Pakistan off to a steady start

Are 260 enough runs on the board to defend against Pakistan? Or are India 20 runs too short to play the finals against Sri Lanka this weekend?

Questions on the minds of almost 28,000 people at Mohali's PCA stadium and about a billion others elsewhere in the country as India finished their innings at 260 for 9 in the second semi-final of the cricket World Cup. Questions that shall be answered in the next few hours, with Pakistan out to bat and scoring at about five runs an over having lost opener Kamran Akmal.

The India innings saw as much drama as possible in 50 overs.

It was an India innings that saw as much drama as possible in 50 overs. And much of that drama revolved around Sachin Tendulkar, who led a charmed life on his way to 85, surviving two close appeals and four dropped catches before being caught by Shahid Afridi, bowled Saeed Ajmal. Too soon for comfort, skipper MS Dhoni, at 25, fell to Wahab Riaz.

Dhoni was Riaz's fourth scalp; he ended with five. Local boy Yuvraj Singh was out on a duck, first ball to Wahab Riaz too. He also got the wickets of Virat Kohli and Zaheer Khan. 

The sub-continent came to a standstill as national anthems played and India won the toss and chose to bat first. 

When Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag walked out to bat, almost 28,000 voices rose as one to cheer. A few hours into the match, the cricket has been exciting. There was a collective sigh of disappointment as Virender Sehwag got out after a blistering innings, there were two back-to-back heart-in-the-mouth moments as Sachin survived two close appeals and reviews. Pakistan also dropped him at score 27, 45, 70 and 81. Before finally catching him at 85.

Before Sachin, the dismissal of Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli and Yuvraj in rapid succession already had the match in balance. Sachin and Dhoni attempted to rebuild but the tumble continued after Tendulkar's departure. Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan and then finally Ashish Nehra, run out on the penultimate ball, fell at regular intervals. 


Among those on the edge of their Mohali stadium seats are Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and wife, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul Gandhi, daughter Priyanka Gandhi with her husband Robert Vadra. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha Meira Kumar is there, as are a number of ministers.

The Ambani brothers, Mukesh and Anil, are at the PCA stadium with their families and Kingfisher Airlines owner Vijay Mallya is watching with son Sidharth.

Aamir Khan and director wife Kiran Rao are representing Bollywood. Also Rahul Bose, Vivek Oberoi and Dino Morea watching some live action at Mohali.

To cheer the Pakistan team, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has led a large delegation to Mohali. The two Prime Ministers met the teams at the PCA stadium before the start of the match.
Mr Gilani, accompanied by his wife Fauzia, was received at the defence airport by Union Minister of State for Communication, Sachin Pilot, and Pakistan's High Commissioner, Shahid Malik, among others.

Before leaving Islamabad for India, Mr Gilani thanked Dr Singh for inviting him to the match, and said that he's "looking forward to a great game." He also said he believes "this match will bridge the gap" between India and Pakistan.
 The large delegation accompanying Mr Gilani includes controversial Interior Minister Rehman Malik, who publicly warned his country's cricket team against match-fixing, provoking fierce criticism both within and outside Pakistan. The team is using the Taj hotel in Chandigarh as its base.

Team Singh includes Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon. Congress party president Sonia Gandhi, as well as Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi are not part of the official delegation but are attending the game. They will also attend the dinner that Dr Singh is hosting at 7.30 pm tonight for the Pakistani delegation at the stadium.

 Mr Gilani and Dr Singh are watching the game from a VVIP box, but are expected to exit a little later to hold informal talks. 

Last week, in a move that surprised many, Dr Singh formally invited Mr Gilani and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to watch the match with him. Mr Gilani accepted the invitation over the weekend.

Speaking to NDTV before the match, Dr Manmohan Singh said this was a "great opportunity to take spirit of friendship forward." Mr Gilani said he was looking forward to a great game and hoped the best team won.

