Pakistan Vs India Match at Kanpur (11-11-2007)

It was interesting that both teams wanted to bowl first at the toss in the third one-day international in Kanpur.

Pakistan got to do so, but were outplayed by India who took a 2-1 series lead, and perhaps Shoaib Malik will hope to lose the toss for the last two matches.

So far the toss winner has lost every game of the series.

Both teams opted for the extra spin option (Abdur Rehman and Murali Kartik respectively) and with cracks in the wicket likely to break-up as the game progressed, India's job was to get a score they would feel confident of defending.

So it proved, though not without a little help from the Pakistani fielders.

Sourav Ganguly was dropped off the very first ball by wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal off Shoaib Akhtar.

And the Prince of Calcutta, with his partner Sachin Tendulkar, made Pakistan pay, hitting 67 from the first 10 overs.

After that initial flurry, Sohail Tanvir and the Pakistani spinners tightened things up as the wicket started to dry and turn.

India knew a big score was possible providing they had wickets in hand and the acceleration came in the 34th over, Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Dhoni each hitting a pair of sixes as 50 came off just four overs.

The pair put on 100 off 91 balls for the fourth wicket, though not without a little luck for Yuvi, first dropped by Salman Butt at extra cover, and then surviving a close lbw shout off Rehman.

The last time I was in Kanpur, I didn’t blink too much despite some of the worst pollution in the world.

Just as well otherwise I would have missed most of Shahid Afridi’s whirlwind 100 off just 45 balls.

That knock I suspect was very much in his captain’s mind when he promoted the big-hitting all-rounder to opener, something which appeared to be paying off as 24 runs came off the first two overs.

On this occasion though, Afridi’s innings was a comparatively brief one, out in typical fashion, bowled trying to hit Irfan Pathan out of the ground.

Opener Butt oozed class with exquisite strokeplay as he hit a superb 129.

But there was only modest support at the other end for him, and when he was ninth man out the match had already started to slip away.

Yuvraj deservedly took the man-of-the-match prize for a fine all round performance: 77 with the bat, brilliant fielding to run-out Mohammad Yousuf, and then trapping Malik lbw.

And Pakistan must now win both the remaining two matches if they are to clinch this series.