India Beats Pakistan to Reach World Cup Finals

By Parvez Fatteh, Founder of http://sportingummah.com, sports@muslimobserver.com

Young Pakistani cricket fans react while sitting below a screen along a roadside which was televising their national team’s match against India, in Karachi March 30, 2011. India kept alive a billion dreams after sinking Pakistan by 29 runs in their World Cup semi-final on Wednesday and set up an all-Asian final against Sri Lanka.    REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro

In a match that was probably decided more by what was not done rather than what was accomplished, India defeated Pakistan by the slim margin of 29 runs in the semifinals of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. India batted first and put up a solid but unspectacular 260 runs. The first innings was highlighted by 85 runs from Man of the Match Sachin Tendulkar, on 115 balls, with a whopping 11 boundaries. However, the innings was lowlighted, if you will, by six dropped balls on the part of Pakistan. Their old bugaboo came back to haunt them once again.

The Pakistani bowlers did a reasonable job. Wahab Riaz was the surprise of this crew, with five wickets taken in 10 overs of work, and 46 runs given up. Saeed Ajmal also took two wickets for Pakistan. For India, Munaf Patel bowled 10 overs, giving up 40 runs, and taking two wickets. But it was Zaheer Khan who came in to close the door for India, bowling 9.5 overs, and taking two critical wickets. Khan also had nine runs and a boundary as a batsman.

The Pakistani batsmen were disappointing on this day, struggling to put up a modest total of 231 runs. Misbah-ul-Haq was a bright spot in the Pakistani batting lineup, with 56 runs on 76 balls, five boundaries, and one six. But, in the end, poor fielding once again did Pakistan in. And they will have time to think about their wicked ways in the field while India seeks greater glory, in the World Cup finals on Saturday against Sri Lanka.

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