The mix-up between Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammad Kaif summarises India's batting effort against Pakistan in the crucial Asia Cup league game at the Premadasa Stadium on Sunday. The stop-start stuff was perfect recipe for a disaster, and that was what this match turned out to be for them.
India limped to 241 for eight chasing Pakistan's 300 for nine, handing the match to their rivals. Shoaib Malik was the star for Pakistan, scoring 143 off 127 deliveries and then claiming two for 42 with his off-spin.
Inzamam-ul-Haq won the toss in the afternoon and promptly elected to bat. They went in with the same team as the previous match. On the other hand, India missed VVS Laxman, who failed to pass the fitness test for knee. For the first time since fourth one-dayer against New Zealand at Queenstown in 2003, have India gone in with six specialist batsmen. That was when Parthiv Patel had made his debut. But he did not get a chance here, as India opted to play both Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble, going in with five bowlers.
In the end, it became a mad rush for India to scamper to 241 to deny Pakistan the bonus point and gain one themselves. But once the poised and focussed Irfan Pathan departed, that too became almost impossible. India needed six runs off the last over, and it was left to two impossible byes off the last two balls by Lakshimpathy Balaji and Kumble to give India a point. India now need to beat Sri Lanka to enter the final.
{{/usCountry}}In the end, it became a mad rush for India to scamper to 241 to deny Pakistan the bonus point and gain one themselves. But once the poised and focussed Irfan Pathan departed, that too became almost impossible. India needed six runs off the last over, and it was left to two impossible byes off the last two balls by Lakshimpathy Balaji and Kumble to give India a point. India now need to beat Sri Lanka to enter the final.
{{/usCountry}}It needed at least one of the Indian batsmen to play a big innings and in double-quick time. The way Tendulkar started, it looked like this might be one of those days when the man may turn the tables against the odds. But Virender Sehwag's early departure seemed to stop him in his tracks.
Pakistan placed a brilliant field for Tendulkar, with a short cover combining with a point and mid-off on the 30-yard circle to cut off the drive. On the on-side too there was a short mid-wicket, along with a square-leg and a mid-on. With both drives cut off, Tendulkar was reduced to looking for easy runs, trying the flick-drive off his legs to get going. More often than not, he failed.
The only batsman who looked like making a fight of it was Sourav Ganguly, who coming it at one-drop, took on the fast and accurate stuff from Shoaib Akhtar and Shabbir Ahmed with grit and luck. He hit out, one ball soaring over cover-point for six, and five others thudding into the boundary. But once he played too far inside, and Rahul Dravid, for a change, went early, the script was pretty much final. Tendulkar and Irfan Pathan shared a 63-run sixth wicket stand, but once the former holed out, India were left hard-pressed even to reach 241.
Desperation seems to bring the best out of teams in this part of the world. Pakistan were desperate on Sunday afternoon — they had to win this one to stay alive in the Asia Cup. They made a strong bid in that direction, leaving India with the huge target of 301.
Malik was not reckoned to be the biggest threat in the Pakistani line-up. His promotion up the order has not always gone down well with the Pakistani media, and skipper Inzamam-ul Haq and coach Bob Woolmer were castigated for the move. But on Sunday, nothing the Indians threw at him made any difference. He scored his fourth one-day hundred, and his second of the tournament, after the one against Hong Kong.
The Indian spinners looked restrictive, but that's about all. Harbhajan looked like he is getting back into the groove, while Kumble brought on all his experience to try and restrict the run-scoring. But with Malik on a rampage, his figures of two for 49 off 10 overs look distinctly respectable. Tendulkar was the man of the moment for India, claiming three wickets.
It was essentially the seam attack, specifically Balaji, which were not up to the scratch. One thing was noticeable in the Pakistani innings. The sweep was used consistently, and with great effect. This is a weapon used regularly by the South Africans, and looked like the first sign of Woolmer's tactics taking hold.