Just want to add some kudos to Malik and Moin for making a game of it. Nice to see glimpses of the old Moin in a ODI again.
Indian skies lit by firecrackers as cricket team beat Pakistan](Yahoo is part of the Yahoo family of brands.)
NEW DELHI (AFP) - Firecrackers lit the skies in India as people celebrated the Indian cricket team’s historic win over Pakistan in the fifth and decisive one-day international match.
Television networks showed people, many of whom skipped work for the day to watch the series on giant screens, dancing to drumbeats and flashing V for victory signs with their fingers.
An election rally by Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani ahead of the April-May national polls had set up two giant screens for the cricket match to ensure crowds came to the venue rather than stay at home.
“Our team of eleven cricket players won the match as well as the hearts. The entire nation congratulates the team and pleased with their performance,” Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee told the team in a message.
Cricket fans said they would celebrate all night and rated the victory as the most important after the 1983 World Cup win over West Indies in London.
“We are very happy that India has won, but a little sad that our captain Sourav Ganguly suffered a back injury during the match,” said Rahul Dev, a cricket fan in New Delhi.
“We are hoping he recovers quickly and leads us to victory in the test match series as well,” he added.
Ganguly’s family said they remained put before the television set to watch the entire match.
“It is a tremendous victory. All our family was glued to the television set to watch the grand end of the historic match,” said Snehashis Ganguly, his elder brother in the eastern Indian city of Calcutta.
In the riot-scarred western Indian Gujarat state’s Ahmedabad city, clashes broke out between a group of Hindus and Muslims and the police had to fire teargas shells to bring the situation under control.
But nobody was seriously injured in the violence, police said.
India clinched the series 3-2 to record their first title win in Pakistan after five failed attempts between 1978 and 1997.
The Indians will attempt to rectify their record of never winning a Test match in Pakistan when the three-Test series starts in Multan on Sunday.
Ganguly-less India win first series in Pakistan](http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/040324/3/2q3k.html)
LAHORE, Pakistan (AFP) - India overcame a back injury to captain Sourav Ganguly to win their maiden one-day series in Pakistan with a 40-run victory in the decisive fifth match.
Venkatsai Laxman hit 107 in India’s 293-7 from 50 overs, before young seamer Irfan Pathan grabbed 3-32 in 10 overs as Pakistan were bowled out for 253 at the Gaddafi stadium.
Pakistan, who at one point were reduced to 96-6, had their pride restored by an aggressive 72 off 71 balls from Moin Khan.
The doughty wicket-keeper added 99 for the seventh wicket with Shoaib Malik (65) and 53 for the eighth with Mohammad Sami (23), but it was not enough to deny India victory.
India clinched the series 3-2 to record their first title win in Pakistan after five failed attempts between 1978 and 1997.
The Indians, who have also never won a Test match in Pakistan, will attempt to rectify that record when the three-Test series starts in Multan on Sunday.
view photo
Ganguly hurt his lower back when he dived to stop a drive from his Pakistani counterpart Inzamam-ul Haq and had to be taken off the field in a stretcher.
Indian manager Ratnakar Shetty said Ganguly was in “intense pain” while being treated in the dressing room by team physiotherapist Andrew Leipus.
“We will consult a specialist on Thursday morning so see how serious the injury is,” media manager Amrit Mathur said. The Indian captain will have just three days to recover if he is to play in the first Test.
Laxman’s sixth one-day hundred steadied the tourists after Inzamam won his fifth toss in a row and elected to field in the day-night game.
Laxman, who managed just 27 runs in three previous innings in the series, struck 11 boundaries before he holed out against off-spinner Malik.
India plundered 19 runs in the last two overs due to belligerent batting by tailenders Pathan (20 off 12 balls) and Laxmipathy Balaji (10 off six).
Among the 25,000 fans at the overflowing stadium was Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, who watched the match for an hour alongside Indian industrialist Nusli Wadia, the grandson of Pakistan’s founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Bombay-based Wadia was a special invitee of the Pakistan government to the match, part of India’s first full tour of the neighbours since 1989.
India’s total was identical to Pakistan’s in the fourth one-dayer at the same venue on Sunday, which the tourists surpassed with five overs to spare.
But Pakistan’s hopes were dashed by left-arm seamer Pathan, who ripped through the top order to reduce the rivals to 58-4 by the 13th over.
Pathan trapped Yousuf Youhana leg-before for one, clean bowled Taufiq Umer and then had Younis Khan caught at point by Yuvraj Singh with a well-disguised slower ball.
At the other end, new-ball partner Balaji bowled Yasir Hameed and had danger man Abdul Razzaq driving to mid-off as Pakistan slipped to 96-6.
Inzamam, who hit centuries in the first and fourth matches, managed only 38 when he was superbly caught by Sachin Tendulkar near the boundary ropes at long-on. It was Tendulkar’s 100th catch in one-day internationals.
Tendulkar, one-day cricket’s most successful batsman, had earlier failed to make 50 for the sixth successive time in a major final when he was dismissed for 37.
