Pakistani fast-bowler Muhammad Asif stunned a near-capacity crowd of partisan supporters by taking a wicket in each of his four overs in the Twenty20 World Championship cricket match against India at the Sahara Stadium Kingsmead in Durban on Friday.
It set up a grand struggle between the two Asian giants, as both India and Pakistan were restricted to totals of 141. India got 141 for nine and Pakistan 141 for seven — after a run out off the last ball — and set up a ”bowl-out” for only the second time in the short history of Twenty20 cricket.
It was very much like a penalty shoot-out in soccer. Five nominated players of each side each bowled one ball at unprotected stumps. It was India who triumphed with three strikes to nil to win the match.
With the two or three rain showers having abated — they caused two stoppages during the India innings — Pakistan got to 12 in the third over, but after Imran Nazir had survived an appeal for a catch at the wicket, he was bowled next ball by RP Singh.
They looked to be in command until a sensational direct hit by Yuvraj Singh ended the innings of Kamran Akmal for 15 as he tried to go for a quick single and Salaman Butt and Younis Khan were also dismissed cheaply. Mahendra Dhoni caught Butt at the wicket for 11 off Ajit Agarkar and Khan was restricted to two as he was bowled by Irfan Pathan.
The Pakistan innings continued to flounder and at 87 for five in the 15th over they were firmly behind the required run rate.
This time it was Harbhajan Singh who took the important catch in the deep to dismiss the dangerous Shoaib Malik for 20 off Pathan. The writing appeared to be on the wall when Harbhajan induced Shahid Afridi to try one big hit too many to be caught by Karthik for seven.
Then came all the drama as Misbak ul Haq and Yasir Arafat hit out desperately to leave themselves requiring 12 off the final over bowled by Shanthakumaran Sreesanth. His second ball was slammed for six and it was down to seven of five, and then a hasty two had it at five off three required with Misbak getting to his 50 in fine style with a four to level the scores.
Now it was one to win off the last ball. But the Indians had the last laugh. They secured a run out to force the ”bowl-out”.
Earlier, Indian supporters had been hustled into silence as their side slumped to 36 for four in the seventh over before, at 68 for four after 10 overs, the rain that had been forecast all week arrived to halt proceedings for the first time.
On a sensational start Asif held a near-miracle return catch to dismiss India opener Gautam Gambhir off the fourth ball of the innings. The ball was struck back to his right hand and he did well to hold a juggling effort at the second attempt.
He couched another wicket in his second over when he knocked over the off stump of Virendar Sehwag with a nigh-perfect delivery after the Indian batsman had struck a smart boundary in his all-too-brief three-ball innings.
Asif was again on target in his third over as he completely deceived Yuvraj Singh, who lofted the ball into the safe hands of Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik, and India were in dire straits at 19 for three.
In his fourth over he again hit the stumps with a full delivery and Indian batsman Dinesh Karthik was on his way back to the dressing room much earlier than he had hoped.
India then found a hero in Robin Uthappa who, relishing the absence of Asif who had completed his spell, hit two towering sixes in one over off Yasir Arafat. At the other end he had skipper Mahendra Dhoni in support in a 46-run fifth-wicket stand off 34 balls.
Uthappa reached his 50 off 38 balls with four fours and two sixes, but was out immediately afterwards when he edged Tanvir Sohail to wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal.
Pathan lofted Afridi for two massive sixes to take India past the 100 mark, but trying to repeat the shot he was bowled for 20 as more rain began to fall. Once again the covers were on at 123 for six with three overs left to be bowled in the Indian innings.
It quickly resumed and the Indian total was taken to 138 for eight as Dhoni lashed out for 33 off 31 balls with three fours and a six and finally to 141 for nine off their allotted overs. — Sapa