Sep 15: The Durban crowd witnessed a historic Twenty20 World Cup cricket match on Friday night that ended like soccer or hockey like score-line of 3-0, as the thriller between India and Pakistan was end up in a tie in the allotted overs, and thus it became the first match in the history of the Inaugural Twenty20 World Cupto find out the ultimate winner of the match through ‘Bowl-Out’ rule.
In the bowl-out, Pakistan's Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul and Shahid Afridi failed to hit the stumps quite surprisingly at the other end, Indian bowlers Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh and Robin Uthappa hit the wicket each time to give their team a 3-0 exciting win.
With Pakistan required one run to overtake India's 141-9, Misbah-ul Haq was run out off the last ball of the innings to leave his team on 141-7 and match ended in a tie. Irrespective of the end result, both Pakistan and India have made it to the Super Eights stage ousting Scotland from the race.
Pakistan won the toss and put India in to bat preferring to chase rather than to pile up a big score. India opener Gautam Gambhir got out off the fourth ball of the innings as Asif held a miraculous return catch to dismiss him. The ball was struck his right hand on the way and he did well to hold a juggling effort at the second attempt.
Further Asif picked up another wicket in his second over when Virendar Sehwag’s off stump was knocked over with a nigh perfect delivery, after the Indian batsman had all struck a smart boundary in his three ball innings.
Last night Asif was really on fire as he was again on target in his third over as he completely deceived Yuvraj Singh, who hit the ball in the air and Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik, did no mistake in grabbing a loosener and India were in dire straits at 19 for three.
In his last over Asif again hit the stumps with a full delivery and sent Indian batsman Dinesh Karthik was on his way back to the dressing room much earlier than he had hoped.
Then came Robin Uthappa who relished the absence of Asif, as his quota of overs was completed by that time, hit two towering sixes in one over off Yasir Arafat. At the other end skipper Mahendra Dhoni ably supported him in a 46-run fifth wicket stand off 34 balls.
Uthappa reached his half-century with four boundaries and two sixes but got out soon afterwards when he edged Tanvir Sohail to wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal. In between the rain interrupted the match with showers were coming on and off to disrupt the play. It quickly resumed and the Indian total was taken to 138 for eight, as skipper Dhoni lashed out for 33 off 31 balls studded with three fours and a six, which finally took India to 141 for nine in their stipulated overs.
Indian bowlers had managed to hold off Pakistan till the 14.4 overs and their fielders backed them fully. Pakistan was 83 for 4 at that stage, still 59 runs away from victory. All the drama was set out by the pair of Misbak-ul-Haq and Yasir Arafat, who hit out desperately to leave themselves requiring 12 in the final over bowled by Shanthakumaran Sreesanth. The second ball was slammed for six and it was down to seven of five, and then a hasty two had it at five off three required, with Misbak getting to his 50 in fine style with a four to level the scores and got out off the last ball leaving everybody in anguish.
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