Yuvraj's innings the other night in Ahmadadabad paved the way for what could be the most cracking match of this Cricket World Cup 2011 so far, India Vs Pakistan in the semi finals. We all know any match can go up to the wire when India play against Pakistan. The political rivalry between the two countries, adds fire to the fuel whereas political leaders both in India and Pakistan will want them to win the semifinal match and even to lose final against whoever the opposition.
Every time a Pakistan Vs India match played in a World Cup, India had the better advantage. India has managed to win almost all the important World Cup matches against Pakistan. The all important quarterfinal match in 1996 is a prime example of how crucial a Pakistan Vs India match can be in a World Cup.
Yesterday's Match Summery
An awe-inspiring Ricky Ponting dazzled and Sachin Tendulkar hit a delightful fifty but it was the imperious Yuvraj Singh who stole the show to lead India to an exciting semi-final encounter against Pakistan. On a dry pitch, aiding turn, India couldn't remove a wonderfully solid Ponting, but found a way around him to hold Australia to a competitive 260. Tendulkar set the base and the middle order threatened to choke, but Yuvraj played a blinder to charge India to a famous win.
Sometimes, they say, one four can change things around. That cliché came alive today, in the final ball of the 39th over, with India needing 72 from 67 deliveries, when Yuvraj spanked Shaun Tait for a stunning four over backward point. It oozed of skill, impishness and dare under fire. Until then, in the preceding few overs, India choked and spluttered badly to almost hand the game to Australia. That Yuvraj hit over point sensationally turned the game on its head.
The next over proved to be the game-breaker as Brett Lee was looted for 14 runs: Suresh Raina played the most assured pull of his life to crash the first delivery to the boundary and Yuvraj carved the final delivery over point, but it was a shot in between that really reflected the enthralling contest. It was a screaming yorker from Lee, from around the stumps, and Yuvraj crouched, opened the bat-face and stabbed it through to the third man boundary. Lee looked stunned, and you felt that was the moment when India affected the jail break.
Until Yuvraj took ownership of the chase, the pressure-cooker situation had got to India and they were beginning to choke. In five mad overs between the 32nd and 37th, just after Virat Kohli had swiped a full toss from David Hussey straight to midwicket in the 29th over, it was absolute pandemonium as India looked hell bent on self-destruction. Gautam Gambhir tried to run himself out three times and was successful on the final attempt. In the 33rd over, he ran for a non-existent run after Yuvraj had played the ball towards midwicket but Ponting missed the sticks. In the next over, he got into a yes-and-no situation with Yuvraj and would have been run out had Brad Haddin, who dashed to the short mid-on region, thrown it at the non-striker's end. Gambhir was run out next ball, again running mindlessly after Yuvraj stabbed David Hussey wide of the first slip.
India required 93 runs from 101 balls at that stage, but they slipped further into the abyss as MS Dhoni got out after looking edgy. He nearly got involved in a run out, had a big swing and a miss against Lee and perished next delivery, cutting to point to leave India needing 74 from 75 balls. It was then that Yuvraj decided to play the World Cup innings of his life.
The batting Powerplay was the final hurdle, but Raina, who gave admirable support to Yuvraj after Dhoni's exit, walloped the first ball from Lee over long-on and Australia's fight evaporated with that shot.
Before Yuvraj, India's chase revolved almost entirely around Sachin Tendulkar. It was a slow pitch, but Tendulkar played some shots that defied the nature of the track. Tait v Tendulkar in particular lived up to the billing. Tendulkar punched the first delivery he faced, and the first from Tait, through cover point and, upper cut the next legal delivery to the third man boundary. Tait sledged, Tendulkar stared, and the chase was soaked with intensity from then on. Tait was soon out off the attack but returned to silence the crowd. He gave away six runs in his first over on return, which included two wides and also saw Tendulkar getting to his fifty. He struck with the first delivery of his next over, the 19th of the innings, with a delivery released from a slightly round-armish action that held its line outside off stump. Tendulkar tried to steer it to point but edged it to Brad Haddin.
Spare a thought for the Australian captain, probably playing his last World Cup match and to Australia, who were last eliminated before the finals of a World Cup way back in 1992. Whenever Zaheer Khan threatened to push India in front, Ponting shoved Australia ahead. The knock was a microcosm of Ponting the man. It had skill, grit, bloody-mindedness, and dare; it was Ponting. It will probably be the only knock from him that won't be remembered for many scintillating shots and it will be cherished for how responsibly he curbed his natural strokeplay.
There was tremendous poise in how he dealt with the slow nature of the pitch and a great amount of skill in the way he handled spin. Ponting showed sheer grit in the way he held the Australian innings together, and admirable character to do it when he wasn't in great form, on such a big stage. When he was fresh, he had to face Harbhajan Singh, his nemesis, bowling from around the stumps.
Ponting countered him by shuffling to his right and working the ball with the turn. When he was tired, he had to face the reverse-swing from Zaheer. In the middle, he picked Ashwin's carom ball, and mixed caution and aggression against Yuvraj Singh.
Australia's slide and India's resurgence in the middle overs began with an awful shot from Michael Clarke, who top-edged a slog-sweep against Yuvraj to long-on in the 31st over. Zaheer dismissed Michael Hussey with that knuckled slower one to leave Australia wobbling at 140 for 4 in the 34th over. Ponting and David Hussey took the batting Powerplay in the 44th over and added 44 vital runs without losing a wicket. Ponting must have thought he had done all he could to ensure Australia remained in the competition but he was outdone by Yuvraj.
Thursday, March 24, 2011 | 8:48 PM | 32 Comments | Posted by Site Admin
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32 comments:
India vs Pakistan it doesn't get better than this.... we should win the Semi
I was very worried when Sachin got out ... i thought we r gonna loose this match... reminded me on 96 WIlls semi finals.. but we some how held our nerves... good going
Come on India ......
