India vs Pakistan Semi Final Highlights World Cup 2011

SANGAKKARA STEERS SRI LANKA TO A DRAW

 

 

Kumar Sangakkara hit an unbeaten century to steer Sri Lanka to a draw in the final Test against Pakistan here on Friday and win his first series as captain.
The left-hander made 130 not out as Sri Lanka, faced with a world record target of 492, defied the Pakistani bowlers to finish with 391-4 on the fifth day at the Sinhalese sports club.
The rock solid Sangakarra's 19th Test century featured a fourth-wicket stand of 122 with Thilan Samaraweera (73) and 114 for the unbroken fifth with Angelo Mathews (64 not out).
Sri Lanka clinched the series 2-0, their first at home against Pakistan after five unsuccessful attempts, and provided Sangakkara with a winning start as captain after he took over from Mahela Jayawardene in April.
Sangakkara hung on for nearly seven hours on a placid pitch to frustrate Pakistan's bid to record a face-saving win ahead of the five-match one-day series starting at Dambulla on July 30.

The two teams went into the last session of the match with Sri Lanka needing 154 runs from a possible 38 overs to record a record-breaking win and Pakistan requiring six wickets.
The hosts gave an indication they would prefer to settle for a draw when they made just 76 runs from 26 overs in the two hours after lunch.
Play was finally called off when 15 overs remained with Sri Lanka needing a further 101 runs.
It was the first time in the series that play went into the fifth day after the tourists lost the first Test in four days and the second in three.
Sangakkara and Samaraweera, who resumed the day at 183-3, batted through the morning session to take Sri Lanka to 262 without further loss by lunch.

The pair made a cautious start in the morning, scoring 50 runs in 21 overs before Pakistan captain Younus Khan took the second new ball as soon as it was due in the 81st over.
Samaraweera welcomed the change by driving the first delivery from Umar Gul to the cover fence and executing another perfect off-drive from the last ball of the over.
Sri Lanka suffered a setback soon after lunch when Samaraweera strained a hamstring while taking a single and called for a runner.
Samaraweera was dismissed  when he failed to read a straight ball from off-spinner Saeed Ajmal and nicked an easy catch to wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal.

Scoreboard

Pakistan 1st innings 299
Khurram Manzoor 93, Mohammad Yousuf 90, T. Thushara 5-83

Sri Lanka 1st innings 233
K. Sangakkara 45, M. Jayawardene 79, D. Kaneria 5-62

Pakistan 2nd innings 425-9 decl
Shoaib Malik 134, Kamran Akmal 74, R. Herath 5-157

Sri Lanka 2nd innings

T. Paranavitana c Alam b Malik 73

M. Warnapura c Malik b Kaneria 31

K. Sangakkara not out 130

M. Jayawardene c Akmal b Kaneria 2

T. Samaraweera c Akmal b Ajmal 73

A. Mathews not out 64

Extras
b1, lb7, nb9, w1
18

Total
for 4 wkts
391

Fall of wkts
1-83, 2-139, 3-155, 4-277

Bowling

Gul 12-0-65-0 (nb5), Aamer 21-5-46-0 (nb1), Younus 8-0-25-0 (w1), Ajmal 43-9-95-1, Malik 14-1-38-1 (nb3), Kaneria 36-3-114-2

Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka 2009 Schedule

Pakistan Cricket Team will travel to Sri Lanka in late June just after twenty20 World Cup to play three match Test Series, Five One Day Internationals and only Twenty20 international.

Pakistan tour will begin from 29^th June with the three day tour game. First match of the three match test series will begin from 4^th of July in Galle International Stadium. 2^nd Test match will be played at P Sara Oval Colombo from 12^th to 16^th of July and third and final test match will be played from 20^th July to 24^th July at SSC, Colombo.

Pakistan will then move on to play 50 over game. The first three ODI will be played at Dambulla on 30^th July, 1^st August and 3^rd August and last two ODI’s and only T20 International will be played on 7^th, 9^th and 12^th of August at R.Premdasa Stadium Colombo which will be Day/Night Encounter.

