With one hand on the trophy...
Pakistan look to seal Twenty20 series in Ahmedabad tonight; India will want improved show from batsmen.
Irfan, and Pakistan, started well in the tour-opener but the fast-bowler and the team know winning the series requires a repeat of the effort made in Bangalore. PHOTO: BCCI
KARACHI:
Pakistan’s first series against India started off on a poor note – the hosts blasted 77 runs without losing a wicket in the opening Twenty20.
However, while Pakistan went onto win that match – their first Twenty20 win over India – the tourists have a chance to seal the series tonight. Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik scored brilliant half-centuries in a planned fashion, ensuring the good show by the bowlers and fielders did not go to waste in Bangalore.
India, however, will be worried by the inability of its middle-order to press on against Pakistani spinners, losing wickets regularly in an attempt to maintain the scoring rate. Gautam Gambhir and Ajinkya Rahane scored 40s each but the next best was 10 (by Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina) as nine wickets went down for 47 runs after the formidable opening stand.
Pakistan content with fast-bowling
Pakistan, though, will be content with its fast-bowlers who were deemed to be the weaker part of the bowling attack. Mohammad Irfan troubled the opposition with pace and bounce while Umar Gul, not at his best this year, returned with figures of three for 21 off three overs – including two in two – much to the satisfaction of his captain and team management.
The tourists look set to stick with the winning combination while India might hand a recall to off-spinner Ravi Ashwin whose absence in Bangalore, according to Hafeez, made things easy for Pakistan. India will also be looking for a repeat from medium pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar who toyed with Pakistan’s top-order with his swing and seam movement, reducing the tourists to 12 for three.
Kamran, Sharma patch things up
Meanwhile, according to Daily Express, Pakistan wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal and Indian pacer Ishant Sharma, who were fined after a verbal duel in the opening match, have buried the hatchet. Sharma visited the Pakistan dressing room and sorted things out with Kamran.
According to the report, senior players came in and sorted things out as well.
Pakistan manager Naved Akram Cheema said that despite the incident, relations between the teams were good and cordial.
“All the intensity is on the field as obviously they also want to win as do we,” said Cheema. “But otherwise relations are fine between the two sides and we have been very well looked after so far in India. The players are thoroughly enjoying their tour of India and the win in the first match has further lifted their spirits.”
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s One-Day International (ODI) captain Misbahul Haq and six other players had a two hour training session in Chennai yesterday.
The first ODI takes place on December 30 and the players arrived in Chennai yesterday for the training session.
Keep calm, Latif tells players
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has urged players to express themselves in a controlled manner and avoid controversies on the tour after an argument between Kamran Akmal and Ishant Sharma led to fines being handed to both.
“It’s better to avoid heated exchange because small incidents can be blown out of proportion here,” Latif told The Express Tribune. Latif also called for the inclusion of Umar Amin and Zulfiqar Babar into the playing-XI. “When you’ve selected youngsters, you need to throw them at the deep end to gauge whether they have the strength to survive or not.”
Meanwhile, former off-spinner Tauseef Ahmed urged Pakistan to go for the kill in today’s Twenty20 and seal the series in style.
“India will definitely have their tails up but Pakistan should go for the kill in the final Twenty20,” said Tauseef. “Our pace battery should take early wickets because we’re depending too much on Saeed Ajmal.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 28th, 2012.
Pakistan’s first series against India started off on a poor note – the hosts blasted 77 runs without losing a wicket in the opening Twenty20.
However, while Pakistan went onto win that match – their first Twenty20 win over India – the tourists have a chance to seal the series tonight. Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik scored brilliant half-centuries in a planned fashion, ensuring the good show by the bowlers and fielders did not go to waste in Bangalore.
India, however, will be worried by the inability of its middle-order to press on against Pakistani spinners, losing wickets regularly in an attempt to maintain the scoring rate. Gautam Gambhir and Ajinkya Rahane scored 40s each but the next best was 10 (by Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina) as nine wickets went down for 47 runs after the formidable opening stand.
Pakistan content with fast-bowling
Pakistan, though, will be content with its fast-bowlers who were deemed to be the weaker part of the bowling attack. Mohammad Irfan troubled the opposition with pace and bounce while Umar Gul, not at his best this year, returned with figures of three for 21 off three overs – including two in two – much to the satisfaction of his captain and team management.
The tourists look set to stick with the winning combination while India might hand a recall to off-spinner Ravi Ashwin whose absence in Bangalore, according to Hafeez, made things easy for Pakistan. India will also be looking for a repeat from medium pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar who toyed with Pakistan’s top-order with his swing and seam movement, reducing the tourists to 12 for three.
Kamran, Sharma patch things up
Meanwhile, according to Daily Express, Pakistan wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal and Indian pacer Ishant Sharma, who were fined after a verbal duel in the opening match, have buried the hatchet. Sharma visited the Pakistan dressing room and sorted things out with Kamran.
According to the report, senior players came in and sorted things out as well.
Pakistan manager Naved Akram Cheema said that despite the incident, relations between the teams were good and cordial.
“All the intensity is on the field as obviously they also want to win as do we,” said Cheema. “But otherwise relations are fine between the two sides and we have been very well looked after so far in India. The players are thoroughly enjoying their tour of India and the win in the first match has further lifted their spirits.”
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s One-Day International (ODI) captain Misbahul Haq and six other players had a two hour training session in Chennai yesterday.
The first ODI takes place on December 30 and the players arrived in Chennai yesterday for the training session.
Keep calm, Latif tells players
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has urged players to express themselves in a controlled manner and avoid controversies on the tour after an argument between Kamran Akmal and Ishant Sharma led to fines being handed to both.
“It’s better to avoid heated exchange because small incidents can be blown out of proportion here,” Latif told The Express Tribune. Latif also called for the inclusion of Umar Amin and Zulfiqar Babar into the playing-XI. “When you’ve selected youngsters, you need to throw them at the deep end to gauge whether they have the strength to survive or not.”
Meanwhile, former off-spinner Tauseef Ahmed urged Pakistan to go for the kill in today’s Twenty20 and seal the series in style.
“India will definitely have their tails up but Pakistan should go for the kill in the final Twenty20,” said Tauseef. “Our pace battery should take early wickets because we’re depending too much on Saeed Ajmal.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 28th, 2012.