20 September 2004	Monday	04 Shaban 1425

BIRMINGHAM, Sept 19: Yousuf Youhana's unbeaten 81 saw Pakistan to a thrilling three-wicket win against India at Edgbaston on Sunday and a place in the ICC Champions Trophy semifinals.

Pakistan now face West Indies in the last four at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday. Chasing 201 for victory, Pakistan finished on 201 for seven with four balls to spare in the gathering Birmingham gloom.

Man-of-the-Match Youhana, who needed a runner from 75 onwards, faced 114 balls with one six and five fours having come in at 27 for three. After Pakistan captain Inzamamul Haq won the toss, fast bowler Rana Naveedul Hasan took career-best One-day International figures of four for 25 India were bowled out for 200.

Naveed was well-supported by Shoaib Akhtar, who took four for 36. It was thanks only to Rahul Dravid (67) and Ajit Agarkar (47), with a stand of 82 in 83 balls, that India's bowlers had a target to defend.

In reply Pakistan's start was almost a mirror image of India's as they too suffered a top-order collapse declining to 27 for three compared to their opponents' 28 for three.

Left-arm pace bowler Irfan Pathan, recently crowned ICC Emerging Player of the Year, did the damage in a spell of three wickets for six runs. Both Imran Farhat (nought) and Shoaib Malik (five) were caught behind by wicket-keeper Dravid.

Then Yasir Hameed (15) fell to Pathan when a top-edged hook saw Ashish Nehra at fine leg take a juggling catch. However, India captain Saurav Ganguly chose to rest Pathan after a spell of 7-1-11-3 rather than have him bowl his 10 overs in one stint.

Inzamam and Youhana launched the fightback with Youhana pulling medium-pacer Agarkar for six. Inzamam followed up by late cutting and pulling off-spinner Harbhajan Singh for successive boundaries in front of a passionate 21,000 sell-out crowd.

But on 41 Inzamam was caught behind, trying to cut Agarkar, having faced 79 balls with five fours. Pakistan were now 102 for four in 29 overs after a stand of 75 between Inzamam and Youhana and come the last 10 overs they needed 52 runs with five wickets in hand.

However, Pakistan lost their sixth wicket on 152 when Moin Khan (10) was caught by a diving Yuvraj Singh at backward point off left-armer Nehra. Pathan returned with seven overs to go and three to bowl himself, Pakistan 40 runs shy of victory.

But Afridi, batting low down at eight, hooked and drove him for two sixes in two balls as 15 runs came off the over. Pakistan needed 15 off the final five overs but Afridi holed out to Sehwag at long-on off part-time spinner Yuvraj's second ball for a 12-ball 25.

But Youhana saw Pakistan home with a single off Yuvraj. Earlier ICC World Player of the Year Dravid faced 108 balls with four fours before he was caught and bowled by Naved.

Inzamam though saw his decision to field first yield a quick result when Ganguly edged Mohammad Sami to Moin for a five-ball nought. Vangipurappu Laxman (three) and Sehwag (10) then both turned Naved to Malik at square leg before Akhtar took two wickets in four balls to leave India floundering at 73 for five.

SCOREBOARD

INDIA:

S.C. Ganguly c Moin b Sami 0

V.Sehwag c S. Malik b Rana Naveed 10

V.V.S. Laxman c S. Malik b Rana Naveed 3

Mohammad Kaif c Moin b S. Akhtar 27

R. Dravid c and b Rana Naveed 67

Yuvraj Singh c Moin b S. Akhtar 0

R.S. Gavaskar c Moin b Razzaq 13

A.B. Agarkar c Youhana b Rana Naveed 47

Irfan Pathan c Youhana b S. Akhtar 6

Harbhajan Singh not out 3

A. Nehra c Shahid Afridi b S. Akhtar 36

EXTRAS (LB-10, W-3, NB-11) 24

TOTAL (all out, 49.5 overs) 200

FALL OF WKTS: 1-1, 2-10, 3-28, 4-73, 5-73, 6-106, 7-188, 8-193, 9-199.

BOWLING: Mohammad Sami 9-1-50-1 (3nb, 2w); Rana Naveedul Hasan 9-1-25-4 (3nb); Abdul Razzaq 10-0-27-1 (1nb); Shoaib Akhtar 9.5-1-36-4 (4nb, 1w); Shahid Afridi 2-0-23-0; Shoaib Malik 10-0-29-0.

PAKISTAN:

Yasir Hameed c Nehra b Pathan 15

Imran Farhat c Dravid b Pathan 0

Shoaib Malik c Dravid b Pathan 5

Inzamamul Haq c Dravid b Agarkar 41

Yousuf Youhana not out 81

Abdul Razzaq b Sehwag 9

Moin Khan c Yuvraj b Nehra 10

Shahid Afridi c Sehwag b Yuvraj 25

Rana Naveedul Hasan not out 5

EXTRAS (B-2, LB-5, W-3) 10

TOTAL (for seven wkts, 49.2 overs) 201

FALL OF WKTS: 1-1, 2-10, 3-27, 4-102, 5-127, 6-152, 7-187.

DID NOT BAT: Mohammad Sami, Shoaib Akhtar.

BOWLING: Irfan Pathan 9-1-34-3; Nehra 10-0-45-1 (1w); Agarkar 10-2-33-1 (2w); Harbhajan Singh 10-1-37-0; Ganguly 4-0-17-0; Sehwag 4-0-22-1; Yuvraj Singh 2.2-0-6-1.

RESULT: Pakistan won by three wickets.

UMPIRES: R.E. Koertzen (South Africa) and S.J.A. Taufel (Australia).

TV UMPIRE: S.A. Bucknor (West Indies).

MATCH REFEREE: C.H. Lloyd (West Indies).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Yousuf Youhana. -Agencies

FINAL STANDINGS



 (Tabulated under played, won, lost, no-result, points, net run-rate):



Pool 'A'



Australia       2       2       0       0       4       +3.24



New Zealand     2       1       1       0       2       +1.60



United States   2       0       2       0       0       -5.12



Pool 'B'



West Indies     2       2       0       0       4       +1.47



South Africa    2       1       1       0       2       +1.55



Bangladesh      2       0       2       0       0       -3.11



Pool 'C'



Pakistan       2        2       0       0       4       +1.41



India          2        1       1       0       2       +0.94



Kenya          2        0       2       0       0       -2.75



Pool 'D'



England         2       2       0       0       4       +2.72



Sri Lanka       2       1       1       0       2       -0.25



Zimbabwe        2       0       2       0       0       -1.88