Pakistan v Sri Lanka Fixtures (All timings are mentioned in GMT+05:30)

Mon 29 June - Wed 1 July

10:00 AM

Tour Game - Pakistan v TBC

Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground, Colombo

Sat 4 July - Wed 8 July

10:00 AM

1^st Test – Pakistan v Sri Lanka

Galle International Stadium

Sun 12 July - Thu 16 July

10:00 AM

2^nd Test – Pakistan v Sri Lanka

P Sara Oval, Colombo

Mon 20 July - Fri 24 July

10:00 AM

3^rd Test – Pakistan v Sri Lanka

Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo

Mon 27 July

09:30 AM

Tour Game - Pakistan v TBC

Welagedara Stadium, Kurunegala

Thu 30 July

09:30 AM

1^st ODI – Pakistan v Sri Lanka

Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium

Sat 1 Aug

09:30 AM

2^nd ODI – Pakistan v Sri Lanka

Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium

Mon 3 Aug

09:30 AM

3^rd ODI – Pakistan v Sri Lanka

Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium

Fri 7 Aug (D/N)

14:30 PM

4^th ODI – Pakistan v Sri Lanka

R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Sun 9 Aug (D/N)

14:30 PM

5^th ODI – Pakistan v Sri Lanka

R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Wed 12 Aug (D/N)

18:00 PM

Only T20I – Pakistan v Sri Lanka

R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

BOOM BOOM SHAHID AFRIDI’S EXCELLANT PERFORMANCE PROVIDES T20 WORLD CUP VICTORY FOR PAKISTAN

Shahid Afridi charged Pakistan to World Twenty20 glory as previously-unbeaten Sri Lanka were defeated by eight wickets in the final at Lord's.

All-rounder Afridi hit an unbeaten 54 as he orchestrated a perfect Pakistani chase of their 139-run target.

Victory was sealed with eight balls to spare when Afridi scrambled a leg-bye.

Within seconds the entire squad and backroom staff knelt and kissed the hallowed turf in communal celebration. 

Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan were taken for 54 runs in their combined seven overs for the price of opener Shahzaib Hasan.

Crucially, it was Afridi's calculated attack on Murali, on his return to the attack for the 14th over, which proved pivotal.

Afridi sized up the first delivery of Murali's return and planted the ball into the Tavern Stand at deep midwicket.

The next one was flashed hard through extra-cover for four and by the end of the over Pakistan's asking rate was down to seven runs per over with just two wickets down. Nerves were settled.

Former captain Shoaib Malik scampered between the wickets to maintain a manageable rate and the result was effectively rubber-stamped when Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara gambled for the 18th over.

With 26 required by Pakistan, he opted to throw the ball to left-arm seamer Isuru Udana, and left Murali and Lasith Malinga in reserve.

Only seven runs had come from the first four but Afridi seized his chance to free the arms at the penultimate delivery, and launched another monstrous hit into the crowd at deep midwicket.

When he flicked the next one - called a no-ball for being over waist height - past short fine-leg for another boundary, the celebrations among a Pakistani-dominated crowd began.

The early impetus of the pursuit was provided by Kamran Akmal, who cracked two sixes and two fours in 37 from 38 balls.

It took the introduction of veteran left-arm spinner Sanath Jayasuriya to quell the charge as he followed the batsman with his first delivery and earned a comfortable stumping.

Sri Lanka's 138 for six represented something of a fightback after Pakistan's strong response to being asked to field.

Of the top order, only captain Sangakkara, who struck an unbeaten 64, negotiated the Pakistani bowling attack with any conviction and the loss of four wickets in the powerplay limited their aspirations.

It was only thanks to Sangakkara's seventh-wicket partner Angelo Mathews, who once again highlighted his impact as a late-innings hitter with an impressive 35 not out, that they managed a challenging score.

It was veteran Abdul Razzaq who did the early damage for Pakistan inside the opening few overs.

Razzaq, in as a replacement for the injured Yasir Arafat after a ban on Indian Cricket League players was lifted, claimed three wickets with the new ball.

Teenage fast bowler Mohammad Aamir began the tumble when he claimed the prize wicket of tournament top scorer Tillekeratne Dilshan with a successful short ball in the opening over.

Sangakkara plumped for the same tactics which have been integral to their success by opting to bat first.