I didn't like how the fans lost moral in the middle..... i m sure our Punjabi crowd will motivate the team in pure singh is king style.......
support is such an imp factor in crucial games..... India needs serious backing while playing against Pakistan as it would be a high pressure match ........ its cricket every where .... till the world cup doesn't end
I m looking for Afridi vs Gambhir....... just see there youtube video of a fight,..... full on maa bhen types...... its going to be one of those matches where who ever keeps their cool we have the last laugh.....
Don't forget the match is in Mohali so there would be many Pakistani supporters who would come from across the border
India will need lot of support from the public ... they will have to make lot of noise.... i just hope situation doesn't go beyond control like it went in 96 Wills Cup semi final match........ we knows we might have won that match .. Vinod Kambli was still there.....
96 cup was something else..... sri lanka were on roll at that time..... Let us not go in the past that much.......... that was then,,, now the teams have changed... so we should win this 2011 world cup
India pakistan match ... i wanted to watch the match in the stadium but did not get tickets............. will watch from home...i hope India wins ......
We have never lost to them in a world cup
Yes watching the match in the stadium is some other experience in itself....
I saw some matches of 96 Wills Cup ..i was very small but remember those huge grounds, big flags, WIlls cup painting on the field......was amazing........
Wills is always associated with cricket.... long before these cold drink.....remember wills trophy matches ....
They have come up with their limited edition packs for this cricket season.....
Every one is keeping the world cup in focus of their communication..... look at lays,ford etc......makes sense also na as India is clued to the world cup....... Wills was the sponsor of 96 World cup i remember they came up with lovely ads ... i guess now tobacco advertising has stopped so we don't see their ads
Wills and Cricket are synonyms in India..... They go hand in hand....
made for each other
Wills was the sponsor of Indian Cricket team also.... Check out the print ad of navy cut
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=108328602583478&set=o.150099765050368&theater
Muhammad Nouman
Guys iam Proudy pakistan. I support pakistan and india boht.let the best team win we dont have to take this in a politics way this is just a game. Thanks
woww .... Indian cricketers were so sophisticated ,.... now we r more on the face types..... thanks for sharing..... i loved these ads..... u don't see them any more....... :)
Faisal.......
Deal all its hard to say about both teams, india have advantage, home town, same as 96 will unfortunately pak lose india win after a great satrt provided by S/S pair of pak... its time to journey again,passion,emotion,fighting,tention and lot of fun and abuses as well....... best team will gonna win.... i 'll always pak INSHALLAH we have to rivise this victory all the entire wolrd.... remember pak firstly breaks aussie hope 2011 happen will work :) good luck team...... pakistan jee k geo
This is a reply to "Abhishek" above!
"we knows we might have won that match .. Vinod Kambli was still there."
Are you kiddin me???? 120 for 8 chasing 252???? Come down to Earth! India lost that match completely, and you typically uneducated Indians couldn't face the truth! You lost it!!!! Don't try to make things up after 16 years!!!
You know what??? You will WIN against Pakistan in Mohali. Because, India always beat Pakistan in crucial world cup matches.
Then you will face Sri Lanka in the final in Mumbai, and you will see a repeat of 96 semi final!!!!
Why? Becuase, Sri Lanka always beat India in crucial World Cup matches! Take it from 96!! and in 2007 we kicked you out in the first round itself!!
You will lose again!!!
fuck india we will win inshallah pakisan zindabad jazba dekha do.......
Abe Pakiyo..saalo..
India will fuck you brutally..
tab bolna..inshallah..kya bajaya hai..maja aa gaya.
Sabse aage honge hindustani..!!
Sure India win this match
india will surely win the match and also win the final too who so ever is the oponent in the final.
Go INDIA Go.................................
Its going to be a crucial battle! God knows who will win, but both should play good!
I dont know what will happen in this Indo-pak semi final, but being an Indian I will support India as India is involved in this match (I supported Pakistan in the quater final). This match is not all about the win or loose but the important thing is that game should win. I hope both teams will play well. And best of luck for both of the teams.
how shameful is that we are fighting for showing low to each other. Its a game man. Who will play well, will be in next round that is final. You can favour your country. But stop playing will words, if you cant, then just shame on you....
may the best win!!
pakistan is winning the worldcup 2011
While talking to the media, Imran Khan said that the semi-final match between India and Pakistan is bigger than the final of the World Cup. The sight at the stadium will be very emotional as an old rivalry will be awakened.
Imran Khan has predicted that that Pakistan will play Sri Lanka in the in the final of the World Cup. He also dismissed Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s statement that they will keep a close eye on match fixing. Imran Khan added that no one can think of fixing the match between Pakistan and India.
On the other hand, former Indian Captain Kapil Dev said that the Pakistani Squad will be performing at their best under the leadership of Shahid Afridi.
http://dunyanews.tv/index.php?key=Q2F0SUQ9NCNOaWQ9MjI5MzI=
pakistan walo ko itna padne wala hai ki,wo confused ho jayenge ki wo match main hai ya border par
Saale Naam chupa ke gaali dene ka kya maza hai.
You motherfucking son of a bitch gaali deni hamein bhi aati hai. Haarne kay baad tumko itni padengi ke shayad issiliye naam chupa ke bolta hai.
come on guysssssss.. be a world dont use abuse words on social network........cricket is just a game...let the best team may win..be proud for ur country..make relations....dont break it........atleast we should be united,,,,
kunsssssforever
It was a grate match I like afradi attitude with the indians
Afradi we are missing you I hove you will come back in team soon
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I must second you it was better than the final of World cup 2011!
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