The Semifinal: India strike, Pakistan loses 2 wickets

Pakistan began well in their answer to India's humble total of 260, a figure the home team struggled to put on board with no significant contributions from any batsman -- except Sachin Tendulkar -- nor a good partnership.
Pakistani openers Mohammed Hafeez and Kamran Akmal mixed strokeplay with cautious pushes and kept the scoreboard ticking in the initial overs. But Akmal went soon for 19 off 20 balls caught at point by Yuvraj Singh off a sharp delivery by Zaheer Khan.
Pakistan lost their first wicket at 43 in the eighth over.
On Mohali's flat batting pitch, the Indian score is probably 20 to 30 runs short according to experts.
Sachin Tendulkar made a scratchy 85 but not without surviving two referrals and four dropped catches.
India made one change, dropping offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin and bringing in pacer Ashish Nehra. This might prove costly since Pakistani spinner Saeed Ajmal picked up two wickets in his 10 overs. He gave away 44 runs. Shahid Afridi was wicketless but conceded only 45. 
Wahab Riaz took a career-best 5 for 46 as Pakistan restricted India to a reachable 260-9 despite an atrocious fielding performance in Wednesday's high-stakes World Cup semifinal.
The left-arm paceman struck at crucial junctures, accounting for a dangerous looking Virender Sehwag and an in-form Yuvraj Singh among others, as the famed Indian batting struggled against his swing.

Power play players at Mohali

India and Pakistan, the arch rivals, had not played each other since the Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008.

Despite the strained relations, the question that everybody was asking was could sports play the healer? Well, so it seems!

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's invite to Pak Premier Yusuf Raza Gilani was called 'Aman ka chakka' by the Pak media.

So, as the titans faced each other at the World Cup semi final encounter at Mohali on Wednesday, the list of spectators included some of the biggest names from both the nations.

Five-star Wahab shines in Mohali

MOHALI, India: Umar Gul, Pakistan’s pace spearhead, flopped terribly. Shoaib Akhtar was not picked in the playing eleven while Abdul Razzaq, bowling at a gentle pace, was totally unthreatening.

The Greenshirts desperately needed someone to come forward and deliver the goods against India in their high-voltage World Cup semifinal against India. It was Wahab Riaz, who answered their call.
The tall left-armer finished with career-best figures of 5-46 that helped Pakistan to bounce back after India were given a flying start by Virender Sehwag (38). Wahab’s victims included the explosive Indian opener as well as the in-form Yuvraj Singh (0) and Indian captain MS Dhoni (25).
In fact it was Wahab’s double strike off consecutive balls in the 26th over that allowed Pakistan to fight their way back into the match. Wahab, 25, first scalped Virat Kohli (9) and then shattered Yuvraj’s stumps off the very next ball to leave India in trouble at 141-4. It left the packed crowd at PCA Stadium shell-shocked as Pakistan celebrated the prized wicket of Yuvraj, winner of four man-of-the-match awards at this World Cup.
When Wahab had tail-ender Zaheer Khan caught by Kamran Akmal behind the stumps in the final over for his fifth wicket, he dropped to the ground and sealed a kiss on the pitch that he will remember for the rest of his life.
Wahab, who has picked 27 wickets from 17 One-day International appearances, began this World Cup as a part of Pakistan’s second string as Shahid Afridi opted to have Akhtar in the pace attack along with Gul and Razzaq. He featured in Pakistan’s Pool A game against Canada in Colombo but only because Akhtar was rested that day.
But he was finally given a regular slot in the attack after Akhtar fell apart during Pakistan’s 110-run hammering at the hands of New Zealand at Pallekele.
In the lead-up to Wednesday’s semifinal, calls were made from experts for Akhtar’s inclusion. Pundits like Imran Khan and Wasim Akram believed Pakistan needed Akhtar’s experience. Wahab, however, proved on Wednesday that sometimes passion and commitment is all you need to succeed.
Though the Lahore-born Wahab made his ODI debut in 2008, it was in his first Test at The Oval in England last summer that he shot to limelight with match-winning figures of 5-63 in the first innings.
However, a few weeks later Wahab was under suspicion for an alleged role in the spot-fixing saga that involved three of Pakistan’s leading cricketers – Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt. He was questioned by Scotland Yard detectives before being cleared of any wrongdoing.
All those bitter memories became a distant past for the fast bowler as he basked in the glory of his five-wicket haul in front of a houseful at Mohali. Even Shoaib Akhtar, sitting solemnly in the dressing room, was clapping with admiration. Perhaps, he knew that the better man got the opportunity to play the big game.

