Pak no match for masterful Indians

Each time the Indians played against the Pakistanis in the past, the match offered everything a spectator would long for. This one, too, was no different. It had all the ingredients of a thriller: pressure, drama and, above all, great talent on display.

Sachin Tendulkar, though in great form in this World Cup, couldn’t have chosen a better occasion to establish himself once again as the No.1 batsman in world cricket. What an innings he came up with, after Pakistan posted an imposing total.

It seemed he reserved his best for the Pakistanis. Such was his dominance over the proceedings that the hapless bowlers were pelted mercilessly to all corners with utter disdain. It was an awesome display and a sight for the Gods. For great players, the bigger the canvas, the better they perform.

Sachin’s innings was extraordinary to say the least. Promoting Mohammad Kaif turned out to be a masterstroke, for, at that stage, India required a batsman who could rotate the strike, run well in between the wickets, and bat sensibly. Kaif proved to be an able ally for Sachin as he grabbed the opportunity to play a matured innings.

Later, Yuvraj and Dravid saw to it that the Pakistanis did not claw their way back into the match by forging a brilliant partnership, and that sealed their fate. It was one of the most exhilerating batting performances by the duo.

I was quite surprised by the way Waqar allowed the game to drift away when the need of the hour was to go in for wickets in his, Wasim’s and Shoaib’s second and third spell. He just refused to employ fielders in catching positions. That took the pressure off the batsmen immensely.

In the morning the Indian bowlers felt the pressure. Their body language was not as aggressive as it was in the last match against England. They gave away too many extras.

However, in the end, the Indian batsmen showed not only nerves of steel, but also amazing talent. They proved they were the better team in all departments of the game than their counterparts by a long way. Well played, India.