06:29
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AHMEDABAD: When Yuvraj Singh smashed a career-best 72 to help India amass 192-5 in their second Twenty20 International against Pakistan here on Friday, the tourists knew that at least one of their players will need to play a blinder of an innings for them to win the series.
Such a knock almost came from Mohammad Hafeez as the Pakistan captain clubbed 55 off just 26 balls to take his team agonisingly close to a series-winning triumph in front of a houseful at the Sardar Patel Stadium.
Hafeez, who struck a match-winning 61 in the first T20 game in Bangalore, was once again in sublime form as he hit six fours and three sixes with an enviable ease to put the Indians on the back foot.
The Pakistanis were within striking distance of reaching their goal as they needed 26 off the last two overs — an achievable target considering that the in-form Hafeez was on the crease — but once again the skipper failed to finish the match for his team as he fell to Ashok Dinda in an eventful penultimate over.
Unlike the series opener in Bangalore on Christmas Day, Shoaib Malik was unable to take his team all the way and the Indians recorded a series-levelling 11-run victory in front of more than 46,000 cheering supporters.
Dinda, who conceded a last-ball six during India’s T20 loss against England last week, shared the limelight with Yuvraj as he redeemed himself by bowling a game-changing 19th over.
The seemingly unthreatening pacer, who was smashed for 24 runs by Pakistani openers off his first two overs, picked up the wickets of Hafeez and Kamran Akmal (5) and gave away just six runs in the penultimate over to leave the Pakistanis with the uphill task of getting 20 off the final one. Malik and Umar Gul were undone by Ishant Sharma in the last over and were restricted to 181-7.
Pakistan should blame themselves for the result as they made a series of mistakes in a match that they could have won. Their bowlers committed suicide by bowling juicy deliveries to a ruthless Yuvraj in the death overs. Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi and Sohail Tanvir went for over ten runs an over.
And during the run-chase, they lost the plot time and again to make the task really difficult for themselves. Their openers Nasir Jamshed (41) and Ahmed Shahzad (31) were in full flow in the first six over but became too slow in the next four bowled by Ashwin, part-timer Suresh Raina and Yuvraj.
Umar Akmal (24) had a good start but he failed to capitalise on it. Shahid Afridi, in a desperate need of a match-winning showing with the bat, hit a six and a four during his five-ball stay on the wicket but was unable to seal the fate of the match in Pakistan’s favour.
Earlier, it was Yuvraj’s day all along as the star all-rounder bounced back after suffering a nasty blow on his toe off a blistering yorker from giant Pakistani paceman Mohammad Irfan.
At that time, Yuvraj was yet to open his account but once he got going, Pakistan’s otherwise potent pace attack appeared toothless.
After being put into bat on a track that was evidently a paradise for batters, India seemed set for a par total of around 160-170 after reaching 72-2 in the first ten. But Yuvraj’s fourth wicket partnership with his captain MS Dhoni (33) that added 97 runs off just 44 balls changed the complexion of the match.
The turning point came in the 19th over of the Indian innings when Saeed Ajmal, Pakistan’s biggest trump card, was smashed for three consecutive sixes by Yuvraj whose 72 came off just 36 balls and included seven towering sixers. It enabled India to post their highest total against Pakistan in Twenty20 Internationals.
Yuvraj fell in the last over off pacer Umar Gul, who was the most successful bowler for Pakistan with 4-37.
The Indians were given a flying start by Gautam Gambhir (21) and Ajinkya Rahane (28) who added 44 off 4.5 overs.
Yuvraj was later named the man of the match while Hafeez bagged the man of the series award.
The two teams now travel to Chennai on Saturday which hosts the first One-day International on Sunday (today). The other two ODIs will be played in Kolkata and Delhi.
Score Board
Pakistan won toss
India
G Gambhir lbw b U Gul 21
A M Rahane c & b U Gul 28
V Kohli run out 27
Yuvraj Singh c S Malik b U Gul 72
*†M S Dhoni b U Gul 33
S K Raina not out 1
R G Sharma not out 4
Extras (lb 5, nb 1) 6
Total (5 wickets; 20 overs) 192
Did not bat: B Kumar, R Ashwin, I Sharma, A B Dinda
Fall: 1-44, 2-53, 3-88, 4-185, 5-187
Bowling: M Irfan 4-0-20-0; S Tanvir 4-0-44-0; U Gul 4-0-37-4(1nb); S Ajmal 4-0-42-0; S Afridi 3-0-33-0; M Hafeez 1-0-11-0
Pakistan
Nasir Jamshed c Kohli b Ashwin 41
Ahmed Shehzad st Dhoni b Yuvraj Singh 31
Umar Akmal b Dinda 24
*Mohammad Hafeez c Raina b Dinda 55
Shahid Afridi c R Sharma b Kumar 11
†Kamran Akmal c Kohli b Dinda 5
Shoaib Malik not out 3
Umar Gul c Rahane b I Sharma 5
Extras (lb 2, w 4) 6
Total (7 wickets; 20 overs) 181
Did not bat: Sohail Tanvir, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Irfan
Fall: 1-74, 2-84, 3-146, 4-163, 5-168, 6-172, 7-181
Bowling: B Kumar 4-0-46-1(2w); I Sharma 4-0-34-1(1w); A Dinda 4-0-36-3; R Ashwin 4-0-28-1; S Raina 2-0-12-0; Yuvraj Singh 2-0-23-1
Result: India won by 11 runs
Series: 2-match series drawn by 1-1
Man of the Match: Yuvraj Singh (India)
Man of the Series: Mohammad Hafeez (Pakistan)
Umpires: S Asnani and V A Kulkarni. TV umpire: C Shamsuddin. Match referee: R S Mahanama (Sri Lanka)
Hafeez, who struck a match-winning 61 in the first T20 game in Bangalore, was once again in sublime form as he hit six fours and three sixes with an enviable ease to put the Indians on the back foot.