Unbeaten Sri Lanka defended totals superbly in the tournament, including a previous meeting with Pakistan, when they won by 19 runs at the same ground.

This time, however, a stand of 68 merely kept the contest in the balance.

Mathews rode his luck as he plundered all but one of the 17 runs off teenager Aamir's final over - a two and an edged four from the first two deliveries followed by a nonchalant loft off his pads for a towering six over deep square-leg from the third. 

SWASHBUCKLING SHAHID AFRIDI BOOK THE FINAL PLACE FOR PAK

Afridi - stunning performance carried Pakistan through to their second successive ICC World Twenty20 final against South Africa.

Afridi's 51 provided the impetus in an oddly-paced Pakistan total of 149 for four - and he then took two for 16 in four overs of wrist-spin to help leave his opponents seven runs short at Trent Bridge, despite Jacques Kallis' 64.

The first defeat of South Africa's campaign eliminated them - the fourth time they have gone out at the semi-final stage of a major ICC tournament - and Pakistan will instead face either Sri Lanka or West Indies at Lord's on Sunday.

South Africa remain desperate to shed the 'chokers' tag now inked in against them, having left themselves too much to do against Umar Gul et al in the 'death' overs.

Pakistan lived up to their own reputation for eccentricity, in a minor way, by bizarrely leaving only three overs for their most reliable bowler Gul. But they had enough in reserve to ensure that self-inflicted disadvantage amounted only to a puzzling rather than damning statistic.

Pakistan chose to bat first on a pitch with more pace than most have had here in this competition - and less obvious assistance to spin.

Their innings, on a bright evening, was a curious stop-start affair which was nonetheless eventually vindicated.

It started at break-neck speed, Kamran Akmal blazing a succession of early boundaries despite the departure of Shahzaib Hasan for a second-ball duck when he mistimed an attempted pull at Wayne Parnell to be very well-caught by Roelof van der Merwe running back at mid-on.

Akmal and Afridi bludgeoned Pakistan's way to 43 for two after five overs, the opener gone by then when he too mispulled to be caught at mid-on off Dale Steyn.

The relaxation of fielding restrictions explained a second five overs in which Pakistan could add only 25 runs. 

But it was harder to rationalise the split of 52 in the next five and then only 29 in the last quarter, particularly because only one wicket fell in each of those sections.

Afridi had announced himself with a brutal four over mid-on off Parnell, from the first reachable delivery he received.

Akmal struck the pace of Steyn dismissively over long-off for six. But it soon became apparent his replacement Shoaib Malik was content to push the gaps to get Afridi on strike in a third-wicket stand of 67 in 10 overs.

Afridi responded with four successive off-side fours in one over from Johan Botha, who has been the slow-bowling cornerstone of South Africa's gameplan over the past two weeks but this time went for 23 runs in only half his scheduled allocation.

Afridi charged on to a 32-ball 50, only to fall immediately afterwards when he aimed a huge hit at the first of JP Duminy's off-spinners and skied a catch to short midwicket.

Malik never reached a run-a-ball tempo - and had still found the boundary only twice - before picking out long-off when he went after van der Merwe's left-arm spin.

It was therefore down to Younus Khan and Abdul Razzaq to try to rescue the 160-plus total which had seemed likely.

Graeme Smith turned to his two frontline pace bowlers for the last four overs, and they took their cue for a series of impressively well-directed yorkers.

The impression was that Pakistan had failed to make par with the bat, and South Africa still looked favourites as Kallis and Smith got their reply off to a wicketless near eight-an-over start in the first five overs.

Smith was dropped by Gul, who almost did himself a mischief when he mis-judged a skier at mid-on off Razzaq. But the South Africa captain went soon afterwards when he badly mistimed another pull and was caught and bowled by Mohammad Amir.

It was Afridi's entrance into the attack that changed the game, though.

Herschelle Gibbs and AB de Villiers were transfixed by his variations, bowled in contrasting but equally comprehensive fashion as he took two big wickets in four balls.

Kallis and Duminy responded to the loss of three team-mates for 10 runs with a stand of 61. But the increasing suspicion was that they were falling worryingly off the pace.

