India prevail despite Butt masterclass

It takes only one poor umpiring decision to ruin an otherwise enthralling game. India would in all likelihood have won this match, but Amiesh Saheba's spontaneous triggering of a magnificent Salman Butt innings took some of the sheen off the proceedings. By that stage, Pakistan needed 49 from 20 balls with only two wickets in hand, but the erroneous decision denied the crowd the possibility of another down-to-the-wire conclusion.

Not that the majority at Green Park would have minded too much. The last time these two sides played here, Shahid Afridi's coruscating 45-ball century set up as crushing victory. And it was no surprise then when Shoaib Malik sent Afridi out to open with Pakistan needing an imposing 295.

But there was to be no encore, with Irfan Pathan sneaking a delivery past an ugly cross-batted heave when Afridi had made just 12. Instead, the plaudits went to the other opener, Butt, who seems to have built a career on his performances against India.

In 14 matches against the neighbours, he now has four centuries at an incredible average of 51.77. In 25 games against others, he averages a journeyman 24. Today, he was in glorious touch, cutting and driving with power and finesse against pace and spin alike.

The support cast let him down though. Younis Khan, hero in the previous game, fell to a grotesque error of judgement, while Mohammad Yousuf's run out reeked of casualness. Misbah-ul-Haq added 80 with Butt, but again fell as the pressure mounted. And though he briefly threatened to do a Miandad, even Butt was stymied by a pitch that crumbled as the match wore on.

India's triumph owed much to the century partnership between Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni. After a turbocharged start from the old firm of Tendulkar and Ganguly, India had lost momentum by the time Dhoni reached the middle. But his ability to rotate the strike, and the conviction with which both men went over the top changed the complexion of the match utterly.

The numbers reveal the Indian dominance. Pakistan's three slow bowlers picked up two wickets, but went for a whopping 149 from 20 overs. By contrast, the Indian spinners bowled 22 overs for just 99 runs and three wickets. The acceleration provided by Yuvraj and Dhoni transformed a middling total into an imposing one, and even Butt's virtuoso display couldn't get Pakistan within range.

Both teams were again pretty woeful in the field, though Pakistan's problems were compounded by the wretched form of Kamran Akmal behind the stumps. Again, he snaffled Tendulkar with a great catch, but it couldn't gloss over some untidy glovework and a horrendous gaffe off the first ball of the day.

Shoaib Akhtar's expression as a thick outside edge from Ganguly was dropped said it all. It may be a tired old cliche, but catches win matches. With Akmal behind the stumps in his current state of mind, Pakistan are unlikely to win anything.

Comments

[Dhondy]

Dileep, you sound slightly apologetic in this otherwise well written piece. :-) Why's that?

India won handsomely. Butt batted well, but the effort was quite clearly not enough to get Pakistan across the line. When he was dismissed by an umpiring error,Pakistan needed 49 off 19 deliveries- not impossible, but highly improbable. It looked ugly, and it looked out.

These things happen in cricket. India was at the receiving end of umpiring decisions in the last ODI.

On another note, this is your blog- you don't have to be scrupulously fair, you know! After reading pieces by certain Pakistani bloggers on Cricinfo about the genesis of India's absent fast bowlers (and the reasons for Pakistan's plenty), I'd have thought this would be an opportunity for you express thoughts close to your heart, relegating the head to the background for once.