We were beaten by dew factor

I am told many fans in Pakistan were not only rooting but also praying for India to level the series 2-2 so that Wednesday8217;s match woul...

I am told many fans in Pakistan were not only rooting but also praying for India to level the series 2-2 so that Wednesday8217;s match would entertain them even more. They may have had their own reasons but let me tell you we were keen to wrap up the series early and were disappointed that we were unable to clinch a victory after reducing India to 90-odd for four.

When we chose to bat on a beautiful batting wicket, we did not expect the dew factor to make a difference late in the evening. The dew after 10 overs during the Indian innings made it difficult for our bowlers. The ball did not help the faster bowlers 8212; there was no reverse swing 8212; nor did the spinners get any purchase.

I remember we had faced a similar problem against England in Karachi in 2000 when the visiting team chased 300 runs successfully. It may, therefore, be unfair to say that the Pakistan bowlers let the team down.

This is not an excuse, not an attempt to defend the indefensible; nor is it an attempt to take the credit away from the Indian batsmen. I think Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh and Mohammed Kaif took the game away from us and showed again that this Indian team does not give in under pressure. We were looking for that one wicket after Yuvraj Singh s dismissal 8212; it was nice to be able to end his innings with a good catch when he pulled the ball hard 8212; but Dravid and Kaif batted well through their century stand.

I think they deserved the credit for seizing the opportunities with a mature approach. We always knew that India8217;s batting is its strength and ours was blunted by nature as well.

What can one say about Inzamam8217;s innings? He paced it so well and struck the ball so well that it was a joy to watch him at the crease. He is easily one of the greatest of our players and always scores when the team is under pressure. He showed that in Karachi when we were chasing 350. Sadly for us, we were unable to make the most of both his hundreds in the series and convert it to victories.

The atmosphere in which the match was played was fantastic and it was lovely to see so many fans of cricket from India fill up the stands.

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Let me end this piece on a personal note. More than anyone else, I have been disappointed with my failures in the three games after a good knock in Karachi. It is not my form that worries me but the fact that I am anxious to play shots early in the innings. I spent time at the nets on Monday morning and, Inshallah, I will be able to make amends on Wednesday.

TCM