So it proved, despite Kallis taking advantage of a spare over from seventh bowler Fawad Alam which saw him complete a 46-ball 50 and celebrate with a straight six to add to his seven fours.

Gul's false start at the Radcliffe Road end had left him with only two more possible from the other direction.

But Kallis finally fell to the first ball of the 18th over, with an unlikely 38 still needed, when he lofted Saeed Ajmal high to long-on - where Shoaib Malik kept his cool to hang on to a tough, pressure catch.

Duminy did his best to narrow the margin, but it was always going to be too little too late for a team who had pushed perfection through the tournament yet were again found wanting when it mattered most.

PAKISTAN BEATS IRELAND BY 39 RUNS

 

Ireland departed the World Twenty20 after a 39-run defeat by Pakistan at the Oval.

 

Ireland team restricted Pakistan to 159 for five .

Paul Stirling, 18, and the more established Kevin O'Brien attempted some adventure against the new ball but the entire team managed only six boundaries between them. They lost only two wickets in the opening 13 overs but, after captain Porterfield succumbed for 40, they collapsed in a heap.

Once again it was Umar Gul who seized the initiative for Pakistan, following his extraordinary figures of five for six against New Zealand on the same ground this past weekend.

Fast bowler Gul, whose exploits on Saturday sparked an approach from the Black Caps to the match officials to check the legality of the methods by which he obtained reverse swing, was rewarded once again for his ability to send down searing yorkers at will.

New Zealand accepted the match officials' view they had seen nothing to arouse suspicion.

There was no repeat of the carnage he inflicted on the Kiwis but the runs simply dried up as the Irish slipped from 87 for two to 120 for nine.

Gul hit the timber three times - one effort was redundant as it was from a free hit - as Ireland's hitters Trent Johnston and Andrew White were meekly tamed.

With Ireland's batsmen therefore forced to have a dash at the other end, off-spinner Saeed Ajmal profited with four for 19.

Pakistan now head Group F and, with a superior net run-rate to rivals Sri Lanka and New Zealand, will proceed to the semi-finals despite a slow start to the tournament.

Kamran Akmal shaped their innings with a composed 57, from 51 deliveries, but the Irish put in another impressive display with the ball to restrict the total on a good batting surface.

No other batsman managed more than 24 and regular wickets from the final over of the powerplay onwards limited the potential damage.

Warwickshire pace bowler Boyd Rankin produced a brilliant display and, although he went wicketless, his figures of 4-0-11-0 are likely to remain among the best in 20-over internationals for some time to come.

When Akmal and opening partner Shahzaib Hasan launched sixes in the fourth over, off Australian-born Johnston, Pakistan would have been eyeing a more comprehensive score.

But youngster Shahzaib lofted straight to mid-off to give seamer Alex Cusack - who took four wickets against Sri Lanka yesterday - an early success.

And off-spinner Kyle McCallan was twice rewarded for his disciplined approach by having big hitters Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq miscue.

Akmal, meanwhile, was yorked by the off-colour Johnston in the 17th over as Younis Khan's team were restricted to 80 runs in the second half of the innings.

Akmal's opposite number, wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien, passed a late fitness test to take his place for Ireland in their final Super Eights contest at this tournament.

Northamptonshire's O'Brien, 27, has been dogged by an ankle injury throughout the past week and worsened the condition during yesterday's nine-run defeat by the Sri Lankans.

Ireland - needing a landslide win to resuscitate any hopes of reaching the last four - therefore made only one change, with teenager Stirling making his Twenty20 international debut in place of Andre Botha.

