Jamshed hits another ton as Pakistan seal series

KOLKATA: Nasir Jamshed scored his third ton against India to enable Pakistan to wrap up the three-match series with an 85-run triumph over India in their second One-day International here at a jam-packed Eden Gardens on Thursday.

The left-handed opener followed up his match-winning century in Sunday’s series opener in Chennai with a superb 106 that shepherded Pakistan to 250 after being put into bat by MS Dhoni in overcast Kolkata skies.

Their thumping victory gives the tourists an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series and puts them within striking distance of a 3-0 rout in New Delhi which would host the last game of this brief tour – their first in five years – on Sunday. It also helped them stretch their unbeaten run against India at Eden with their first ODI series win against the Indians in eight years.

Dhoni remained unbeaten at 54 that came off 89 balls – his slowest fifty in One-day Internationals.

Pakistan could have won by an even bigger margin but they squandered a perfect start provided by openers Jamshed and Mohammad Hafeez.

Jamshed, 23, shared an opening partnership of 141 with Hafeez which came off just 143 balls.

Hafeez was once again in sublime form as he raced to 76 off 74 balls, toying with the Indian attack in the process. But it was a senseless shot from Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain that triggered a collapse and stopped them from setting a target of 300 or above.

Hafeez hit ten fours before playing Ravindra Jadeja across the line in the 24th over and missing it completely.

Azhar Ali was run out for just 2 before Younis Khan was unfortunately given out lbw for 10 by umpire Vineet Kulkarni even though the seasoned batsman got a huge inside edge on Suresh Raina’s delivery before it struck him on the pad.

Misbah-ul-Haq fell cheaply when he was trapped lbw off the bowling of Ravichandran Ashwin, for just two.

But Jamshed, who hit 12 fours and two sixes, remained focussed even as wickets continued to fell, reaching his hundred with a sweetly-timed boundary off R Ashwin over mid-off. His fine knock came to an end when Jamshed rushed down the pitch to hammer Jadeja only to be stumped by Dhoni.

Kamran Akmal (0) became Jadeja’s third scalp when Virender Sehwag caught him at slip, juggling the ball before bringing it under control - and Jadeja went on to complete a double wicket maiden.

Ishant Sharma had Shoaib Malik caught for 24 by Yuvraj Singh, making the score 236 for seven in the 47th over - and in the next over Saeed Ajmal went for seven when he was caught by Sehwag off Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s bowling.

Umar Gul was bowled by Sharma for a run-a-ball 17 - and Pakistan’s innings ended with the third ball of the 49th over when Mohammad Irfan was bowled without scoring. Sharma finished with three wickets for 34 runs and Jadeja three for 41.

India’s reply was at 42 in the 11th over when Gautam Gambhir became the first wicket to fall, bowled by Junaid. It was 55 for two when Virat Kohli was caught by wicketkeeper Akmal for six off Junaid.

India’s plight worsened when Sehwag was lbw to Gul for 31, leaving them 59 for three in the 15th over. Yuvraj had made just nine when he was caught by Akmal off Gul and in the 26th over Raina was caught by Akmal for 18, off Hafeez.

India reached three figures in the 29th over but the run rate was climbing noticeably and Ashwin was next to go when he missed a Shoaib Malik delivery and was stumped for three by Akmal.

Dhoni and Jadeja had added 28 for the seventh wicket when the latter went for 13 — caught by Khan off Ajmal, who trapped Kumar lbw just two balls later.

The end was nigh just two balls later when Ashok Dinda was lbw without scoring, giving Ajmal his third wicket of the over and figures of three for 20. Dhoni showed late resistance, taking over as top scorer and surviving a late chance offered to Malik at long-on before reaching his half-century in a last-wicket stand of 33 — the second highest of the innings. –with inputs from agencies

Score Board

India won toss

Pakistan

Nasir Jamshed st Dhoni b Jadeja 106

Mohammad Hafeez b Jadeja 76

Azhar Ali run out 2

Younis Khan lbw b Raina 10

*Misbah-ul-Haq lbw b Ashwin 2

Shoaib Malik c Yuvraj Singh b Sharma 24

†Kamran Akmal c Sehwag b Jadeja 0

Umar Gul b Sharma 17

Saeed Ajmal c Sehwag b Kumar 7

Junaid Khan not out 0

Mohammad Irfan b Sharma 0

Extras (w 6) 6

Total (all out; 48.3 overs) 250

Fall: 1-141, 2-145, 3-177, 4-182, 5-210, 6-210, 7-236, 8-249, 9-250), 10-250

Bowling: B Kumar 9-0-61-1; Dinda 7-0-42-0(3w); I Sharma 9.3-0-34-3(1w); Ashwin 10-0-49-1(1w) ; Raina 2-0-13-1; R Jadeja 10-1-41-3; Yuvraj 1-0-10-0

India

G Gambhir b Junaid 11

V Sehwag lbw b U Gul 31

V Kohli c K Akmal b Junaid 6

Yuvraj Singh c K Akmal b U Gul 9

S K Raina st K Akmal b Hafeez 18

*†M S Dhoni not out 54

R Ashwin st K Akmal b Malik 3

R A Jadeja c Junaid b Ajmal 13

B Kumar lbw b Ajmal 0

A B Dinda lbw b Ajmal 0

I Sharma b Junaid 2

Extras (lb 4, w 14) 18

Total (all out; 48 overs) 165

Fall: 1-42, 2-55, 3-59, 4-70, 5-95, 6-103, 7-131, 8-131, 9-132, 10-165

Bowling: M Irfan 10-0-46-0(2w); Junaid 9-1-39-3(3w); U Gul 7-0-24-2(3w); Hafeez 10-0-29-1; Ajmal 10-1-20-3(1w); Malik 2-1-3-1

Result: Pakistan won by 85 runs

Series: Pakistan led the 3-match series by 2-0

Man of the Match: Nasir Jamshed (Pakistan)

Umpires: B F Bowden (New Zealand) and V A Kulkarni. TV umpire: S Ravi. Match referee: R S Mahanama (Sri Lanka)

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