Pakistan begin on a firm footing

Pakistan begin their chase well after bowling out India for 260 in the semi final match of the World Cup at Mohali.

Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez both strike boundaries in tandem to blunt India's pace attack led by Zaheer Khan.

Indian skipper has already brought in the other seamers in Munaf Patel and Ashish Nehra and despite a few close calls, the openers have largely been unfazed in playing their strokes.

Indians, Pakistanis bond during tense clash

Tens of thousands of Indians and a handful of Pakistanis packed the stadium for their cricket World Cup clash on Wednesday in a friendly atmosphere that belied diplomatic tensions between the countries.

"We love the people of India as we share the same roots and the same passion for the game among other things," said elated Pakistani fan Ali Salman, who crossed into India via the only road link, the Wagah crossing.

"I managed to get a ticket through my friends in India. I can't thank them enough," the 32-year-old from Lahore told AFP as he made his way into the stadium through tight security.

"We arrived yesterday and the atmosphere at Wagah was electrifying. There were fans who were cheering for both India and Pakistan."

Barkha Sen, a 40-year-old Indian entrepreneur from nearby Chandigarh, said the match offered her a chance to extend a hand of friendship across the border.

"It is one of those rare opportunities that we must utilise to make friends. If I come across anyone from Pakistan, I am going to invite them home for a cup of tea," she said.

Both national anthems were respected by fans, though the overwhelmingly Indian crowd cheered every dropped catch by the Pakistanis who failed to take at least five chances during the Indian innings.

The loudest cheer was reserved for India's talismanic cricketer, record-setter Sachin Tendulkar, who hoped to score his 100th international hundred in the game but fell 15 short.

Cricket has frequently been the victim of poor relations between the neighbouring nations, with tours blocked for years because of bad-blood, but it has also been used to build trust and confidence.

In 2004, India toured Pakistan for a full Test series for the first time since 1989 as part of a diplomatic initiative called the "Friendship Series". Many Indian fans reported being welcomed like long-lost brothers.

On Wednesday, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani watched the game together from the VIP enclosure and greeted the players in a high-profile exercise in regional bridge-building.

"To see the prime ministers of both countries shake hands with players will remain etched in my memory," said Shyam Shankar, an Indian software engineer who drove to Mohali for the match from New Delhi.

"Cricket can be a great healer and help mend relations with our neighbours. We should play each other more often."

Tickets to the game at the 30,000-capacity stadium were limited for the general public, partly due to the large reservations for VIPs, sparking a furious scramble for places.

Divya Pandove, a 24-year-old Indian studying software engineering, flashed her ticket to one of the VIP enclosures with glee as she made her way into the stadium.

"I think I have been very lucky. It had become a status symbol to be able to have a ticket for this match. I am going to tell all my friends by putting it on Facebook," she said.

A bevy of Bollywood stars added a dash of glamour to the occasion.

Top actor Aamir Khan was flanked by his wife Kiran Rao in the VIP enclosure, as were Vivek Oberoi, Rahul Bose, Preity Zinta, Dino Morea and popular Punjabi singer Daler Mehndi.

India's ruling political dynasty was also out in force, with the Italian-born head of the ruling Congress party Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul both in attendance.

Only a few Pakistan fans could be seen in the public areas of the stadium, though family members of leading politicians such as former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had VIP tickets.

Heavily-armed policemen were deployed at a series of checkpoints surrounding the stadium, meaning fans faced a long wait in heat and humidity to take their seats.

There were barricades at traffic intersections, manned by machine-gun wielding security forces, and policemen were confiscating all but essential items from fans.

India vs Pakistan Semi Final: Pakistan cruising, 70-2

Pakistan cruised to 70 for two in their World Cup semifinal against India at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali on Wednesday.

India vs Pakistan Semi Final live Streaming here