After posting an imposing 329-run total against the Men in Blue, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 struck gold when all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez caught opener Gautam Gambhir leg-before-wicket on the very second ball of the first over, in the nail-biting clash between the two arch-rivals,
being played at the Shere Bangla Stadium, Mirpur, today, March 18, 2012.
Entering the game as favourites, the Indian bowlers were pitted against the Pakistani batsmen, when http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Nasir-Jamshed-c78752 struck a record opening partnership, garnering 224
runs against the powerless Indian attack.
Both Hafeez and Nasir scored centuries, (105 and 112, respectively) while http://www.senore.com/Cricket/P-Kumar-c2143 and Irfan Pathan bore the brunt of their onslaught, conceding 77 and 69 runs each. After crossing the 200 mark, both openers went all-out in the batting powerplay, which
saw http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Nasir-c78728 and Hafeez walking back in quick succession, but not before dealing due damage to the Indian camp.
With a solid platform provided by the openers, skipper Misbah sent http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Younis-Khan-c98325 next; however, Umar, who was expected to do most of the hitting, faltered at 28 off 24, while Younis, who has been finding form lately, struck a crucial 52 off
34 balls before being caught in a blinder by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/SK-Raina-c2539.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Irfan-Pathan-c1601. Youngster Hammad Azam was the next to depart after a short, 5-ball stay at the crease, as the Pakistanis wrapped up on 329 in
their 50 overs.
Master Blaster http://www.senore.com/Cricket/V-Kohli-c2737 was the next man in for India, bringing the game back
on track alongside http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Chinnadupargea-Sachin-c50607.
On a batting-friendly wicket, it is imperative for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 to play aggressively from the start, so as not to let the pressure mount any higher than it is at the moment. On the other hand, the Pakistanis need to attack from the start, having the luxury of a
considerable total to defend. As things stand now, this game appears to be destined for a tight finish.
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