INDIA, after amassing 349 at Karachi, came very close to losing the match. Pakistan making 329 at Rawalpindi had its supporters sweating and it had nothing to do with the humidity.

It was only after Sachin Tendulkar had been splendidly caught by Abdul Razzaq were the cricket fans able to breathe a little more freely but even then the fear lingered that India might still pull it off.

In the end, Pakistan got home by 12 runs. Too close for comfort for a team whose bowlers are supposed to give them an edge. Had India won it would have got a strangle-hold on the series. Now it's all square.

Pakistan made the right changes, Shahid Afridi and Shabbir Ahmed included for Imran Farhat and Rana Naveedul Hasan. The roar that went up when the Rawalpindi crowd saw Afridi as Yasir Hameed's opening partner was a stamp of approval.

He went onto blast 80 runs of 58 balls but by his standards, he was sedate. He didn't go hell-for-leather but there was a more judicious shot-selection but every now and then he would send our hearts racing and the Dennis the Menace in him surfaced. But he stayed long enough to provide the platform for Pakistan for a big score.

A partnership of 138 runs for the first wicket was a dream start. Yasir bided his time but was not dwarfed. He played proper cricket shots but he was in a positive frame of mind.

His only mistake cost him his wicket and denied him a richly deserved hundred. He was run out. He was watching the ball instead of his partner, Inzamamul Haq, who had galloped down the wicket.

Yousuf Youhana played too clever a shot and ended up by literally playing the ball onto his stumps. Inzamam started briskly, as if, carrying on from Karachi but the same concentration was missing.

The decision to hold back Abdul Razzaq was mind-blowing. Here was a batsman who is in the peak of batting form. The platform was there. He would have plundered the bowling like a Mongol warlord. As it is he sparkled like a diamond hit and 33 off 18 balls. 329 was a good score but it could have been more.

It was now up to the bowlers and from India's point of view up to Tendulkar to make the Pakistan bowlers bowl to his strength. It was a good move to get Shabbir to open the bowling but I was surprised at the field set for him.

He should have bowled an off stump line but his field was for a bowler who was planning to bowl middle and leg. He strayed and was wasted.

The bowling was more disciplined but lacked penetration. Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami bowled well enough but it was their misfortune that they came across a Tendulkar at his fluent best.

This was a classic century and I would imagine that he would rate it amongst his better ones, marred only by the fact that it was of no avail for he was on the losing side much like Inzamam had been at Karachi.

We have had the chance to watch the world's best batsman but Tendulkar is like Oliver Twist. He asks for more. I fear we are not done with him yet. Pakistan needs too to devise a plan against Virender Sehwag. He is an explosive batsman and likes to free his arms and swing.

I don't think any plan can be devised against Rahul Dravid. The Great Wall of China was meant to be impregnable. Rahul Dravid is the same kind of a Wall. Once again the crowd was simply magnificent.

They had braved many hurdles to get into the stadium and once they got in, they were determined to enjoy themselves. The match was turned into a carnival.

It gave Tendulkar a standing ovation and it still must be ringing in his ears. He may have got confused. Had he been transported to his beloved Mumbai? Could he have ever hoped for such affection from a Pakistani crowd? Eat your heart out Mr Bal Thackeray.