Laxman was helped in the recovery by Ganguly, who made 45 in a third-wicket stand of 92.
From the start it was apparent the series was fixed. We had to loose as a goodwill gesture and so we did. Now the test matches are ours...it's india's turn to return the favor now. Though, I'd have preffered other wise
when does the test series start?
In the riot-scarred western Indian Gujarat state’s Ahmedabad city, clashes broke out between a group of Hindus and Muslims and the police had to fire teargas shells to bring the situation under control.
Indian muslims supporting pak?
Last time BJP won the election was because of Pakistan too. Musharraf’s adeventure in Kargil made BJP won. And now peace with Pakistan, will make BJP win this elections.
Fireworks in Lahore
Whoever thought Pakistan might feel like Sharjah, with thousands of Indians cheering, shouting and blaring horns in support of their team? The Indian team has received incredible support throughout the tour, not just from Indians but from the locals as well. When Lakshmipathy Balaji bowled Moin Khan to notch up India's first ever one-day series victory on Pakistani soil in six attempts, there was an eruption of firecrackers at the College Road end. You can be sure fireworks would have been set off in Mumbai and New Delhi at that very moment, but to see this happen in Lahore, despite the home team losing, was incredible. It was characteristic of the spirit in which the fans watched this series
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by imran dhanji: *
You can be sure fireworks would have been set off in Mumbai and New Delhi at that very moment,
[/QUOTE]
of course not, it's india.
catches win matches - VVS on 52 - catch dropped by Taufeeq - crunch match - Pakistan lost by 40 runs - India finally broke the barrier of crunch games - CONGRATS INDIA!
first i thought Inzamam failed to set any plan to stop singles - boundaries were coming off every over - but the problem was line and length of bowlers particularly Shoaib Malik and Razzaq - tho the no. of extras were dramatically reduced - however it was quite easy for VVS and Ganguly to take easy singles and danced around the Pakistani fieldmen
from top to the middle order of Pakistan was a total disgrace - i didn't see that coming honestly after being pretty much in the whole series - this was the only game when both hot hands(Yasir and Inzamam) failed to lived up the expectations - and rest of the players made the mockery of the team besides Moin and Malik for a day!
anyhow - onto the Test series.
Re: Mood in Lahore
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by imran dhanji: *
“Between brothers no one wins. We are praying for a tie.” The banner put up by some Indian fans summed up the mood at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.
[/QUOTE]
SELL-OUTS! TRAITORS!
j/k
This is historic, let’s have more: Jinnah’s daughter
Lahore, march 24: President General Pervez Musharraf was among the top dignitaries, including Nusli Wadia, Indian industrialist (Bombay Dyeing ) and grandson of Mohd Ali Jinnah, who watched the series-deciding ODI between India and Pakistan at the Gaddafi Stadium here today. Musharraf, who had watched the second one-dayer for a few hours at Rawalpindi Stadium which India lost by 12 runs, flew in here in a military helicopter from Islamabad.
Dressed in battle fatigues and accompanied by a team of commandos, Musharraf sat next to Nusli Wadia and his family. Among the other Indian dignitaries were Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur and Union Ministers Shatrughan Sinha, Vikram Verma and Vijay Goel.
Musharraf left the stadium after watching the match for over an hour.
Along with Nusli Wadia his mother and daughter of Jinnah, Dina Wadia, also witnessed the final one-day match between India and Pakistan.
Dina Wadia, who is visiting Pakistan from India along with her son and two grandchildren, said Pak-India cricket series was a “historic event”.
“Such events will help foster friendly relations between the two countries besides bringing the people closer,” she said.
“Relations between both the countries are improving and we must have such activities in future for more interaction,” she said.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by nikhil25: *
Ok...but what is the point? Although i could argue this extras thing with you....i wont. I am just wondering how it even matters? Assuming you are correct (which you are not), giving away extras is a weakness of a team. Weaknesses cause losses. Blaming luck is one thing, but blaming a weakness is stupid. If India bats poorly one day, does it make sense to say "that win wasn't really pakistan's, we just batted poorly". lol, thats dumb. Same thing for that Zoab Khan guy, poor discipline is a weakness of a team. Weaknesses decrease the rating of a team. They are not just flukes. I am not in the NBA because i shoot off target constantly. that is one of my weaknesses. just one of the reasons why i suck at basketball.
but regardless, your point about the extras is inaccurate to begin with. they would not have made a difference. i can come up with trivial excuses of why India did not win 5-0. I'm sure there are plenty of indians coming up with excuses and excuses as to why it was not 5-0. some of the points are probably valid, but it doesnt matter in the least.
pakistan played well, and avoided humiliation. you should be proud. i am looking forward to the tests! you all should be too. the ODI's are behind us.
