India recorded their first one-day series win in Pakistan with a 40-run win in the fifth and deciding one-day international to clinch the series 3-2.
After Vangipurappu Laxman scored his first 100 against Pakistan to lead a strong Indian innings of 293 for seven on Wednesday, left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan (3-29) mopped up the Pakistan top order with three quick wickets as the hosts were dismissed for 253 in 47,5 overs.
It was India’s first one-day series win in Pakistan in six attempts since the rival nations first played a limited-overs match on Pakistan soil in the 1978/79 season.
”Over the last year this Indian team have worked very hard. It’s fantastic to win in Pakistan, it’s a phenomenal effort,” Indian captain Sourav Ganguly said.
Moin Khan’s effort of 72 runs was not enough to see his side through after Pakistan were reduced to 96 for six in 24 overs. Khan added 99 runs with Shoaib Malik (65) and added 53 runs with number 10 batsman Mohammed Sami (23) before he was bowled by Laxmipathy Balaji (3-62) in the 48th over.
However, the Indian team got a setback when Ganguly was carried off the field on a stretcher after injuring his back in the 10th over with Pakistan struggling at 40 for three.
Fielding at mid-off, Ganguly dived to stop Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq’s drive off seamer Laxmipathy Balaji, but he stayed down writhing in pain.
The Indian skipper may have aggravated the back injury that kept him out of some one-dayers against the West Indies in 2002. The Indian players surrounded their captain when he fell and physiotherapist Andrew Leipus rushed on to the field to attend to him.
Inzamam made 38 before Sachin Tendulkar celebrated his 100th catch in his 333rd one-day international with a spectacular running save centimetres inside the ropes at long off to dismiss the Pakistani skipper and reduce the home team to 87 for five.
”The target was not tall, but we lost quick wickets in the start which made the difference,” Inzamam said.
”But I must admit the Indian bowlers bowled very well,” he added.
Earlier, man of the match Laxman scored his sixth limited-overs century and the first against Pakistan to lead India to 293 for seven off its 50 overs with about 2 500 Indian supporters among the 21 000-strong home team fans cheering him on from the stands of Gaddafi Stadium.
It was the same target that India successfully chased last Sunday under lights at the Gaddafi Stadium to level the series 2-2.
Laxman, dropped on 52, made 107 off 104 balls before he top-edged and was caught by Sami in the 46th over after hitting 11 attractive boundaries on both sides of the wicket.
Balaji hit speedster Shoaib Akhtar for the only six of the Indian innings. But Akhtar bowled an impressive 10 overs in three spells. He didn’t bowl a single wide or no-ball and conceded 47 runs for the wicket of Ganguly.
Virender Sehwag hit four boundaries in his short burst of 20 runs off 22 balls, while Tendulkar was shaping up well as he hit seven fours in his 37 runs. But both edged to wicketkeeper Moin Khan in an attempt to play extravagant strokes.
Ganguly (45) and Laxman put on 92 runs off 111 deliveries and consolidated midway through the innings as Pakistan’s bowlers kept a good line and length.
Ganguly was snapped up at the wicket by Khan as the Indian captain got a big edge when he attempted to guide the ball through third man.
Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj also fell cheaply in order to raise the scoring tempo. Sami grabbed three wickets for 63 runs and lanky seam bowler Shabbir Ahmed chipped in with two for 56.
The three-Test series — the first on Pakistan soil between the two archrivals in 14 years — begins in Multan on March 28. — Sapa-AP