Asia Cup Cricket: 'Virat' Victory Over Pakistan!

Prior to the Blockbuster there was a downpour last night followed a mild earthquake today morning in Dhaka! Maybe Nature too could not help getting agitated for the titanic clash between the eternal rivals! 

Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first. Right from the start openers Hafeez and Jamshed looked confident and went on with clinical execution. They scored runs at will maintaining a high run-rate throughout. The first hundred run partnership was achieved in over no.18 and then double-hundred partnership in as early as the 33rd over. Both them helped themselves with worthy tons--Jamshed making his maiden hundred (112) and Hafeez made 105. Their getting out in quick succession hardly made any difference to the scoring momentum and a total in excess of 350 looked imminently possible. Finally a target of 330 was set for Team India as Pakistan made 229/6 in fifty overs. 

Lack of depth in Indian bowling was sorely visible one more time. Pravin Kumar became the most expensive with absolutely no control and the rest of the pack made no impact at all for the rampaging Pakistan batsmen. Even history-maker Tendulkar had to try his hand midway. Wickets came India's way, maybe almost too late. But nobody could make the cardinal of trying to predict a match featuring the classic rivals. Any of them is capable of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory or vice versa. Only that in Australia CB Series match against Sri Lanka Team India overhauled a mammoth total in less than forty overs winning a bonus point! 

The Indian reply started with a huge jolt. Opener Hafeez who scored a brilliant century earlier opened the Pakistan bowling too capturing the prized wicket of in-form Gambhir in the very second ball of the innings. But from then onwards it was an exhilarating display of stupendous batting prowess.

Sachin Tendulkar, now a big burden off his shoulders, batted freely and notched up another half-century completing a 133 run partnership with Virat Kohli. Kohli stroking the ball magnificently went from strength to strength achieving his third century in four appearances (he scored 66 runs in the last match against Bangladesh). Rohit Sharma joined him and raced to his half-century too. They had a rollicking match-winning partnership of over 172 runs filled with fours and sixes. The much talked about superiority of the Pakistan bowling attack was razed to the ground by the mastery of much talked about Indian batsmen. But, of course, this fact cannot write off the obvious inferiority of Indian bowling.

Virat (this word signifies huge or bigness) Kohli and Rohit Sharma kept company till the 46^th over when Rohit got out for 68 with the team score at 305/3. Kohli made a terrific 183 runs off just 148 balls filled with 24 fours and 1 six. When he got out victory was only a formality which Raina and Skipper Dhoni accomplished with 13 balls to spare. India won by 6 wickets.

It was India’s one of the most fantastic wins over their arch rival Pakistan. They have thus increased their chances of reaching the final and meeting Pakistan again on 22^nd March. If Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh India would be through and if Bangladesh win the second finalist will be decided on the best net run-rate between the two.

Virat was the spontaneous choice for the Man of the Match award.

Postscript:
It seems Asia Cup-2012 is following CB Series rules regarding teams tied with points. This means if India is locked with Bangladesh with the same number of points head-to-head record, not net run-rate, is to be counted. So, if Bangladesh win against Sri Lanka they will sail into the final due to the fact that India got beaten by them in the league stage. The only way for India's entry would be that of Sri Lanka's win--plain and simple win over the hosts.