The Pakistanis were within striking distance of reaching their goal as they needed 26 off the last two overs — an achievable target considering that the in-form Hafeez was on the crease — but once again the skipper failed to finish the match for his team as he fell to Ashok Dinda in an eventful penultimate over.
Unlike the series opener in Bangalore on Christmas Day, Shoaib Malik was unable to take his team all the way and the Indians recorded a series-levelling 11-run victory in front of more than 46,000 cheering supporters.
Dinda, who conceded a last-ball six during India’s T20 loss against England last week, shared the limelight with Yuvraj as he redeemed himself by bowling a game-changing 19th over.
The seemingly unthreatening pacer, who was smashed for 24 runs by Pakistani openers off his first two overs, picked up the wickets of Hafeez and Kamran Akmal (5) and gave away just six runs in the penultimate over to leave the Pakistanis with the uphill task of getting 20 off the final one. Malik and Umar Gul were undone by Ishant Sharma in the last over and were restricted to 181-7.
Pakistan should blame themselves for the result as they made a series of mistakes in a match that they could have won. Their bowlers committed suicide by bowling juicy deliveries to a ruthless Yuvraj in the death overs. Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi and Sohail Tanvir went for over ten runs an over.
And during the run-chase, they lost the plot time and again to make the task really difficult for themselves. Their openers Nasir Jamshed (41) and Ahmed Shahzad (31) were in full flow in the first six over but became too slow in the next four bowled by Ashwin, part-timer Suresh Raina and Yuvraj.
Umar Akmal (24) had a good start but he failed to capitalise on it. Shahid Afridi, in a desperate need of a match-winning showing with the bat, hit a six and a four during his five-ball stay on the wicket but was unable to seal the fate of the match in Pakistan’s favour.
Earlier, it was Yuvraj’s day all along as the star all-rounder bounced back after suffering a nasty blow on his toe off a blistering yorker from giant Pakistani paceman Mohammad Irfan.
At that time, Yuvraj was yet to open his account but once he got going, Pakistan’s otherwise potent pace attack appeared toothless.
After being put into bat on a track that was evidently a paradise for batters, India seemed set for a par total of around 160-170 after reaching 72-2 in the first ten. But Yuvraj’s fourth wicket partnership with his captain MS Dhoni (33) that added 97 runs off just 44 balls changed the complexion of the match.
The turning point came in the 19th over of the Indian innings when Saeed Ajmal, Pakistan’s biggest trump card, was smashed for three consecutive sixes by Yuvraj whose 72 came off just 36 balls and included seven towering sixers. It enabled India to post their highest total against Pakistan in Twenty20 Internationals.
Yuvraj fell in the last over off pacer Umar Gul, who was the most successful bowler for Pakistan with 4-37.
The Indians were given a flying start by Gautam Gambhir (21) and Ajinkya Rahane (28) who added 44 off 4.5 overs.
Yuvraj was later named the man of the match while Hafeez bagged the man of the series award.
The two teams now travel to Chennai on Saturday which hosts the first One-day International on Sunday (today). The other two ODIs will be played in Kolkata and Delhi.
Score Board
Pakistan won toss
India
G Gambhir lbw b U Gul 21
A M Rahane c & b U Gul 28
V Kohli run out 27
Yuvraj Singh c S Malik b U Gul 72
*†M S Dhoni b U Gul 33
S K Raina not out 1
R G Sharma not out 4
Extras (lb 5, nb 1) 6
Total (5 wickets; 20 overs) 192
Did not bat: B Kumar, R Ashwin, I Sharma, A B Dinda
Fall: 1-44, 2-53, 3-88, 4-185, 5-187
Bowling: M Irfan 4-0-20-0; S Tanvir 4-0-44-0; U Gul 4-0-37-4(1nb); S Ajmal 4-0-42-0; S Afridi 3-0-33-0; M Hafeez 1-0-11-0
Pakistan
Nasir Jamshed c Kohli b Ashwin 41
Ahmed Shehzad st Dhoni b Yuvraj Singh 31
Umar Akmal b Dinda 24
*Mohammad Hafeez c Raina b Dinda 55
Shahid Afridi c R Sharma b Kumar 11
†Kamran Akmal c Kohli b Dinda 5
Shoaib Malik not out 3
Umar Gul c Rahane b I Sharma 5
Extras (lb 2, w 4) 6
Total (7 wickets; 20 overs) 181
Did not bat: Sohail Tanvir, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Irfan
Fall: 1-74, 2-84, 3-146, 4-163, 5-168, 6-172, 7-181
Bowling: B Kumar 4-0-46-1(2w); I Sharma 4-0-34-1(1w); A Dinda 4-0-36-3; R Ashwin 4-0-28-1; S Raina 2-0-12-0; Yuvraj Singh 2-0-23-1
Result: India won by 11 runs
Series: 2-match series drawn by 1-1
Man of the Match: Yuvraj Singh (India)
Man of the Series: Mohammad Hafeez (Pakistan)
Umpires: S Asnani and V A Kulkarni. TV umpire: C Shamsuddin. Match referee: R S Mahanama (Sri Lanka)
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