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