender Sehwag's return to form with a fine 60-ball 67, while Sachin Tendulkar (42), captain Rahul Dravid (56) and Yuvraj Singh (82 not out) were the other major contributors in the win.
Sehwag had not scored as many runs as expected since his double century in the first Test in Lahore last month. But he batted his typical manner to roar back into form, despite hurting his shoulder during the knock.
The Indian bowlers, led by left-arm pacer Irfan Pathan, also did well to restrict Pakistan to 265 and the batsmen later ensured that their effort did not go waste.
{{/usCountry}}The Indian bowlers, led by left-arm pacer Irfan Pathan, also did well to restrict Pakistan to 265 and the batsmen later ensured that their effort did not go waste.
{{/usCountry}}Dravid gave credit to the entire team for the marvellous effort. He also pointed out the team's improved fielding, especially that of Mohammed Kaif, Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh. They stood like a rock on the off side, blocking runs from the point to the mid-off region.
The third one-day international will be different from the first two as it will be a day-night affair at the Gaddafi Stadium.
There will be another difference as it will probably be the first time that a day-night game will start as early as 11 am normally, day-night games begin at 2.30 pm or thereabouts worldwide.
The decision to start the match so early is aimed at nullifying the big advantage a team often gains by winning the toss. It has been noticed that the bowlers of this team find it difficult to grip the ball due to the evening dew.
Pakistan, on the other hand, looked a different side from the one that batted and bowled well in the first match. The hosts hardly gave the impression of being competitive after Pathan started their slide by castling Salman Butt off the very second delivery of the match.
And without Shoaib Akhtar, out with an ankle injury, Pakistan's bowling attack also failed to contain or threaten the Indian top order, with the top four batsmen making scores of over 40.
Squads:
India: Rahul Dravid (captain), Virender Sehwag (vice captain), Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammed Kaif, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wicketkeeper), Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar, Rudra Pratap Singh, Sreesanth, Murali Kartik and Harbhajan Singh. Coach: Greg Chappell (Australia).
Pakistan: Inzamam-ul Haq (captain), Younis Khan (vice captain), Mohammad Yousuf, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal (wicketkeeper), Salman Butt, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Imran Farhat, Faisal Iqbal, Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Arshad Khan, Muhammad Asif and Yasir Arafat. Coach: Bob Woolmer (England)
Umpires: Simon Taufel (Australia) and Asad Rauf (Pakistan)
Third/TV umpire: Zameer Haidar (Pakistan)
Match referee: Chris Broad (England)