India enter Asia Cup Cricket final

India enter Asia Cup Cricket final

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Nksagar New Delhi -2010-06-20 05:57:40 - Pakistan Cricketers played psychology card on the field, India did lost their nerve on field and lost Gambhir wicket but Harbhajan Singh 15 not out turned to be the hero at the Rangiri International stadium,his aggression with bat pave the way for India to enter the final moments to snatch a sensational three wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan.

Chasing a competitive 267 for victory, Gautam Gambhir made 83 off 97 and Dhoni contributed 56 off 71 scored half centuries while Suresh Raina 34 off 27 brought India closer to win and Harbhajan provided the neat finish win.His firepower down the order to see India overwhelm the target convincingly with a ball to spare at Dambulla yesterday, India snatched
a sensational three- wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan and sailed into the final of the Asia Cup cricket tournament.

Pakistan batting first Salman Butt 74 and Kamran Akmal 51 made contrasting half centuries before India made a remarkable comeback to bowl out Pakistan for 267.Praveen Kumar (3/53), Zaheer Khan (2/41) and Harbhajan (2/47) were the pick of the Indian bowlers, sharing eight wickets between them.It was war minus the guns as two bitter rivals fought tooth and nail for supremacy.Fortunes balancing the two bitter neighbours game fluctuated with Pakistan dominating at two stages in the match and India coming back strongly twice.

India's chase, started on a slow pace with attacking Virender Sehwag limping on field could muster only 10 off 32 finding runs hard to come by before edging one to Kamran Akmal off Abdul Razzaq. Virat Kohli 18 too fell cheaply, leaving it upto Gambhir and Dhoni to build the platform for the victory with the 98-run third-wicket stand. An ugly babble -spat between Gambhir, who survived a close call for a catch behind the wicket off Saeed Ajmal, and Kamran Akmal, the game was a perfect boost which the ODI cricket needed, more so at a time when the Twenty20 format has stolen the thunder.

Gambhir and Dhoni mixed aggression with caution to slowly but assuredly take India towards their first victory against the arch-rivals in nine months.The duo ran hard between the wickets, often converting ones into two to the chagrin of the Pakistani fielders. When the bowlers begged to be punished, they hit hard and clean, clinically bisecting to collect boundaries. Gambhir, oozing with confidence from his 82 against Bangladesh, was the more adventurous of the duo, often stepping out of the crease to attack the spinners.He enjoyed a reprieve at 69 when Aamer spilled a simple offer at long off.The left-handed opener had century for the asking, fade away the opportunity, losing his citadel as he made room to back cut Saeed Ajmal.

Dhoni skipper knock a confident play the moment he faced first ball fell into the simmering cauldron.He stoutly defended when the bowlers commanded respect, smashed them with disdain as they faltered in line and length, once heaving the dreaded Shoaib Akthar over the ropes at wide long-on.

First with Rohit Sharma (22) and then along with Raina, Dhoni seemed determined to see his side home but he played on a Shoaib Malik delivery in the 43rd over, which triggered panic among the Indians. Raina was cut out at his task as he hit two sixes and two boundaries during his 27-ball stay to take India closer towards the victory.Needing seven runs in the last over, Indian lost Raina to an unnecessary run out in the second ball of the over.

Then there on left to Harbhajan to take up the responsibility and the off-spinner took the opportunity with both hands to see India home with a ball to spare and avenge their 56-run defeat to the arch-rivals in the Champions Trophy in South Africa last September.Earlier, opting to bat in the do-or-die match, Butt constructed two substantial partnerships at the start of the innings first a 71-run opening stand with Imran Farhat (25) and then shared 73 runs with Shoaib Malik 39 before three quick wickets in the middle overs put brakes on the Pakistani scoring.

Pakistan were cruising at the 144 for one in the 29th over and looked good to make a total in excess of 290 before Indian bowlers scalped three wickets in just 17 balls to storm back into the game.The wickets slowly but assuredly tightened the noose around the Pakistan middle-order, who failed to get going on a slow and low Dambulla wicket. Pakistan got off to a solid start with Butt and Indian Cricket League-returnee Imran Farhat posting 71 runs for the first wicket.

The openers were right on top of the Indian attack when Harbhajan produced the much-needed breakthrough, having comeback man Farhat smartly snaffled by Virender Sehwag at the first slip.

But from there on India had to wait for 13 overs for another wicket as Butt and former captain Shoaib Malik, who is returning to the national team after three months following the removal of his 12-month ban, batted with rare aplomb to set the platform for a big total.The duo rotated the strike to upset the line of the spinners and occasionally scored a boundary to keep the score card ticking.But just as Pakistan began to assert themselves in the middle, left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan went through Mali's
defence to give India the breakthrough.

To add to Pakistan's dismay, Butt followed suit in the next over. He fell to a spectacular piece of fielding from Ranvindra Jadeja on his follow through.
Butt, who has scored five of his eight ODI hundreds against India, struck nine boundaries during his 85-ball stay.As if the double blow was not enough, Umar Amin (5) was brilliantly caught by Virat Kohli off Harbhajan four overs later but inspite of that Pakistan were in a good position at 159 for four in the 33rd over.
But then Umar Akmal (21) and skipper Shahid Afridi, who asserted himself in the middle with a towering straight six off Harbhajan, steadied the Pakistani ship with a 37-run fifth-wicket stand that came off just 29 balls.Just when it was time to step on the accelerator, Umar Akmal was caught behind by Dhoni off Ravindra Jadeja.Afridi too perished in the 44th over, trapped in front of the wicket by Praveen but not before hitting two fours and a six.

However, a late cameo from Kamran Akmal helped Pakistan go beyond the 250-mark.The wicket-keeper batsman struck three fours and as many sixes to pile up 40 runs in the last five overs and help Pakistan reach the competitive total

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