ENGLAND SHOWED A GREAT COMEBACK BY BEATING PAKISTAN

Kevin Pietersen made a timely return from injury to secure England's progress into the next stage of the World Twenty20 tournament following an emphatic win over Pakistan.
The former England captain missed Friday's humiliating defeat by Holland with a recurrence of the Achilles problems which have plagued him since this winter's tour of the Caribbean.
But after passing a strenuous fitness test before the must-win encounter at The Oval, Pietersen hit a match-winning 58 off 38 balls as England bounced back from their opening match embarrassment to secure a 48-run victory.
Tonight's triumph, which was achieved before a 23,000 capacity Oval crowd, guarantees England's progress to the Super Eight stage of the tournament on run-rate regardless of the result between Pakistan and Holland at Lord's on Tuesday.
It was a startling turnaround from the nervous performance they delivered against the Dutch to one with more intent and purpose with England setting a competitive target of 185 for five before restricting Pakistan to 137 for seven.
England's triumph also served to underline just how they depended on Pietersen's firepower if they are to progress further in the event - and the consequences if he suffers another recurrence of his Achilles problems.
Knowing they faced certain elimination if they were beaten, England suffered a shaky start with in-form opener Ravi Bopara brilliantly caught at backward point off the seventh ball of the innings.
It brought Pietersen to the crease earlier than he would have hoped, but in doing so it gave him an opportunity to shape the innings and lay the foundations for their impressive total.
Content at first to allow opener Luke Wright to be the aggressor, which he did impressively during his 34 off 16 balls which included England's first six of the tournament pulled over mid-wicket off 17-year-old left-arm seamer Mohammad Aamir.
Wright became one of two victims for seamer Umar Gul, the leading wicket-taker in Twenty20 international history, when his off-stump was removed with a perfectly-executed yorker.
But his demise merely served to insight Pietersen into one of his most influential innings in this format, dominating a 66-run stand with Owais Shah off only 51 balls and looking nothing like a player seemingly doubtful for the match until minutes before the toss.
England benefited from a slapstick fielding display from Pakistan, which included missing Pietersen on 30 when off-spinner Saeed Ajmal missed a difficult return catch as one of four dropped catches - and a series of fielding errors.
The only time Pakistan, playing at The Oval for the first time since their controversial Test against England in 2006, asserted any control over England's run spree was a four-over spell when Ajmal combined with Shahid Afridi and restricted them to only 24 runs.
Their stand was finally broken once Gul returned to the attack and took out Shah's leg-stump and just as Pietersen looked all set to launch a fierce onslaught in the final overs, he became one of two victims to fall in an over from Ajmal.
Captain Paul Collingwood was caught in the deep attempting to hit down the ground and four balls later, Pietersen finally mis-timed a shot and was caught close to the wicket having hit five fours and three sixes in his display.
It left England without any power-hitters for the final overs, but by then they had already secured a competitive target for Pakistan to chase on a surface favouring spin bowling.
England had responded to what they had seen in the earlier match between Scotland and South Africa by bringing in off-spinner Graeme Swann to partner leg-spinner Adil Rashid and both played their part in preventing Pakistan from keeping up with the required run rate.
Having claimed wickets early during Pakistan's reply with Stuart Broad making amends for his final over horror show against Holland to dismiss Salman Butt and the dangerous Kamran Akmal, they were always struggling to match England's strokeplay.
The key wicket was secured by man of the match Wright, who had hard-hitting Shoaib Malik caught behind as he attempted to force the rate in the 13th over leaving captain Younis Khan with the responsibility of attempting to overhaul England's total with their middle and lower order.
Younis batted superbly to score an unbeaten 46 off 31 balls but the performance of England's spinners swung the match firmly in their direction with Rashid conceding only 24 runs in his four overs while Swann grabbed one for 27 from his spell.
But in the end it was Pietersen's display of brilliance which secured England's progress and they can now look forward to the possibility of facing South Africa, India and Australia - assuming they all qualify - in the next stage.

