India Innings - All out
Runs
|
Balls
|
4s
|
6s
| |||
| Gambhir | c U Akmal | b Irfan |
15
| 27 | 1 | 0 |
| Rahane | c K Akmal | b Irfan |
4
| 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Kohli | c Y Khan | b Junaid Khan |
7
| 17 | 1 | 0 |
| Yuvraj Singh | b Hafeez |
23
| 23 | 4 | 0 | |
| Raina | lbw | b Ajmal |
31
| 60 | 2 | 1 |
| Dhoni | c U Akmal | b Gul |
36
| 55 | 1 | 3 |
| Ashwin | lbw | b Ajmal |
0
| 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jadeja | c U Akmal | b Ajmal |
27
| 39 | 0 | 2 |
| B Kumar | lbw | b Ajmal |
2
| 10 | 0 | 0 |
| I Sharma | c and b | Ajmal |
5
| 15 | 1 | 0 |
| Ahmed | not out |
0
| 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| Extras | 1nb 7w 4lb 5pen | 17 | ||||
| Total | all out | 167 | (43.4 ovs) | |||
|
|
India's batting failed again, having few answers against a strong bowling attack that's delivered two victories on the trot for Pakistan this series and has given the team an excellent chance of completing a clean sweep in Delhi. India chose to bat on a chilly morning on a dry surface with limited assistance for the Pakistan seamers, who made the most of what was on offer to rattle India's top order for the third time this series. Saeed Ajmal then took over to pick up five wickets, including a double-strike in two balls that halted an attempted recovery and even MS Dhoni, India's best batsman in these three games, couldn't rescue the hosts.
India left out Virender Sehwag to give Ajinkya Rahane a chance at the top of the order and he began patiently, together with Gautam Gambhir, against a bit of movement off the pitch, though no swing in the air. Mohammad Irfan and Junaid Khan stuck to areas around a good length, or slightly short, and were largely accurate, though Irfan conceded a couple of boundaries in an over where he erred down the leg side and provided too much width.
There were a fair share of plays and misses before Rahane finally nicked Irfan to the keeper, tempted to push at a full delivery that was going across. Gautam Gambhir found run-scoring difficult and eventually threw it away against a wide delivery from Irfan that he guided straight to point. Junaid, who bowled an opening spell of seven overs for just 12, got one to nip across Kohli, who edged to second slip while closing the face - Younis Khan took an excellent low catch.
Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina saw off the remainder of what was a 14-over spell from Irfan and Junaid, and got an opening when Umar Gul was brought on. Yuvraj punched him through covers then flat-batted him over his head for consecutive fours, before Raina pulled him past square leg in an over that fetched 18. But just as he began to show promise, Yuvraj was undone by a superb delivery from Mohammad Hafeez in his first over; it gripped, turned and knocked off stump after squaring up Yuvraj.
Raina continued to search for opportunities, lofting Hafeez for six over long-on and lofting Gul over extra cover, and Dhoni showed intent against the Pakistan captain, launching him for three sixes, each in a different area on the leg side. The duo looked for release against Hafeez while Ajmal had kept one end tight, and it wasn't long before he struck. He trapped Raina with a straighter one to end a 48-run alliance with Dhoni, and caught R Ashwin - promoted ahead of Ravindra Jadeja - plumb next ball with a quicker delivery that spun in.
India suffered their biggest blow during the batting Powerplay when Dhoni, who had begun that five-over phase with a boundary past fine leg, cut Gul straight to point - his first dismissal in an ODI at home since March 2011. Those who followed, with the exception of Jadeja who showed some spun with a couple of sixes off Gul and Ajmal over long-on, succumbed early in their stay; Bhuvneshwar Kumar was lbw after misreading the doosra, Ishant Sharma was caught and bowled before Jadeja himself holed out. Three consecutive batting failures that include two scores of under 200, and the possibility of a 0-3 humiliation at home - India's winter of disappointment just grew worse.
