20 March 2004	Saturday	28 Muharram 1425

PESHAWAR, March 19: Opener Yasir Hameed was unlucky to miss what would have been his third century in One-day Internationals on Friday, but his classy 98 and Abdul Razzaq's all-round performance saw Pakistan cruise to a four-wicket win over India to go 2-1 up in the five-game series at the Arbab Niaz Stadium.

It wasn't a high-scoring game as Yousuf Youhana had predicted with India struggling to 244 for nine, a total the home side overhauled with 16 balls to spare.

After Yasir's splendid job at the crease, Razzaq stroked an unbeaten 53 off just 52 balls and put on 74 for the unbroken seventh-wicket stand with Moin Khan (22), to take Pakistan to victory. It was the all-rounder's 17th half century.

Local boy Yasir, who was later named Man-of-the-Match, was given a standing ovation after smashing 15 fours in a 116-ball knock that was ended by Irfan Pathan, caught by Yuvraj Singh at backward point.

Pathan, the promising 19-year-old left-arm paceman, picked up three for 58 in his first match of the series. Yasir along with Inzamamul Haq shared a 91-run fifth wicket stand as both batted sensibly to pull Pakistan out of troubled waters after they had been reduced to 65 for four.

It was a long walk back for another local boy Shahid Afridi who was bowled by Pathan. Pathan also claimed the scalp of Youhana, taken in the slips by Vangipurappu Laxman for two.

The pattern seemed to continue with Younis Khan, promoted in the order ahead of Inzamam, also going cheaply after being run out by Lakshmipathy Balaji and Shoaib Malik falling to Zaheer Khan for two. But it was Yasir and later Razzaq and Moin who were the real architects of victory. Batting with a good mixture of caution and aggression, Yasir reached his ninth half century in 56 balls as he dispatched eight hits to the ropes to get to that mark.

Pakistan, who put India into bat, drew first blood through Shabbir Ahmed who sent back Sachin Tendulkar for a duck, but seemed to spoil the good work by bowling six wides and two no-balls in his very first over.

But he quickly made up for that by picking up the wickets of Virender Sehwag and Laxman leaving India in seeming trouble at 37 for three by the eighth over. Afridi took a neat catch in the gully to send back Sehwag in the sixth over while Laxman was clean bowled in the eighth.

With the Pakistan attack continuing to trouble the batsmen on a pitch with an uneven bounce, much then depended on captain Saurav Ganguly and his deputy Rahul Dravid.

The two stayed together for a 68-run fourth wicket stand before Ganguly, just when he appeared to have settled down, was dismissed by Razzaq off his first ball of the 24th over with Moin taking a diving catch.

Ganguly, who scored almost a run-a-ball 39, hit five boundaries and a six. After he left, Dravid and Yuvraj Singh were together briefly but once the Indian vice-captain fell to Shoaib Malik, caught behind for 33, it spelt real trouble for the tourists.

At a gloomy 139 for five, a recovery looked difficult and when Mohammad Kaif was trapped leg before by Razzaq in the 34th over after scoring just a single, India were clearly in a precarious position. However, Yuvraj boosted the total with a 76-ball 65 to take India past the 200-mark in the 47th over which at one stage had appeared to be a tall order. Yuvraj, who smashed seven fours and a six in his fine innings, finally lost his wicket to Mohammad Sami who had him caught by Youhana at deep mid-wicket with four balls still to go in the final over.

As it was in Karachi last week where the home bowlers gave away 38 extras, India had only 'thank you' to say to the Pakistan attack that again proved generous hosts. Shabbir was the main culprit bowling 14 wides and three no-balls in a total of 33.

India brought in Pathan in place of the injured Ashish Nehra while Pakistan made no changes to the side that won in Rawalpindi on Tuesday night.

Scoreboard

INDIA:

V. Sehwag c Shahid b Shabbir 13

S.R. Tendulkar c Moin b Shabbir 0

V.V.S. Laxman b Shabbir 3

R. Dravid c Moin b Shoaib Malik 33

S.C. Ganguly c Moin b Razzaq 39

Yuvraj Singh c Youhana b Sami 65

Mohammad Kaif lbw b Razzaq 1

R.R. Powar lbw b Shoaib Malik 14

Irfan Pathan b Shoaib Akhtar 16

L. Balaji not out 21

Zaheer Khan not out 6

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-5, W-23, NB-4) 33

TOTAL (for nine wkts, 50 overs) 244

FALL OF WKTS: 1-8, 2-30, 3-37, 4-131, 5-139, 6-140, 7-167, 8-198, 9-237.

BOWLING: Shoaib Akhtar 10-0-50-1 (2w); Shabbir Ahmed 10-0-33-3 (3nb, 14w); Mohammad Sami 10-0-71-1 (1nb, 5w); Abdul Razzaq 10-1-44-2 (1w); Shoaib Malik 10-0-40-2 (1w).

PAKISTAN:

Yasir Hameed c Yuvraj b Pathan 98

Shahid Afridi b Pathan 6

Yousuf Youhana c Laxman b Pathan 2

Younis Khan run out 18

Shoaib Malik c Sehwag b Zaheer 2

Inzamamul Haq lbw b Tendulkar 28

Abdul Razzaq not out 53

Moin Khan not out 22

EXTRAS (LB-11, W-7) 18

TOTAL (for six wkts, 47.2 overs) 247

FALL OF WKTS: 1-14, 2-29, 3-55, 4-65, 5-156, 6-173.

DID NOT BAT: Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Shabbir Ahmed.

BOWLING: Irfan Pathan 10-0-58-3 (2w); Balaji 9.2-0-41-0 (2w); Zaheer Khan 9-0-56-1 (2w); Ganguly 6-0-24-0; Powar 4-0-17-0; Tendulkar 8-1-31-1 (1w); Yuvraj Singh 1-0-9-0.

UMPIRES: Nadeem Ghauri (Pakistan) and D.R. Shepherd (England).

TV UMPIRE: Asad Rauf (Pakistan).

MATCH REFEREE: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Yasir Hameed.

FIRST MATCH: Karachi, India won by five runs.

SECOND MATCH: Rawalpindi, Pakistan won by 12 runs.

FOURTH MATCH: Lahore (D/N), March 21.

FIFTH MATCH: Lahore (D/N), March 24.