CAPTAIN INNINGS FROM CLARK LEADS AUS TO VICTORY

Australia rode an unbeaten century from captain Michael Clarke to hand Pakistan an eight-wicket defeat and secure the five match one-day series with a match to spare.
Clarke scored a fluent 100 off 122 deliveries while Shane Watson supported him with 85 not out, the two helping Australia easily overhaul Pakistan's measly total of 197 all out, after they had batted first.
Doug Bollinger had wrecked Pakistan's line-up with an accurate spell which earned him five wickets for 35 runs in only his second one-dayer, but Shoaib Akhtar threatened to better that effort when he sent back both openers cheaply, reducing Australia to three for two.
But Clarke and Watson weathered the storm and lifted Australia out of a slump with an unbroken third-wicket stand worth 197 as Australia finished at 200 for two in 44.2 overs.
Shoaib dismissed Brad Haddin for a golden duck and ended debutant Marcus North's innings early by trapping him in front for one.
Shoaib should have had the wicket of Watson immediately thereafter, but his appeal for leg before was turned down by umpire Aleem Dar.
Sohail Tanvir, Akhtar's new ball partner, kept the pressure on with a maiden first up, but Clarke and Watson slowly wrested control.
Younus shuffled his bowlers around and even brought on Shahid Afridi inside the powerplay in an effort to break the partnership, but the Australian duo remained watchful and resolute.
Afridi's match ended at the start of the 36th over when he came on to bowl, but pulled up with a strained calf muscle even before he could deliver. He hobbled off the field, with three overs of his quota remaining.
Clarke brought up his fourth one-day century with a cracking cover drive off Shoaib, while Watson finished off the chase by sweeping Seed Ajmal for a boundary.
Earlier Afridi made a run-a-ball 40 and opener Ahmed Shehzad top scored with a patient 43, but Pakistan's innings stuttered and stumbled and eventually ended in 48.4 overs.
Bollinger, who was handed the new ball, secured his first one-day international wicket when he dismissed the dangerous Salman Butt (two) off just the third delivery of the innings.
Then Younus, who got off the mark with an inside-edged boundary that narrowly missed leg stump, made seven before he was accounted for by Nathan Bracken, the left-arm seamer pegging back leg stump via an inside edge.
Bracken should have had the wicket of Misbah-ul-Haq with his next ball, the Pakistan vice-captain edging to Haddin, but umpire Dar ruled not out.
Misbah struggled against the spinners and looked scratchy right through, but he rode his luck and added 68 for the third wicket with Shehzad.
Misbah's laboured innings finally ended on 34 when he attempted to sweep Clarke, missed the ball completely and was trapped plumb in front.
Pakistan then lost wickets in quick succession as Shehzad holed out to long-on.
Shoaib Malik (27), who had shown positive intent, was trapped in front by Bollinger, the left-arm quick's second wicket and Kamran Akmal managed just one run before he was bowled by Stuart Clark.
Afridi, in typically brisk fashion, knocked the bowlers around, all the while getting Pakistan closer to the 200-run mark.
He had hammered Clark for a couple boundaries in the seamer's sixth over, but mistimed a pull while attempting to force the pace in the batting powerplay and presented Bollinger with his third wicket.
Yasir Arafat chipped in with a useful, unbeaten 23, but Bollinger ran through the tail, claiming the wickets of Shoaib and Saeed Ajmal in his eighth over as Pakistan's innings ended prematurely.
The fifth match of the series is on Sunday.

AUSTRALIA BEATS PAKISTAN IN THE THIRD ODI

Michael Clarke starred with bat and ball as Australia won a low-scoring third one-day international against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi by 27 runs.
Clarke, leading his country in the five-match series as regular captain Ricky Ponting is being rested, hit 66 as Australia posted a score of 198-7 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
Pakistan looked well on course to overhaul their modest target while opening pair Salman Butt and Ahmed Shehzad shared a stand of 95 in 22 overs.
But the dismissal of Butt (48), caught at slip by Clarke off Nathan Hauritz's bowling, prompted a spectacular collapse as Pakistan subsided to 171 all out in 47.1 overs.
Off-spinner Hauritz (2-25) took his second wicket in as many balls as Younus Khan was surprised by some extra bounce and lobbed a catch to midwicket for a golden duck.
Clarke (3-15) then took centre stage with his part-time left-arm spin, removing Shehzad (40), Misbah-ul-Haq (9) and Shahid Afridi (6) to reduce Pakistan to 123-5.
And although Shoaib Malik resisted bravely until being run out for 30, Australia's seamers ran through the tail to complete the turnaround.
Earlier, Australia also struggled against the slow bowlers as they crawled along at a scoring rate of less than four runs an over.
After being reduced to 91-4 at the mid-point of the innings, Clarke and Calum Ferguson produced a crucial fifth-wicket alliance of 53.
Clarke completed to his 35th one-day international half-century before being caught and bowled by leg-spinner Afridi (2-31) for 66 off 93 balls, including eight boundaries.
Ferguson followed for 41, one of Umar Gul's (3-38) three victims, before a late flurry from Hauritz (18no) saw Australia finish just shy of the 200 mark.
Australia are now 2-1 up and can clinch the series with victory in the fourth one-day international on Friday, also in Abu Dhabi.

