Hutch in their clutch

S. SUBRAMANIUM

When Yuvraj made a Test hundred in Karachi only days back, the Indians were falling apart. Now the Men in Blue celebrated a much-cherished triumph in a different form of the game. Things can change quickly in sports, writes S. Dinakar.

The authority with which they stroked the ball was staggering. The asking rate had climbed to more than eight runs an over, but they bided their time and then cut loose. The duo made it look so simple that it was like a walk in the park.

The Indians completed a sweeping eight-wicket victory in Karachi to take the Hutch ODI series 4-1. Rahul Dravid held aloft the trophy. His men had been spirited and aggressive, committed and disciplined. And they deserved to triumph.

The pressure was seldom eased on Pakistan. As the series progressed, the Pakistanis, under increasing strain physically and mentally, wilted. If cricket is all about confidence, then Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni are bristling with this commodity. If the game is all about ability then the two have oodles of this ingredient, too.

It is this heady blend of self-belief and talent that has turned this pair into a feared one; at the National Stadium, the two gave the Pakistani cricketers nightmares in daylight.

Yuvraj is batting like a dream. Coach Greg Chappell and the sports scientist Ian Fraser have worked on his footwork and Yuvraj is stroking majestically in the `V'. Yet, as Chappell points out, more than any technical change, the fact that Yuvraj has been given a consistent run in both Test and ODI cricket has been such a huge factor in his batting metamorphosis.

The feeling of being backed can do wonderful things to a cricketer's mind. The team-management believes in Yuvraj and he has responded with runs. The responsibility of being named the vice-captain after the injured Virender Sehwag had to fly back has only strengthened the left-hander's resolve.

Yuvraj was in considerable pain during the latter stages of his sixth ODI hundred. He winced in agony and had his strained hamstring strapped. Yet, he put a price on his wicket and celebrated with Dhoni in the middle when the target of 287 was reached. Man of the Match and Series he certainly was. Yuvraj's batting is coated with maturity these days. While he has always been a flamboyant batsman, there is an unmistakable solidity about his ways at the crease now. His bat appears broader than ever before.

Yuvraj's unbeaten 107 (93b, 15x4) and Dhoni's 77 not out (56b, 6x4, 4x6) and their hectic 146-run stand denied Pakistan a consolation victory. The two do pack a punch. Yet, they did not indulge in excessive risks during the beginning of their partnership. The pair ran brilliantly between the wickets, putting the Pakistani fielders under considerable stress.

And the manner in which Dhoni found the gaps on the on-side with deft wristwork reflected his control over the proceedings; there were times when he appeared to be toying with the bowling. India entered the last 10 overs needing 82 for victory. Then Dhoni's booming blows put Pakistan out of the contest. He smote Mohammad Asif over covers for a stunning six and dumped Mohammed Sami over long-on and mid-wicket. The Pakistani shoulders drooped further. For the host, the match was gone with Karachi's evening breeze.

The Pakistanis fielded poorly once again. The fielders let the ball through their legs and overthrows were commonplace. The host did not display enough pride on the field.

India preferred to rest Sachin Tendulkar and Irfan Pathan and Dravid opened the innings with Gambhir. The Delhi left-hander batted attractively but failed to consolidate.

There were periods when Pakistan seemed to control the flow of runs, but the fact that the pacemen were not able to make inroads suggested that India would have wickets in hand to make a charge in the decisive moments of the match.

Dravid's 50 (6x4) might have consumed 82 deliveries, but the skipper donned a key role in the Indian chase that was splendidly orchestrated.

Paceman S. Sreesanth impressed in the morning after Dravid won the toss. There is a fluency about Sreesanth's run-up and action that cannot be missed; he moved the ball away in his first spell and swung it in during the end overs. The Kerala paceman's three wickets in his opening burst — Imran Farhat, Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik were his victims — was a vital contribution.

The short-pitched deliveries from Sreesanth can be pretty deceptive and Farhat and Akmal fell miscuing pulls; both batsmen wasted starts.

Mohammad Yousuf (67, 85b, 6x4) and vice-captain Younis Khan (74 not out, 79b, 3x4, 2x6) were the chief contributors for Pakistan — the latter did open his shoulders towards the end against Zaheer Khan — but the Indian bowlers performed a creditable job on a pitch favouring batsmen.

Left-arm paceman Rudra Pratap Singh was steady and off-spinner Ramesh Powar, finally receiving a look-in, sent down a tidy spell; the Mumbaikar bowling an off-stump line and drifting the ball into the right-hander won a crucial leg-before decision against Inzamam-ul-Haq.

For Inzamam, the match ended in much disappointment. He was quick in his appreciation of the Indians. "We were outclassed. The Indians were better in all the departments."

The ODI series marked another step forward as captain for Dravid. He dwelt on the importance of the team to "continue the process of developing as a unit."

He said, "We have shown a lot of spirit in coming back after the defeat in the Test series. The youngsters have been put in different situations, under pressure. They have responded well."

When Yuvraj made a Test hundred in Karachi only days back, the Indians were falling apart.

Now the Men in Blue celebrated a much-cherished triumph in a different form of the game.

How quickly things can change in sports!SCOREBOARD

Pakistan v India, 5th ODI, Karachi, February 19. India won by eight wickets. India won the series 4-1.

Man of the Match and Player of the Series: Yuvraj Singh.

Pakistan: K. Akmal c R. P. Singh b Sreesanth 25; I. Farhat c & b Sreesanth 24; S. Malik c Raina b Sreesanth 12; M. Yousuf c Khan b Agarkar 67; Inzamam-ul-Haq lbw b Powar 21; Y. Khan (not out) 74; A. Razzaq c Dravid b R. P. Singh 24; Y. Arafat b Khan 10; M. Sami c Kaif b Sreesanth 2; I. Anjum (not out) 6; Extras (lb-5, w-14, nb-2) 21. Total (for eight wkts. in 50 overs) 286.

Fall of wickets: 1-62, 2-71, 3-77, 4-115, 5-210, 6-239, 7-261, 8-264.

India bowling: Khan 10-0-64-1; Agarkar 10-1-60-1; Sreesanth 10-1-58-4; R. P. Singh 10-1-50-1; Powar 10-0-49-1.

India: G. Gambhir c Akmal b Anjum 38; R. Dravid c Malik b Sami 50; Y. Singh (not out) 107; M. S. Dhoni (not out) 77; Extras (lb-8, w-7) 15. Total (for two wkts. in 46.5 overs) 287.

Fall of wickets: 1-69, 2-141.

Pakistan bowling: Sami 8.5-0-65-1; Asif 9-0-48-0; Anjum 10-0-44-1; Arafat 8-0-51-0; Malik 3-0-22-0; Razzaq 8-0-49-0.

Pakistan full substitute: Faisal Iqbal (unused).

India full substitute: M. Kartik (unused).