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Inzy?s decision to bowl was negative
"Get 'em on (the board) and get 'em out," is a good theory in big matches but Inzamam defied it by asking India to bat, writes Ian Chappell.
"Get 'em on (the board) and get 'em out," is a good theory in big matches but Inzamam-ul-Haq defied the adage by asking India to bat first in the decider.
A decision to send the opposition in can be a negative one if it's done for the wrong reasons. While it appeared to have some merit on this occasion, as the Pakistan bowlers reduced their previous generosity by more than half, the decision was based on the dew, which probably wasn't going to kick-in until the 70th over of the match. One Day matches can be well and truly decided by that stage of the contest.
Despite the improvement in their accuracy the Pakistan bowlers couldn't curb the stroke play of VVS Laxman. Laxman had been struggling in this series, troubled by the pace and inward movement of the Pakistan fast men but on this occasion he returned to the exquisite form he displayed in Australia.
Where he'd been beaten and bowled by balls pitching around off-stump and moving off the seam in previous innings this time he whipped them past mid-on to the boundary. Laxman with good support from his skipper Sourav Ganguly didn't make the mistake of trying to post a very high target after losing early wickets, instead they opted to aim for a realistic one that would give the bowlers a chance to win the game. For Pakistan the exact same chase that India completed with five overs to spare in game four proved beyond their capabilities when Irfan Pathan bent the back of the innings with some fine swing bowling. He employed a similar method to the great Australian left-armer Alan Davidson who used to aim the ball just outside off-stump to the right-handers from a position about midway between the stumps and the return crease at the bowlers' end. Pathan also had the courage to keep his length full to utilise the swing and angle of his left-arm deliveries and it paid handsome dividends.
He has brought home from Australia more than a similar style to one of their former greats; he has also carried with him a kit bag full of confidence. If Pathan bent the back of the innings it was Murali Kartik with the help of Sachin Tendulkar who broke the final bone. Kartik beat the burly Inzamam in flight but he still managed to crush a skimming on-drive that appeared headed for the players reserve bench just beyond the boundary rope until Tendulkar intercepted the ball in flight and then athletically avoided stepping on the rope.
The joy on Tendulkar's face was obvious as he joined his celebrating team-mates; what a pleasure it must be for the little maestro to participate in a winning side where he's not expected to perform a miracle at every outing.
A couple of hours after that catch the whole Indian side was celebrating a great win in the series as well as getting the monkey off their back about losing big matches. Now it's Pakistan who will be copping flak about their inability to win the big matches. They would do well to remember the adage, "Get 'em on and get 'em out".