2ND ODI:AUS VS PAK:Symonds Help Australia to level The Series

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After Brad Haddin went for just eight, Shane Watson's 30 and 48 from James Hopes had helped Australia build a solid platform, but Pakistan dismissed the pair within the space of three balls to leave the tourists in a more nervous position at 93 for three when Symonds strode to the crease.
He took a while to play himself in, but after the offer of a free hit against Shoaib Malik was smashed for his first four in the 29th over, Symonds began to express himself a little more and hit Saeed Ajmal for six in the next over.
By the time he was bowled by Shahid Afridi for 58 off 62 balls, the damage had been done with Australia well ahead of the run rate and only 25 runs from their target.
Michael Clarke's unbeaten 39 and 10 from Callum Ferguson saw them home.

Earlier, Pakistan had scratched their way to a competitive total mainly thanks to opener Salman Butt and his laborious 57.
Shahid Afridi slammed 41 off just 40 deliveries, but his dismissal while the batting powerplay was in progress left Pakistan's tail exposed in the final overs.
Shoaib Akhtar, however, threw his bat around and landed some lusty blows en route to 25 off just 14 deliveries as Pakistan breached the 200-run mark.
That target looked unlikely at the start when debutant opener Ahmed Shehzad was run out with just five runs on the board.
Shehzad turned a delivery from Nathan Bracken to square leg and set off for a single. Butt at first responded and was almost halfway down the pitch when he turned back even while Shehzad continued with the run.
Clarke swooped on the ball and fired in a return to wicketkeeper Haddin, who whipped off the bails at the striking end. Umpire Billy Bowden adjudged Shehzad as the batsman out.
Butt rebuilt the innings in the company of skipper Younus Khan (28), who looked in fine touch. The two added 53 for the second wicket.
Younus, who survived a run-out attempt on one, was out edging the first ball from Ben Laughlin to Haddin.
Nathan Hauritz then claimed three wickets in quick succession as Pakistan wobbled, ending with figures of three for 41, while debutant Doug Bollinger turned in an economical spell conceding just 26 in his 10 overs.

 

Afridi’s Six wickets provides victory For Rocks Aussies

 

Shahid Afridi took a career-best 6-38 as Pakistan claimed a four-wicket win over Australia in the first day-night One-Day International in Dubai on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old exposed Australia's weakness against spin as the one-day world champions were all out for just 168 batting first.
He then hit a blistering 24 to help Pakistan chase down the target in 44.1 overs to record Pakistan's second win in their last 11 matches against Australia, and giving them a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Pakistan lost opener Salman Butt (five) and captain Younus Khan (11) before Kamran Akmal (48) and Misbah-ul-Haq, who hit an unbeaten 30, avoided any further hiccups.
Akmal hit nine boundaries during his 62-ball knock, while Afridi smashed five boundaries during his 16-ball stay but Australia made regular inroads, dismissing Shoaib Malik (24) and Nasir Jamshed (nine) to keep a check.
Afridi eventually holed out to mid-on off Ben Hilfenhaus, but Haq and Gul came together at 6-152 to guide the Pakistanis home.
Earlier, Australia had looked well placed to record a big total after opener Brad Haddin (40) and Shane Watson (40) took them to 95-1, before eight wickets fell for just 27 runs.
James Hopes top-scored with 48 not out and added 46 for the last wicket with Hilfenhaus (four) but the spinners had already done the damage.
Afridi ended the stand of 54 for the second wicket by getting Haddin caught off a miscued drive and Watson and Andrew Symonds soon went the same way.
Afridi also dismissed Callum Ferguson (two), Nathan Bracken (one) and Clarke (two) as Australia were on the verge of being shot out for their lowest total of 120 before Hopes hit flurry of strokes.
But Australia have some serious work to do if they are to improve for the second match will be played here on Friday.