Salman Butt kept Pakistan in the game with a valiant 129, but he received little support from the rest of the batsmen as India scored a 46-run victory in the third one-dayer at Green Park Stadium in Kanpur. This gave India a 2-1 lead in the five-match ODI series. The hosts wasted no time in removing Abdur Rahman as left-armer RP Singh bowled him out for two. The Pakistan innings reduced from a position of strength to the one of defeat. What was 214 for four, became 246/8 and in no time, they batted themselves out of the game. Salman Butt kept Pakistan in the hunt with a superb 129, but he received little support from the rest of Pakistan's batsmen as India eased to a 46-run win to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match ODI series. Salman Butt's long stay at the wicket finally came to a close when Harbhajan snapped the left-hander leg-before for 129, his highest score in international cricket. His innings was filled with grit and class. Incidentally, this was the first time when Butt ended on the losing side after scoring a hundred against India.
A few overs back, the visitors played themselves out of contention after losing two-quick wickets in the 44th over. Kamran Akmal, in a bid to up the ante, holed out to Harbhajan Singh at long on. Next ball, pandemonium prevailed in the middle as a terrible mix-up between Salman Butt and Sohail Tanvir resulted in a run-out. Both batsmen were stranded at the bowlers end, while RP Singh failed to gather the ball at the first attempt. He held his nerve and threw the ball to the batsman's end where Yuvraj Singh whipped the bails off to send back Tanvir without facing a ball.
Pakistan's chances of winning the game were severely dented when Murali Kartik cleaned up Misbah ul-Haq for 27. The left-arm spinner was skillfully dispatched over long-on by Ul-Haq in the previous delivery. Kartik changed his pace, and produced a delivery that spun from outside the leg-stump and Misbah, trying to play it with the turn, missed it completely. Pakistan now need 73 runs off 44 balls, with five wickets in hand.
Two overs ago, opener Salman Butt reached his fourth ODI hundred against India. After he lost his partner Shoaib Malik, Butt was joined by Misbah ul-Haq. Butt's hundred off 118 balls, was characterised by 13 boundaries and steady strokeplay. Butt's hundred came through a slice of luck, as he was dropped by substitute fielder, Sehwag on 66 He and Misbah kept milking the spinners with their busy touches and occasional boundaries.
Pakistan lost their fourth wicket, that of captain Shoaib Malik, falling leg-before to Yuvraj Singh. After the loss of Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Yousuf, Salman Butt tried to steady the innings, but an arm-ball from Yuvraj Singh trapped him in front of the wicket, and the umpire did not hesitate to raise his finger. Pakistan were 134 for the loss for four wickets after 28 overs.
Just as they looked firm, Pakistan received another jolt when Yuvraj Singh hit brilliantly to run out Mohammad Yousuf. Yousuf played the ball to backward point and went straight away for the run. But hesitancy on the part of Salman Butt forced Yousuf to run towards the bowler's end and Yuvraj's direct hit brought an end to Yousuf's brief stay in the middle.
Earlier in the innings, Salman Butt completed his half-century off 49 balls as Pakistan looked to consolidate their position in the game. Butt's fifty was studded with ten boundaries. Pakistan also brought up their hundred in the 17th over, with Mohammad Yousuf partnering Butt on a score of 13 off 18 balls.
Earlier, Pakistan's run-chase suffered a major setback after they lost Younis Khan for 21 bowled by RP Singh. RP Singh, opting to bowl from round the wicket landed the ball outside the off-stump. Younis Khan shouldered arms to the ball and did not offer a stroke, in the process losing his off-stump. Salman Butt was then joined by in-form batsman Mohammad Yousuf. Pakistan were 86 for two after the 13th over.
Pakistan got off to a flyer, largely due to the momentum provided by Shahid Afridi and some classy batting by Younis Khan and Salman Butt. They were also helped by some hapless display of Indian fielding in consecutive balls with with Saurav Ganguly trying to stop the ball with his foot and conceding a boundary in the process and Murali Kartik letting one go through his legs. Younis Khan then came up with two exquisite shots off the backfoot, which were based purely on timing, taking the total runs off RP Singh's 4th over to 16. Pakistan were 62 for the loss of Afridi after 7 overs.
Earlier, in reply to India's 294/6, Pakistan began on a disappointing note, losing the wicket of Shahid Afridi dismissed by Irfan Pathan for 12. Pathan produced a delivery, short of length which dipped in slightly. Afridi came down the track and by the time he swung his bat, the wickets were already damaged. Earlier, Shahid Afridi's promotion as an opener paid rich dividends for Pakistan as he initially cashed in on anything loose from the Indian bowlers. Pathan was given the new ball, largely thanks to Zaheer Khan's dip in form. Both he and RP Singh lacked consistency in the first two overs, with the Pakistani batsmen scoring runs. Pakistan were 32 for 1 after 4 overs, scoring at 8 runs an over.
India finished their innings in a commanding position, piling up 294 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in the allotted 50 overs. The Indian lower-order came to the party once again, as they scored invaluable runs towards the last few overs to push the total past 290. Pakistan will have to attain the target on a wicket that looks to have slowed down since morning and will crumble as the day progresses.Earlier, Pakistan picked two wickets of Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa in quick succession. The duo played a cameo of 32 runs from just 3.1 overs to take India to a strong position in the game. Yuvraj's innings finally came to an end at a score of 77 when he tried to sweep Rahman, only to be caught by Misbah ul-Haq. India lost another wicket immediately, that of Robin Uthappa for 19, which came off 16 balls, bowled by Umar Gul. India were 265/6 in the 48th over.
After Abdur Rahman picked Gautam Gambhir, Pakistan certainly were on top of proceedings, but the Indian duo of skipper Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh had other ideas. Adding exactly a 100 in 96 balls, the two started sedately, but changed gears quickly to put India in a strong position. The acceleration was mainly due to the three sixes that the pair hit, including two in one over by Dhoni off Shoaib Malik. Shahid Afridi sent down a bad 37th over, conceding 15 runs, 8 of which came of Dhoni's bat. Yuvraj Singh finished his 32nd half-century, and 7th against Pakistan off 77 balls. Dhoni led the charge as he piled 49 runs off 52 balls, before being cleaned up by Shoaib Akhtar.
Just when the Indian innings was going steady, Gautam Gambhir departed from the scene, removed by Abdur Rahman for 25, including a solitary hit to the fence. After the Indians lost Ganguly, the Pakistani bowlers held a tight leash, by making runs hard to come by. Yuvraj and Gambhir tried to resurrect the innings, adding 45 runs in 13.3 overs, at a very slow rate of 3.39 runs per over. Salman Butt dropped Yuvraj when he attempted a sweep shot off Rahman. The hosts were left struggling at 136 for three after 30 overs.
A fantastic spell by Sohail Tanvir saw India lose both their openers in quick succession.
India received the first setback when Tanvir removed Sachin Tendulkar caught by Kamran Akmal for 29. Sachin’s dismissal came at a time when India were in a position to dictate terms to the Pakistani bowling. Gautam Gambhir joined Sourav Ganguly in the middle. At the loss of Sachin’s wicket, India were 68 for 1.
But soon India’s good start got another serious jolt as they lost their second wicket - Ganguly dismissed by non other than Sohail Tanvir for 39. The left-armer was rewarded for his consistent line and length as the left-hander, looking to get forward, pushed at one outside the off-stump with an open bat-face, only to see the off-stump go for a walk. Yuvraj Singh walked in to bat as India tried to consolidate their position in the game. India were 89 for the loss off their openers after the 16th over.
Sourav Ganguly
