PAK VS INDIA--MATCH SUMMARY
Shoaib Malik's century could not help Pakistan to go for a win.Though he played a marvellous innings of 125 runs (retd hurt) but could not make Pakistan win this battle.Both Malik and Butt started as an opener.Salman Butt was out at 35 runs.Malik made his 125 precious runs with the help of 1 sixe and 16 fours.After he got retired hurt Younis Khan came in and took over the charge.He played really well and played an innings of 59 runs.One thing is worth mentionong here that the over rate of Pakistan was never up to the standards though succeeded to give a target of 300 runs for a long bating line of India.Yousuf got run out at 27 runs.Pakistan was at 261 at the loss of 3 wickets in the 45.3 over.So Pakistan needed boundries at this time to over come the over rate.Afridi got caught at 8 runs as usual.Misbah and Tanveer took the score total onto 299 runs and set a target of 300 runs.
A mighty performance from India's batsmen, led by Virender Sehwag and Suresh Raina, made easy work of Pakistan's competitive target of 300 and gave India two points to take into the next round. The pair tore into Pakistan's depleted and wayward bowling attack - scoring at more than eight an over during their second-wicket partnership of 198 - as India reached the target with six wickets and 47 balls to spare, their quickest chase while facing a target of 300. The Indian approach was in stark contrast to Pakistan's methodical plan in their innings. Their openers played cautiously at the start and accelerated once the new ball had been seen off. Malik's maiden century as captain was the cornerstone of the innings and gave the batsmen who followed the freedom to innovate and bat aggressively to propel Pakistan to 299 for 4. In the end, however, they needed plenty more to challenge a trailblazing Indian batting line-up. Pakistan's attack was weakened by a rib-muscle injury to Umar Gul, who left the field after bowling only 1.2 overs. Shoaib Malik's offspin was also unavailable because he didn't take the field after cramping towards the end of his century, which left acting captain Misbah-ul-Haq with only three specialist bowling options - Sohail Tanvir, Iftikhar Anjum and Shahid Afridi - and their flat performance cost Pakistan dearly. Despite snaring Gautam Gambhir early - Misbah showed lightning reflexes in taking a one-handed catch to his left at gully - Pakistan were unable to contain India. After the Kitply Cup final, Dhoni had admitted that promoting Raina ahead of himself was a mistake but today Raina walked in at No. 3, instead of the out-of-touch Rohit Sharma. Bristling with confidence after his century on Wednesday against Hong Kong, Raina began with free-flowing cover drives when offered width outside off stump by Tanvir and Anjum. He did most of the early scoring and Sehwag hadn't got off the mark till the fourth over. However, Sehwag began to gather momentum by flicking consecutively to the long-leg boundary when Anjum strayed on to his pads, and slashed two short and wide balls from Tanvir to the third-man boundary. With Tanvir and Anjum ineffective, Misbah turned to Afridi in the 11th over. Afridi bowled one satisfactory over before Sehwag hit him for two straight sixes in his second. Raina lofted Anjum audaciously over extra cover for another six and when Misbah brought Tanvir back, Sehwag immediately glided him down to the third man for four. And the victory for the India was just the matter of time
