Indian cricket fans invade Pakistan<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse, Lahore, Pakistan<\/p>\n
Sourav Ganguly's Indians will find full-throated support from the
\nstands when they attempt to salvage the one-day series against
\nPakistan in a do-or-die clash here on Sunday.
\n Some 4,500 Indian fans, who have traveled by road, rail and
\nair, will be at hand to witness the last two day-night games at
\nthe Gaddafi stadium here over the next four days.<\/p>\n
Ganguly's men, who trail 1-2 in the five-match series, must
\nwin Sunday's fourth match under lights to prevent Wednesday's
\nlast game from being a formality.<\/p>\n
India will also play three Test matches on their first full
\ntour of Pakistan since 1989, but fans from across the border
\ncan't wait for Sunday's match to begin at 2:00 pm (0900 GMT).<\/p>\n
"We have not come here to see India lose," said Delhi college
\nstudent Rima Verma, who flew into this eastern city on Thursday
\nwith a group of friends to watch the matches.<\/p>\n
However it's not all cricket for many.<\/p>\n
"Cricket is secondary, I am here to make friends in Pakistan
\nand enjoy their traditional hospitality," said Satwinder Singh, a
\nmotor car spare parts dealer from Delhi's historic Chandni Chowk
\narea.<\/p>\n
"But you can be rest assured we will all be at the Gaddafi
\nstadium on Sunday and will not hide our support for Sachin
\nTendulkar and company."<\/p>\n
In Peshawar, on Friday, Pakistan's Yasir Hameed and Abdul
\nRazzaq combined to lead Pakistan to a four-wicket win over India
\nin the third one-day international.<\/p>\n
Hameed scored 98 as Pakistan overtook India's 244-8 with 16
\ndeliveries to spare and take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.<\/p>\n
Pakistan, who were themselves struggling at 173-6 in the 35th,
\nprospered through an unbroken stand of 74 for the seventh-wicket
\nbetween Abdul Razzaq and Moin Khan.<\/p>\n
Razzaq followed his 2-44 in India's innings to remain unbeaten
\non 53 off 52 balls. Moin made 22 not out.<\/p>\n
Lanky seamer Shabbir Ahmed set up the win when he removed
\nthree top batsmen, including Sachin Tendulkar, in a hostile
\nopening burst after Pakistan elected to bowl first on a rare
\nseaming wicket.<\/p>\n
The win gave Pakistan the psychological edge going into the
\nremaining two games to be played under lights at Lahore's Gaddafi
\nstadium on Sunday and Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Bowlers finally had something to smile about on the greenish
\nwicket, unlike the perfect batting strips laid out for the first
\ntwo matches that produced more than 300 runs in each innings.<\/p>\n
India slipped from 37-3 to 140-6 before Yuvraj Singh cracked a
\ndefiant 65 off 76 balls late in the innings to boost the total.<\/p>\n
Ramesh Powar (14) and tailenders Irfan Pathan (16) and
\nLaxmipathy Balaji (21 not out) aided the recovery which saw India
\nput on 104 valuable runs for the last three wickets.<\/p>\n
The Indians, without four injured frontline bowlers in Anil
\nKumble, Harbhajan Singh, Ajit Agarkar and Ashish Nehra, were well
\nserved by young seamer Pathan who finished with 3-58.<\/p>\n
Pathan made the early breakthroughs when he bowled opener
\nShahid Afridi and had Yousuf Youhana caught in the slips to
\nreduce Pakistan to 29-2 in the seventh over.<\/p>\n
Younis Khan was unlucky to be run out backing too far at the
\nnon-striker's end and Shoaib Malik was snapped up with the slips
\noff Zaheer Khan.<\/p>\n
Hameed and captain Inzamam-ul Haq added 91 for the fifth
\nwicket to make it 156-4 by the 32nd over when India bounced back
\nby removing both batsmen in the space of 17 runs.<\/p>\n
Inzamam was unlucky to be given out leg-before by Pakistani
\numpire Nadeem Ghauri when a googly from Tendulkar hit the batsman
\non the front foot.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indian-cricket-fans-invade-pakistan-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}