Pakistan hammer final nail on Indian coffin

There was also a superb cameo from skipper Wasim Akram, who chose the best possible moment for an inspired fast spell to pack off Saurav Ganguly and dangerman Javagal Srinath. Akhter joined the act with that final yorker and Pakistan had exposed whatthe Indians lacked. You could call it a sense of National pride, killer instinct or something more, but the fact is the Indians just didn’t have it. Otherwise, they would have stubbed out Pakistan’s hopes long back when they were reeling at 26 for six in just nine overs before this Test was 60 minutes old.

As Akram revealed later, “we had a team meeting at the end of the first day. Almost everybody came up and said `luck is with us as we have recovered from 26 for 6 to 185.’ Everyone wanted to go for a win.” That, then, was the difference between the sides as also that monumental 188 from Saeed Anwar in Pakistan’s second innings.

Of course, India did have their share of performers. Srinath’s incisive 8-wicket burst in the second innings was superbly complemented by two lovely knocks by young Sadagoppan Ramesh. India also chanced upon a possible solution to their opening worries with Laxman clicking with Ramesh in a 103-run stand in the second innings.

In the final count, everything added to just fivebonus points for India which looked quite meagre against Pakistan’s 17, including 12 for an outright win.

There are more problems for India round the corner as Srinath has begun to show the first signs of what could be another injury blow. The Karnataka spearhead has, in fact, been `rested’ for the next tournament tie in Colombo due to some pain in his shins. Coach Anshuman Gaekwad, however, did not read too much into that saying it is part of a rotational arrangement whereby all senior players get a break. “In fact, if we had won this match more senior players would have been rested for Colombo,” he added. Fortunately for Gaekwad, ICC president Mr Jagmohan Dalmiya, who is currently working out a cricket week in Disneyland, was not there at that time.