[/QUOTE]
y do u give me stupid arguments all the time? Relax, think for some time .. i'm not saying india doesnt deserve the win. just read my post again.. india won because they made less mistakes and also because they have alot of talent and played with a plan and discipline. every loss has its reason. extras are not a weakness. we havent been sending down more then 30 extras for last decade or somethin.
but india also won because pak made a hell of a lot of mistakes. that doesnt mean india doesnt deserve to win, they do - for exactly that reason, among others.
n buddy, i can come up with "excuses" as well of y pak dint win it 5-0. but i'm just giving the reasons of why ind won 3-2. please refer to my previous post for a list of them, n relax i do give a fair amount of credit to india as well!
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by sambrialian: *
ok, lets stop this, guys. enough of the matchfixing allegations etc.
[/QUOTE]
cool man. i was just being funny.
i am not buddhu , i know there can not be any match fixing in this "big" series.;)
man this sucks..this is the first match of the series i got to watch on tv and we lost..it was a one sided game..our team is really very inconsistent..u never know what to expect from them 
Well played Pakistan and India, but the better team won. Everyone wanted Taufeeq Umar for the last game, and the exact thing happened which everyone was afraid of. It was a crunch game, and no matter how gutsy a player might be, without experience, in a game like this you crunch under pressure. He scored only 18 runs and dropped 2 catches. Now you think maybe Afridi had been playing, maybe he would have scored more runs or not, but he would have definetly held onto the catches and saved a lot of runs on the field. Also, when Razzaq and Malik were getting hit, Inzamam could have had the luxury to use a sixth bowler.
Pakistan tried doing something in this match which would have never worked. Since Pakistani bowling has been unpredictable in the series, they tried to match their batting with Indian batting. If anyone needed to be dropped, it should have been Younis Khan, not Afridi. Pakistani batting can never match Indian batting, and Indian bowling can never match Pakistani bowling. You should always play with your strenghts. Inzamam clearly showed he had more confidence in his batters than bowlers by electing to bowl first.
I had always been saying Pakistan should have kept the same team for the last match. The team had won 2 out of 3 matches, why change it in the last match and bring in young player and put him under so much pressure. Taufeeq is an excellent player, but is not ready for such crunch games in his career yet. Yes, he scored a centuary in the warm up game, but there is a hell of a lot of difference between a warm up game and a series decider. Look at Youhana. He was definetly the biggest disapointment of the whole series. I don’t get it, such a classy player like him could not bounce back in the whole series. It makes you wonder about his class. He gave Laxman catching practise in the slips in the 4th ODI, which even Afridi didn’t do.
Nonetheless, it was a good effort by the Pakistani team. Poor planning, dropped catches, and extras played a big part on the loss for Pakistan. Hopefully, for the test matches, things will get sorted out :k: 
HATS OFF 2 PAKISTAN 4 SHOWING SUCH HOSPITALITY...!!!
THANKS A LOT GUYS! U WERE GR8...
HOPE 2 C A MATCH IN INDIA AS WELL.....
BRAVO!!!!1
wah.... kia khel tha!!
hey ppl!
what on earth happend?? we've been having numerous debates b/t us and the indians over this match! was it a fix that we lost or is our team so hopeless that at the last minute they chickened out at the thought of a decider? ya phir laalach? whadya reckon?!?
he’s not munda 
He’s khoocha..
- i can’t believe we lost this series, we had india on the ropes and let them off the hook @ lahore not once but 2wice!!!
i honestly feel for inzi’ the guy batted his heart out through out the series & look how his fellow team members responded to his efforts excluding {moin and shoaib malik} in the last one day rubber who batted magificently!!!
inzi’ knew our bowlers were inconsistent and ppl were blaming the dew factor when india showed in the last odi how to adapt to the conditions irfan khan pathan’s bowling a mere example 
we lost that game becoz’ of our top order batsmen, the game was lost @ 25/3 then some ik’ like 99/6! our top order batsmen excluding inzi’ got out on shots that u’d expect to be played @ club level.
wat was yasir hameed playing at! he chose to drive the ball when that shot wasn’t on!! i can’t believe taufeeq umar’s dismissal, 
even the commentators were taking the mick out of him saying ** “he don’t know where his leg stump is” **
and younis khan don’t know wat’s happened to his batting as of late, i am not surprised he has been dropped for the test series, why did he chase a wide ball and he hit that into the air as well, if he had left that ball maybe it would’ve been called a wide and secondly the situation we were in we couldn’t afford to lose another batsmen, the guy has played 100+ odi matches when is he gonna use that vital experience 
inzi’s wicket was both desperation to get runs and a splendid catch, the run rate was increasing and inzi’ had to play shots of such nature, but the game was lost much earlier, inzi’ was just delaying the inevitable 
i was very impressed with shoaib malik + moin khan wat a gr8 partnership and they managed to post a decent, a much more respectable total, i thought we’d be bowled out for 150 - 160+ but hats off to the 2 gr8 partnership :k:
in the end, india held on to score a morale-boosting win and grab the odi series+trophy.
good luck to pakistan in the test series we better make amends and win it!!!
p.s " guys & gals’ wat was up with all the moths in the ground, ok i have seen them on pak day/nighters before but on wednesday there were zillions 
don’t know how moin + shoaib saw the balls coming and how did the indian fielders field! can’t some thign be done to reduce dem’! "