CricInfo Home
News Home

NEWS FOCUS
Rsa in Pak
NZ in India
Zim in Aus

Domestic
Other Series

Ejaz thrashes Indians to help Pakistan win series

Lahore,Oct 2: A belligerent, career-best, unbeaten knock of 139 runs, studded with nine sixes and ten boundaries, by the dashing stroke-player Ejaz Ahmad Senior helped Pakistan team outplay Indian side by a big margin of nine wickets in the third and last international match under floodlights at the Qadhafi Stadium on Thursday and clinch the series 2-1.

A jampacking crowd of over 30,000 was thrilled by a superlative performance by the Pakistan side which has the capability to rise to great heights as it did.

A swashbuckling knock of 47 (including three big sixes and five fours) by Shahid Afridi laid a foundation of Pakistan team's resounding victory as he along with Ejaz scored 80 runs for the first wicket partnership.

Earlier, young medium-pacer Azhar Mahmood bowled with controlled hostility to claim three important Indian wickets. That paved the way for restricting the visitors' total to 216 in 49.2 overs. Pakistan team coasted home in only 36.2 overs. Young Muhammad Wasim remained not out at 27 and played a supporting role. Both Ejaz and Wasim added 139 runs for the second wicket partnership.

The Pakistani catching was also eye-catching, with Muhammad Husain's two catches being simply out of ordinary! They also contributed towards a historic win. A big six by Ejaz Ahmad Senior over long on boundary saw Pakistan clinching the match and the series as the spectators burst into a deafening noise.

Shahid Afridi dominated the first wicket stand by hitting Debasis Mohanty for two sixes. The first one was over cover boundary and the second one over mid-wicket boundary. Afridi also hit Kuruvilla over cover boundary for his third six. Besides, Afridi also hit five boundaries to electrify the crowd. At the total of 80, Afridi tried another big hit and Tendulkar ran quite a few yards before holding on to a diving catch. That was the only success of the Indian bowlers, who were thrashed by the Pakistani batsmen.

Ejaz Ahmad was cautious in the initial stages but soon took complete command over the game. He drubbed all bowlers at will. He hit two sixes each, off Ganguly and Kulkarni besides hitting a six, each against all the other Indian bowlers. Ejaz was so confident that he completed his century with a six off Ganguly over the bowler's head and brought Pakistan the win with another six over long-on boundary. Poor Sachin Tendulkar and the Indianfielders knew nothing what to do. It was Ejaz at his brilliant best!

Earlier, a fine knock of 76 by vice-captain Ajay Jadeja lifted the sagging Indian innings, which at one stage was reeling at 77 for five. He was involved in both the productive partnerships of the Indian innings. Young medium-pacer Azhar Mahmood from Rawalpindi Azhar Mahmood bowled at a good length and to a good direction to dismiss three important batsmen viz, Robin Singh (17), Muhammad Azharuddin (6) and Vinod Kambli (6). Ground fielding of the Pakistan team was very poor but catching was brilliant which helped in restricting the Indian side to a not-very-imposing total of 216 in 49.2 overs. Muhammad Husain, Inzima-ul-Haq and wicketkeeper Moin Khan took two brilliant catches, each.

The Indian team was in deep trouble from the beginning of the innings. Captain Sachin Tendulkar fell at the total of 12 after scoring only seven. He shuffled across to an outswinger from Aaqib Javed on the fourth ball of the fourth over and was well caught by Inzimam in the second slip.

The other opener Saurav Ganguly, tormentor of the Pakistan team in the second Sahara Cup in Toronto, also could not last long. He fell at the total of 53 after contributing 26 runs on 36 balls to give off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq his only wicket of the match. On second ball of saqlain's first over, Ganguly jumped out of his crease and skied the ball. Muhammad husain, fielding at long-off, having eyes on the ball ran towards boundary-line to hold a brilliant, tumbling catch. Soon after that Azhar Mahmood got into the act!

Azhar Mahmood took next three wickets in a row. At the total of 56, Azhar Mahmood clean bowled Robin Singh. The batsman tried to pull his outswinger but edged the ball on to his stumps. Robin Singh contributed 17 runs on 22 balls. Vinod Kambli (6) lasted 17 balls before edging an outswinger. Wicketkeeper Moin Khan stepped towards his left to hold a good catch. The fourth wicket fell at the total of 66. The in-form Azharuddin (6) was dismissed at the total of 77. He edged an outswinger from Azhar Mahmood and Moin Khan lunged towards his right to hold another good catch.

The Indian innings was in shambles. However, captain Saeed Anwar let the Indian side off the hook by persisting with his spinners and not increasing the pressure. Credit must go to Ajay Jadeja who batted sensibly to pull the Indian side out of hot waters. That gave respectability to the Indian team's total. For the sixth wicket stand, Jadeja along with Saba Karim added 53 runs. Both repaired the indian innings by batting cautiously. At the total of 130, Saba Karim was clean bowled by Muhammad husain. That gave the left-arm spinner his only scalp of the match. Saba Karim edged his leg-break on to his stumps after scoring 20 in 47 balls.

Ajay Jadeja and Rajesh Chauhan batted merrily to take the Indian total to 206. Chauhan lifted Muhammad Husain over long-off boundary and later hit his second six off Saqlain Mushtaq overlong-on boundary. With Chauhan, Ajay Jadeja added 76 runs for the seventh wicket partnership. Incidentally, Jadeja scored exactly 76 runs on 109 balls and hit six boundaries. He hit a brave knock in trying circumstances. At the total of 206, Waqar Younis struck two blows on first two deliveries of his second spell. Jadeja jumped out of crease for a big hit on his first ball and skied the ball. At long-on boundary, Inzimam jumped high to hold a spectacular right-handed catch. On Waqar's next ball, Chauhan tried a big hit but near the boundary-line Muhammad Husain held another brilliant, diving catch. India lost eight wickets for 206. Chauhan hit 32 runs on as many deliveries with the help of two sixes.

Substitute Hasan Raza held a brilliant running catch to dismiss Nilesh Kulkarni (2) who tried to hit Aaqib Javed out of the ground. The ninth Indian wicket fell at the total of 216. At the same total, Abey Kuruvilla (6) was run out and the indian innings folded.