Pacemen undo Inzamam's work

Pakistan 293-9 India 294-5 India win by five wickets

Erratic and expensive bowling from Pakistan's pacemen handed India the win yesterday here in the fourth match of their one-day series, despite a century from the Pakistan captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq, who was named Man of the Match. The series is tied at two matches each going into the final one-day game on Wednesday, also at the Gaddafi Stadium.

India, set a target of 294, were helped by a large extras total from the fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar, Shabbir Ahmed and Mohammad Sami. The bowling errors wasted Inzamam's score of 123 and a solid 45 from Yasir Hameed. Rahul Dravid and Mohammad Kaif registered 76 and 71 not out respectively to secure the Indian victory.

"I'm a big fan of Kaif," the India captain, Sourav Ganguly, said. "He bats at No 7, the most difficult position in one-day cricket, and he keeps coming up with knocks like this."

Shoaib Akhtar's first delivery went for four extras, bouncing off Moin Khan's gloves. Sachin Tendulkar was caught behind in the fourth over off Shabbir but it was a no-ball. Shabbir also bowled a no-ball to Virender Sehwag that was caught in the gully by Inzamam. In the eighth over, Shabbir gave away 14 runs as well as extras.

Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first. The pitch was hard-baked and the cracks opened up through the day, helping the ball to move off the pitch later on. The pressure was on Inzamam to maintain the run-rate and he struck four seemingly effortless sixes and nine fours, taking a particular liking to Yuvraj Singh's bowling.

But a flurry of quick wickets towards the end of the innings meant that for all the captain's hard work, Pakistan lost their momentum.

Tendulkar and Sehwag had looked comfortable to start with, but in the fifth over Shoaib, who was generating pace up to 96.5mph, bowled outside the off stump and Tendulkar's inside edge carried to Moin, the talisman departing for seven.

Shoaib uprooted VVS Laxman's middle stump for 20, but Yuvraj was timing the ball well for his 36 until Sami forced an error and he hit the ball up to Yousuf Youhana at midwicket. Then the medium-pace bustle of Abdul Razzaq forced Ganguly to edge a catch to Moin for 21.

Despite some turn for the Pakistan spinners, they failed to dent the resolve of Dravid and Kaif, who played responsibly. India were helped by Shoaib, who gave away precious runs in the closing stages. Kaif had an escape when he was judged not out playing back to a delivery from Shahid Afridi which looked to be lbw, and he went on to reach his 50 in the next over.

Pakistan won toss

PAKISTAN

Yasir Hameed st Dravid b Kartik 45

Shahid Afridi c Yuvraj Singh b Pathan 3

Yousuf Youhana lbw b Pathan 9

Inzamam-ul-Haq b Balaji 123

Younis Khan c Pathan b Kartik 36

Abdul Razzaq c Kaif b Tendulkar 32

Moin Khan b Balaji 0

Shoaib Malik c Kaif b Zaheer Khan 13

Shoaib Akhtar b Zaheer Khan 2

Mohammad Sami not out 0

Shabbir Ahmed not out 0

Extras (b10 lb9 w6 nb-5) 30

Total (for 9, 50 overs) 293

Fall: 1-8 2-39 3-89 4-194 5-264 6-264 7-283 8-290 9-292.

Bowling: Pathan 10-1-53-2, Balaji 10-0-64-2, Zaheer Khan 10-0-43-2, Kartik 10-1-48-2, Tendulkar 8-0-48-1, Yuvraj Singh 2-0-18-0.

INDIA

V Sehwag c Younis Khan

b Mohammad Sami 26

S R Tendulkar c Moin Khan

b Shoaib Akhtar 7

V V S Laxman b Shoaib Akhtar 20

S C Ganguly c Moin Khan

b Abdul Razzaq 21

R Dravid not out 76

Yuvraj Singh c Yousuf Youhana

b Mohammad Sami 36

M Kaif not out 71

Extras (lb9 w19 nb9) 37

Total (for 5, 45 overs) 294

Fall: 1-34 2-69 3-75 4-94 5-162.

Did not bat: M Kartik, I K Pathan, L Balaji, Zaheer Khan.

Bowling: Shoaib Akhtar 9-1-63-2, Shabbir Ahmed 7-0-62-0, Mohammad Sami 10-0-50-2, Abdul Razzaq 7-0-42-, Shoaib Malik 7-0-38-0, Shahid Afridi 5-0-30-0.

Umpires: Asad Rauf (Pak) and S J A Teufel (Aus).