Pakistan Innings - All out
Runs
|
Balls
|
4s
|
6s
| |||
| Jamshed | lbw | b Ashwin |
34
| 64 | 5 | 0 |
| K Akmal | lbw | b B Kumar |
0
| 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Y Khan | b B Kumar |
6
| 15 | 1 | 0 | |
| Misbah-ul-Haq | c Rahane | b Ashwin |
39
| 82 | 4 | 0 |
| U Akmal | st Dhoni | b Jadeja |
25
| 50 | 3 | 0 |
| Shoaib Malik | lbw | b I Sharma |
5
| 13 | 1 | 0 |
| Hafeez | c Yuvraj Singh | b I Sharma |
21
| 31 | 2 | 0 |
| Gul | c Jadeja | b I Sharma |
11
| 28 | 2 | 0 |
| Ajmal | c Dhoni | b Ahmed |
1
| 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Junaid Khan | run out (Raina) |
0
| 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Irfan | not out |
0
| 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Extras | 1nb 13w 1lb | 15 | ||||
| Total | all out | 157 | (48.5 ovs) | |||
|
|
Not since the winter of 1983, when Clive Lloyd's West Indies avenged their loss in the World Cup final, had India been whitewashed in an ODI series at home. Following their third poor batting performance against Pakistan, India were hurtling towards a 0-3 score line in the cold of Delhi, until their bowlers rallied in conditions that offered seam and spin, applying relentless pressure until Misbah-ul-Haq's team cracked in the dead rubber.
As Yuvraj Singh, pursued by team-mates, went off on a celebratory run and slide after catching Mohammad Hafeez in the penultimate over to secure a hard-fought victory, the exuberant celebrations on the field and in the stands at the Kotla were a release of emotion from a country that has had precious little to celebrate in recent times.
An Indian victory, however, had appeared unlikely after their batsmen had crumbled against Pakistan's versatile attack. A raw seam attack, spearheaded by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the debutant Shami Ahmed, had only 167 to defend and they went about it manfully. Ahmed began his spell with two maiden overs and continued to bowl with economy. Bhuvneshwar nipped out two early wickets with inswingers and bowled his ten overs on the trot, leaving Pakistan 55 for 2 after 19 overs.
During that period, India's fielding was at its best, with Ajinkya Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja throwing their bodies around on a chilly evening to cut off fluent flicks and drives.
The only easy runs Pakistan got were two leg-side wides from the offspinner R Ashwin that beat MS Dhoni and sped to the boundary.
Pakistan rebuilt through Misbah, who batted doggedly for 39 off 82 balls, first with Nasir Jamshed and then with Umar Akmal. Both those stands were ended by Ashwin, and at 113 for 4 in difficult batting conditions, India were gaining ground. They received a lucky break, when Shoaib Malik was adjudged lbw to Ishant Sharma though he was hit outside the line, and Akmal charged Ravindra Jadeja too early and was stumped.
Only Hafeez, batting at No. 7 because of an injury while bowling, stood between India and victory and he was dropped by Rahane in the 42nd over, a straightforward chance at leg slip. He dragged his team towards the target and had to refuse singles with the No. 11 Mohammad Irfan, after Pakistan had lost three wickets in eight balls. With 23 runs needed in the last two overs, Hafeez hit two boundaries before holing out to off Ishant.
Any immediate anguish Pakistan felt, however, quickly dissipated as their players, heavily jacketed in the misty evening, celebrated a 2-1 series victory.
That India had at least 167 to defend was largely down to Dhoni, who was Man of the Match for his captaincy and his 36 off 55 balls, and Jadeja. Having left out Virender Sehwag to give Rahane a run, India lost three early wickets to the pace and swing of Mohammad Irfan and Junaid Khan. And they continued to struggle against Saeed Ajmal, who dismissed Suresh Raina and Ashwin off successive deliveries on his way to a five-wicket haul. India were 111 for 6 in the 29th over. Dhoni immediately carted Hafeez for his third six over deep midwicket and in a later over he inflicted the blow - a flat smash - that forced the Pakistan opener down the order.
Dhoni fell in the 35th over and Jadeja, because he was running out of partners, began to attack and score what he could. He hit a towering straight six off Umar Gul, and another off Ajmal over cow corner, but his riposte ended on 27. India were dismissed in the 44th over, but the wasted resources did not cost them the game.
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