India have the final say

There was a tense finish,players had a go at each other,tempers flared and some good cricket was played....

There was a tense finish,players had a go at each other,tempers flared and some good cricket was played. It was another good old India-Pakistan match one in which the tension cut like a knife. Gautam Gambhir and Kamran Akmal stood like two boxers glaring at each other at the weigh in,while the feisty Harbhajan Singh and the mercurial Shoaib Akhtar exchanged some expletives. It was the kind of finish that brought alive this Asia Cup,a tournament that was largely overshadowed by the football World Cup.

In the end it was up to Harbhajan to give India an exciting win. With India needing three off two balls Harbhajan hit the penultimate ball from Mohammad Aamer over the mid-wicket boundary. The off-spinner yelled like an angry young man as the rest of his teammates charged onto the ground to celebrate the win,one which seemed improbable at one point,over their fiercest rivals

After a poor World T20 and a rather ordinary showing by Suresh Rainas side in the tri-series in Zimbabwe,India needed this kind of win to boost their morale. India needed 89 runs off the last 15 overs after MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir added 98 runs for the third wicket to keep India in the hunt.

Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma contributed with cameos,but in the end it was Harbhajans 15 off 11,which included two sixes that turned the tide in Indias favour. The three-wicket victory ensured that India booked their place in the final. India took their batting powerplay only in the 46th over with another 50 runs required and five wickets in hand. It was a ploy that worked as Pakistans players crumbled under pressure. It was Gambhirs 83 at the top of the order that ensured that India got off to the right start. In contrast Virender Sehwag was a shadow of himself. He took 12 balls to open his account. Sehwag made just 10 off 32 deliveries in an opening stand of 41. He also hurt his hamstring during the innings. It wasnt Sehwags day out but in the end things went right for India.