Clinical India end Pak streak

By SHAMIK CHAKRABARTY

Dhaka

June 10: Praveen Kumar (4/53) and Piyush Chawla (4/40) made the ball talk on a dark Sher-e-Bangla Stadium wicket, spearheading India's crushing 140-run victory over Pakistan here on Tuesday after Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh gave their bowlers enough runs to play with.

Pakistan could only manage 190 in 35.4 overs replying to India's massive 330/8. After 12 straight wins, they were made to feel the heat and succumbed. This is India's biggest ever victory margin over their arch-rivals, the previous best being by 87 runs.

Kumar, who had scripted India's win in the second triseries final in Australia, used the new ball beautifully hitting the right length from the outset amd young legs in the outfield complimented him.

Much depended on Salman Butt (9) who has been Pakistan's most prolific run-getter of late. Rohit Sharma's blinder at cover point ensured the southpaw left early. It was Kumar's first wicket.

Younis Khan (0) perished to the very next ball as he edged an angling delivery to Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Mohammad Yousuf (11) walked in to face a Test-like field setting but saved the hat-trick. He, however, could not last long becoming Kumar's third victim. An inswinger caught him plumb in front. Pakistan were reduced to 26/3 in 4.5 overs and the match was all but over.

Kamran Akmal (38) and Misbah-ul Haq (24) tried to take the attack to the opposition with a 55-run fourth wicket stand. Then skipper Shoaib Malik (53) and Shahid Afridi (23) put on 41 runs for the sixth wicket. But they were fighting a losing battle.

Earlier, the Indian batsmen carried forward the IPL pace in the ODI as well. Dhoni won the toss and decided to take first strike.

With rain looming large, the decision appeared questionable. But then, Dhoni is going through a purple patch at the moment and his only move that did not click was debutant Yusuf Pathan's promotion as a pinch-hitter. Pathan returned with 3 to his name. Helped by some very ordinary catching and erratic bowling, Sehwag and Gambhir (62) piled on 155 runs for the first wicket. Five more runs would have seen a new opening record against Pakistan.

Gambhir cannot complain though. He lived a charmed lives, dropped on four and 29, to score his eighth ODI half century.

Sehwag, at the other end was selective in his strokeplay, and still scored 89 from 76 balls. It has been a tightrope walk for him in recent times. This innings will give him some space.

He too, however, was fortunate.

On 43, he was declared out after Akmal claimed a catch off Rao Iftikar. But the replay showed that the ball had touched the ground before the catch was complete the batsman was reinstated. Sehwag celebrated with a drive straight past the bowler.

Pakistan's four-pronged pace attack didn't bowl as badly as figures suggest. Umar Gul (3/61) worked up pace and was unlucky on a few occasions. But the others bowled too many boundary balls and 38 extras were conceded.

Young Wahab Riaz (2/86) had a forgettable day. He removed both openers all right but choked when Yuvraj (55) went after him. His spell was aborted prematurely for bowling two beamers.

Only Afridi (2/52) tried to stick to the basics and was rewarded. Without a rain stoppage, that somewhat halted the momentum, the score might have passed 350.