New Delhi: A disciplined Indian side on Sunday defended a modest 167 at Feroz Shah Kotla to win a thrilling third ODI by 10 runs, denying Pakistan a clean sweep.
Lanky pacer Ishant Sharma finished with 3/36 to bundle out Pakistan for 157. Pakistan won the series 2-1.
Despite bowling India out for mere 167, Pakistan failed to assert dominance over the hosts as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Indian bowler displayed great commitment as they didn’t allow the visitors to score easily.
India’s young sensation Bhuvneshwar Kumar spoiled Pakistan’s start with his double strike. Kumar reduced Pakistan to 14/2 by claiming Kamran Akmal and Younis Khan in consecutive overs.
Though Nasir Jamshed, Misbah ul Haq and Umar Akmal offered some resistance, Indian bowlers turned the tide in India’s favour in death overs to win the 3rd ODI.
Jadeja bowled brilliantly for India.
Ashwin earlier, trapped Nasir Jamshed leg before wickets to give Pakistan third blow at the score of 61 in the 21st over .
Jamshed scored 34 after facing 64 balls with the help of five boundaries. Pakistan got off to a poor start after India were bowled out for just 167.
After dismissing Kamran Akmal in the first ball of third over, Bhuvneshwar Kumar struck again to bowl out Younis Khan reducing Pakistan to 14/2.
Earlier, India’s batting that they could not even last the full 50 overs after electing to bat. They were bundled out in 43.4 overs as Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal recorded a career-best performance of five for 24.
India’s top-order collapsed again in the face of some fiery bowling by the Pakistani pacers Junaid Khan and Mohammad Irfan at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground.
Pakistan bowled as a unit the fast bowlers provided a start and the spinners carried on with the good work.
India owed their partial recovery to a sensible partnership between skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (36) and Suresh Raina (31). They joined forces when the team was stuttering at 63 for four and their 48-run stand for the fifth wicket repaired the flagging innings to some extent.
Raina was timing the ball well, driving and lofting confidently. The diminutive left-hander hit an elegant six off Mohammed Hafeez over long-on and Dhoni, too, later hit the same bowler for two consecutive sixes.
However, Ajmal broke the stand by trapping Raina before also scalping R Ashwin in the next ball, which brought Ravindra Jadeja to the crease.
Dhoni dispatched Hafeez for another six over mid-wicket boundary before being dropped by the same the bowler in his follow through later on. Dhoni smashed one hard, which Hafeez tried to latch on to but only ended up hurting his left hand. Dhoni was batting on 29 at the time.
Dhoni could not cash in on the chance and was out to Umar Gul when he went for a cut only to find Umar Akmal at point. His 55-ball knock featured four boundaries, including three sixes.
With Dhoni’s dismissal, India’s hopes of a recovery were crushed even as Jadeja came up with a useful cameo of 27 with the help of two sixes.
Junaid and Irfan tested the Indians with some short and fast deliveries and succeeded in subduing the host’s top- order. The Kotla wicket had some juice and the Pakistani duo made full use of the conditions to keep the Indians under check.
India left out struggling opener Virender Sehwag and brought in Ajinkya Rahane, hoping for a good start, which has eluded the hosts right through the series.
Nasir Jamshed is the Man of the Series. He scored 2 centuries in 3 ODIs. Indian skipper MS Dhoni is the Man of the Match as well.
Brief scores
India 167 (Dhoni 36, Raina 31, Ajmal 5-24)
Pakistan 157 (Misbah-ul-Haq 39, Sharma 3-36)
Result India won by 10 runs
MOM MS Dhoni (India)
Man of the series Nasir Jamshed (Pakistan)
