India 'too good' for Pakistan

India completed a dazzling all-round performance to make the Pakistan team think again before stepping on to a cricket field against them again. The Indians won by 190 runs after scoring 330-8 in their allotted 50 overs. The IPL 20-20 form of the game and the mindset for all Indians who were part of it showed clearly with Sehwag & Gambhir continuing the good work from where they left off, this time in national colors.

Everybody in the Indian batting lineup who got an important score was above the 100 strike rate clearly indicating that 20-20 has changed how cricket is going to be played from now on. Sehwag 62, Gambhir 89, Yuvraj 55 with little quick cameos in the end by Dhoni, Raina & Irfan Pathan got the big total. Paki bowlers looked in disarray and the team gave away 38 extras consisting of 20 wides which clearly shows the indiscipline.

Sohail Tanvir on whose shoulders a lot more pressure was there with Asif not around and expectations were high after his recent performances in IPL. He couldn't really click like he did in IPL. Maybe it was fatigue or maybe it was just that the Indian openers had seen enough of him to have a plan. Whatever it was, nobody really got going. Wahab Riaz, the new lad was much short of impressive and I was surprised not to see Rao playing. If they were not going to play Rao, they should have played Sohail Khan. Wahab would have been my last option but anyway...I am not the captain or the coach now am i?

The fielding was not up to the mark either and Akmal once again showed why I would prefer the team trusting some young gloves now. He bobbled a ball out of Sehwag's edge when he was at 43. Younis let 2 whizz pass by him at Second slip for Gambhir to have new lives.

330 was always going to be a big chase for a confused batting lineup and with early crucial wickets through some good bowling by Praveen Kumar took them to 26-3 with Salman Butt, Younis & Yousuf gone. There was no way they were going to come back with such a (un)trustworthy batting lineup of Kamran Akmal and Shahid Afridi. These 2 players have been excess baggage for quite some time now and its about time some difficult yet useful decisions are taken to get them out.

With a good chase yet left and around 7.5 runs per over required....the lonely captain Shoaib Malik needed someone to stay with him and there goes Afridi trying to finish the match in about 35 overs (yet again?) and got stumped. I don't know what cricket he plays but I think everybody has had enough. Its players like him who just take up a spot in the team and then just sit on it. They don't really deserve it and with that potentially sound cricketers dont ever move up to the national team never getting their chance.

I will not write more on the game as it was a pathetic performance from Pakistan and a great one by India. Both teams were at different extremes to be honest.

Pakistan is full of talent coming from the smallest streets around the country and they are unable to get some serious openers? I wouldn't agree. Its no good players like Afridi who are just eating up on a spot. Since taking them out of the team is just not acceptable and he is an automatic selection somehow...Akmal has to open where he has been moderately successful but is that a viable strategy?

Its been a long time since we had a good opening partnership and that just creates so much pressure on the middle order especially on Younis & Yousuf. I would want 2 immediate changes in the lineup to give the new impressive opener Nasir Jamshed guaranteed games and Afridi goes out. I would also like to see the next in line keeper Sarfraz instead of Akmal as soon as possible so that something could develop until the next world cup.

Another good thing that Shoaib Malik tried was playing himself at opening or 1-down. I think that is not a bad option as he was quite successful. You want a guy over there who can stay at the wicket and Shoaib Malik and his new responsibilities have given him that attitude not that he didn't have it before. He needs to come 1-down. I would say settle the top 5 by opening with Butt & Jamshed, Malik, Yousuf, Younis & Misbah to follow. These 6 have to do majority of the scoring and that is how cricket is played.