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Ajmal factor worries India ahead of Pakistan match

Johannesburg: He is just five feet four inches tall but with his ability to extract spin from any surface, Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal has become a thorn in the flesh for Indian batsmen ahead of the crucial Group A tie in the ICC Champions Trophy on Saturday.

Team India's problems were further compounded after vice-captain Yuvraj Singh was ruled out of the elite ICC event following a fracture in his right hand's little finger that he sustained during practice, thereby leaving a vacuum in the middle-order.

Interestingly, it sounds blasphemy to hear about India's concern for Ajmal as they are famous for their mastery in handling the tweakers. Even the likes of Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis don't quite give them sleepless nights.

But experienced Yuvraj's absence in the middle overs of the innings, where Pakistan invariably employs the spin duo of Shahid Afridi and Ajmal, has raised a few concerns for Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men.

Ajmal made his debut at the age of 30 but has since then confounded his opponents. He befuddled the Australians with his big-turning doosras at Sharjah and Abu Dhabi and was the joint second highest wicket-taker in this year's Twenty20 World Cup in England which Pakistan won.

He followed it up with 14 wickets in a recent Test series in Sri Lanka, scalped five wickets in the ODIs and three for 18 in the one-off Twenty20 match.

Ajmal's strength is his change of pace, flight, angle of deliveries and doosra, which he bowls without any discernible giveaway.

With Ajmal's threat in mind, the Indians are now caught up in a dilemma whether to keep all their experience batsmen at the top of the order or should someone like Rahul Dravid be kept for middle overs.

The idea in itself is ironic for Dravid's selection was essentially seen as a move to counter quick bowlers on fresh South African wickets but the first look of Centurion so far suggest its' anything but quick.

And likewise, the pace of Pakistani fast bowlers might not play a big factor in the dead Centurion pitch. which means India could take the liberty of holding on someone like Dravid to shore up the middle order.

In all probability, Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir will start the innings for India, followed by Suresh Raina, Rahul Dravid and skipper Dhoni.


Ajmal factor worries India ahead of Pakistan match
 
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65 for 3 (15 overs)... Younis ust got out, it wasn't his day. He played very slow and slowed down the entire game. Didn't play his natural game.

Well things happen - 45 overs are more to go.

Younis better luck next time :tup:
 
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Man, it is so frustrating to watch first Younis Khan, then Shoaib Malik and now Mohammad Yousuf operate at the slowest pace imaginable. For the past few overs now, it's been like a Test match. From 52 for 2 in the 7th over we went to 60 for 2 in the 13th over. I mean, there is not one bowler on the Indian team that deserves a Maiden over, and yet we're handing them over like candy. Dhoni is smart, he's saving Harbhajjan for whenever the Pakistan team decides to wake up and score. For now, we're digging our own hole. I mean, do I have to tell these experienced batsmen the need to rotate strike and maintain a minimum 5 Runs an Over average?

The 100 comes up in 23.1 Overs. Holy motherf.... A score in excess of 220 seems almost impossible now, unless Afridi decides to take Harbhajjan to Mars. I mean, he's sent so any spin bowlers' deliveries into Low Earth Orbit, he is our only capable Space Program right now.
 
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Well well........The Pakistan that you never know....Fingers Crossed

41 overs and 225 runs....one power play still to go ....Afridi and Umer still to Bat
 
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CONGRATS Shoaib Malik on your superb 100.....sorry that in my heart I cursed you in the start.I though youre lame innings got Younis Out...lol
 
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Good match winning knock by Shoaib it would silence his critics now Yousuf is always good against India, 300+ runs with good bowling attack against a depleted India means match is 80% won by Pakistan already.
 
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Pakistan 302/9 (50.0 ov) :victory:

India

Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat

Innings break

* Pakistan RR 6.04
* Last 5 ovs 41/6 RR 8.20


Refresh scorecard
Current time: 18:16 local, 16:16 GMT ODI career
Batsmen Runs B 4s 6s SR This bowler Last 5 ovs Mat Runs HS Ave
*Saeed Ajmal (rhb) 0 0 0 0 - 0 (0b) 0 (0b) 17 22 16 7.33
Naved-ul-Hasan (rhb) 11 8 1 0 137.50 2 (3b) 11 (8b) 67 433 33 15.46

Bowlers O M R W Econ 0s 4s 6s This spell Mat Wkts BBI Ave
*Ishant Sharma (rf) 8.0 2 39 2 4.87 32 7 0 1-0-2-2 34 48 4/38 30.95
Harbhajan Singh (ob) 10.0 0 71 1 7.10 20 6 0 1-0-9-1 193 217 5/31 32.93
 
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Pakistan finishing off at 302 for 9 . Good fighting totall . The ending could have been better if Afridi or Omar Akmal stayed on the crease a bit longer . Any way it will be good match .
 
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