The tournament's highest wicket-taker Shahid Afridi scripted a great escape to pull back Pakistan from ignominy with a five-wicket haul, as the team beat Canada in a surprisingly close match here.
Refusing to be intimidated by the opponent's reputation and forgetting its current indifferent showing in this edition of the ICC World Cup, the Canadians set out to rewrite history at the R. Premadasa grounds. They nearly did.
Afridi, who broke the best partnership of the Canadian innings (60 runs) between Surkari and Hansra, and removed the dangerous Rizwan Cheema, made sure that Canada's well-begun innings stayed a half-done job.
Under the Premadasa lights, Afridi could do no wrong — he even gave the team its first direct hit at the stumps in this World Cup and sent back a lower order batsman (Balaji Rao).
Good display
In the last two matches, Canada made 122 and 123. The team which took the field on this day had no recollection of those scores; some kind of collective amnesia had gripped the team. Its members fielded like a top team, bowled well with some help from the pitch, and batted for most part with their heads down.
The Canadian 100 runs came in 201 balls, but no one was complaining. It needed a mere 85 from the remaining. But six wickets fell for 24 runs and the fairy tale came to an end.
On Wednesday Canada captain had stated that his team would win if it played well and if Pakistan played badly. Pakistan, the most unpredictable team in the tournament, nearly did it again.
Lack of application
Earlier, because of horrible lack of application and a generally indifferent performance from the top order, Pakistan set Canada a target of 185.
At 67 for four, Canada fancied its chances.
The Canadian bowlers kept a tidy line, inviting a few unorthodox strokes from the patient Pakistanis.
Pakistan had crawled to 150 for five in 35 overs. The team folded up at 184.
Canada captain, Ashish Bagai, like most sub-continent players, believes in ‘luck,' and providence. Well, it nearly was with the generous Pakistanis gifting him and Chennai boy, Balaji Rao, almost anything they asked for. Rao, who got two wickets, will celebrate his birthday in style on Friday.
The sky was overcast from the start and the ball was coming in a shade slower than the last time at the R. Premadasa. Strokemaking was a little difficult; it did not help that no one in Pakistani line-up wanted to stay long enough to put the team's total out of reach for Canada.
Shehzad fails again
Ahmed Shehzad, who has been given more chances to perform than he deserves, got off shakily yet again. He heaved Khurram Chohan, and the ball took the edge and ballooned towards third man. The catch was taken but it turned out to be a no-ball.
Even as Shehzad pushed his luck at one end, it was the consistent opener Hafeez who went first, missing the line of a Henri Osinde delivery that pitched on the off stump and moved in.
Trapped in front, he asked for a review and was unsuccessful. Shehzad disappointed again. He tried hitting over the in-field and, this time, offered a low catch to mid-on.
The loss of Hafeez meant that Pakistan progressed to a meagre 20 in 5 overs; its slowest in three matches. In 10 overs, a cautious Pakistan made 44 for two, and 50 runs came in 12 overs.
Soon after this, Younus Khan went, trapped in front of middle stump. Younis asked for a review of the decision.
Umpire Daryl Harper raised his index finger a second time inside a minute after the UDRS concurred with the umpire. Kamran Akmal then cut Cheema straight to the hands of backward point.
Steady partnership
The second Akmal, Umar, in the company of Misbah-ul-Haq built a partnership slowly and steadily, despite some uncertain running between the wickets. Umar was frustrated time and again by Misbah's slow-motion running between the wickets in their 73-run stand.
Canada got a chance to send Misbah back when Pakistan was on 76 but the bowler, Baidwan, missed picking up a ball at a very short mid-on position with Misbah nowhere in the picture.
Then on 77, a leaping Hansra, at forward of square leg, could not reach a mistimed Misbah pull. It was tantalisingly close to the outstretched palms of the fielder. Misbah stayed and Pakistan meandered to 79 for four off 20 overs.
The first six of the innings came after Balaji Rao's variety of leg-spin was introduced. Umar Akmal hoisted him over the mid-wicket fence, easing the pressure on Pakistan a bit. Afridi came in and went in quick time as he guided a low, wide full toss to the hands of backward point.
Batting power play
The bankruptcy of ideas in the Pakistan team touched a new low after the inexplicable delay in availing of the batting power play.
The Pakistani team has traditionally resorted to taking the power play in the final ten overs and this time too, even as wickets kept falling at one end, there was no move to take it earlier.
It took the power play with the score reading 181 for nine, at over number 42. And the innings promptly folded up.
Scoreboard
Pakistan: M. Hafeez lbw b Osinde 11 (12b, 2x4), A. Shehzad c Gordon b Baidwan 12 (23b, 2x4), K. Akmal c Kumar b Cheema 16 (38b, 2x4), Younis lbw b Baidwan 6 (30b, 1x4), Misbah c Bagai b Balaji Rao 37 (68b, 1x4), U. Akmal lbw b Balaji Rao 48 (68b, 4x4, 1x6), S. Afridi c Kumar b Cheema 20 (17b, 2x4), A. Razzaq lbw b Hansra 8 (8b, 1x4), U. Gul (not out) 2 (4b), W. Riaz c Balaji Rao b Hansra 0 (3b), S. Ajmal b Baidwan 0 (5b); Extras (b-4, lb-3, w-16, nb-1): 24;Total (in 43 overs): 184.
Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-42, 3-55, 4-67, 5-140, 6-165, 7-181, 8-181, 9-181.
Canada bowling: Chohan 3.3-0-10-0, Osinde 7-1-25-1, Gordon 0.3-0-1-0, Baidwan 8-1-35-3, Cheema 8-0-33-2, Balaji Rao 10-0-50-2, Hansra 6-1-23-2.
Canada: R. Gunasekera lbw Gul 8 (16b), Nitish Kumar b Razzaq 2 (13b), Z. Surkari lbw Ajmal 27 (67b, 2x4), A. Bagai lbw b Afridi 16 (35 b, 2x4), J. Hansra b Afridi 43 (75, 4x4, 1x6), R. Cheema b Afridi 4 (8b, 1x4), T. Gordon c Riaz b Afridi 9 (12b, 1x4), H. Baidwan b Afridi 0 (1b), K. Chohan (not out) 5 (20b), Balaji Rao (run out) 1 (7b), H. Osinde b Riaz 0 (3b); Extras: (w-19, lb-4) 23;Total (in 42.5 overs) 138.
Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-16, 3-44, 4-104, 5-111, 6-114, 7-114, 8-130, 9-134.
Pakistan bowling: Razzaq 7-2-16-1, Gul 7-1-20-1, Afridi 10-0-23-5, Riaz 5.5-0-23-1, Ajmal 8-0-31-1, Hafeez 5-0-21-0.
Man of the match: Shahid Afridi (Pakistan).
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