Well the first match was a damp squib considering the hype and hoopla before the start of the series. Pakistan were completely outmaneuvered by India in what should be described as a clinical performance. Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat first. After the first three overs it seemed that this would be a big total chase. The Indian bowlers came back admirably and restricted the visitors to small, yet defendable, total on a pitch that was predicted to crack and turn in the second innings.
Irfan Pathan got the first breakthrough for India when he trapped Akmal LBW. Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan then decided that they needed practise for the upcoming test series. It took Pakistan almost 23 overs to get a boundary and by that time Harbhajan Singh and Murali Karthik had done the damage. Yousuf’s late hitting helped Pakistan get to 239.
Despite losing Tendulkar cheaply, India had the firepower in their batting to win this match comprehensively. India, as so often happens, were not going to make things that easy. The wickets of Yuvraj and Dhoni fell in quick succession and 15 runs were still required. Robin Uthappa doesn’t care about the situation, if he wants to go after a bowler he will go after that bowler. His straight drive of Shoaib Akhtar was a peach. Full face of the bat, nice balance, lovely follow-through. Yes, I think India have found a reliable batsman. Alongwith Pathan, he ensured that no other hiccups were going to happen as India wrapped up the first match quickly.
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