September 16, 2007	Sunday	Ramazan 03, 1428

DURBAN, Sept 15: Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni wants the bowl-out rule abolished despite defeating arch-rivals Pakistan in that fashion in the Twenty20 World Championship.

“I don’t want to see a cricket match decided on a bowl-out,” he said. “The team plays so hard to get a result and it should always be decided on the field.”

India and Pakistan were involved in a bowl-out at the Kingsmead on Friday night after the arch-rivals played a heart-stopping tie.

With Pakistan needing 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.

In the bowl-out, Pakistan’s Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul and Shahid Afridi failed to hit the stumps 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 win.

“It really amuses you, winning a cricket match 3-0,” said Dhoni. “It doesn’t happen every time, but it is in the record books now.

“I can tell my friends, when I was captain my team won 3-0.”

The narrow loss continued Pakistan’s jinx of having never beaten India in a World Cup or world championship match, and Dhoni hoped his team will continue the trend.

“We might have to play them again in this tournament but, if we do, we would like to keep that record going,” the Indian captain said.

“I never take pressure, whether it’s India-Pakistan or any other game. As for my players they responded well. They were determined. They were focused. The intensity was good.”—AFP