Ind vs Pak: India suffer humiliating ODI series defeat to Pakistan

January 3, 2013

New Delhi, Jan 3: India witnessed another batting collapse as Pakistan bundled out hosts for 165 to clinch massive 85-run victory in the second ODI and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Suresh Raina and skipper MS Dhoni tried to revive India innings but could not get going when Mohammad Hafeez dismissed the former to leave India in spot of bother.

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Umar Gul joined the party, removing Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh to turn the momentum in Pakistan's way. Sehwag was edgy throughout his innings, making 31 off 43 balls before caught plumb in front of the wicket.

Pakistan pacer Junaid Khan dismissed Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli in quick succession to rock Indian chase. Left-armer continued his dream run, giving India second blow by dismissing Virat Kohli to reduce them to 55/2 in 12 overs.

Kohli attempted to flick the wide down the leg side but only managed to play it with the inside half of the bat behind the stumps where Kamran Akmal dived full to his left to take a spectacular catch.

India got off to cautious start with Sehwag and Gambhir negotiated Pakistan pacers well and added 42 for the first wicket before the southpaw got his inside edge onto the stumps.

Earlier, opener Nasir Jamshed struck his second consecutive century to give Pakistan a solid start but a middle-order collapse saw India bundle out Pakistan for 250 in their must-win second match.

Under overcast conditions, Jamshed scored a fluent 106 from 126 balls (12x4, 2x6) and along with Mohammad Hafeez (76 from 74b; 10x4) put up a handsome 141-run opening partnership.

But India made a dramatic comeback riding on left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja's 3 for 41 as Pakistan were bundled out in 48.3 overs.

After giving the first breakthrough, Jadeja took two wickets -- Jamshed and Kamran Akmal -- in one over to trigger a collapse, as Ishant Sharma (3/34) polished off the tail.

From 141 for no loss, Pakistan lost 10 wickets in 25 overs as India made a spectacular comeback in their must-win match.

Put into bat, in-form Pakistani opening duo of Hafeez and Jamshed were at ease against the Indian pace attack up front and got off to a watchful start.

The inexperienced Indian attack of Ashok Dinda and Bhuvneshwar Kumar could not make use of the overcast conditions like skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni would have expected after winning the toss.

On the other hand, it was intelligent cricket on display from the opening duo as they cleverly bisected the field to steal a boundary almost every over in the first Power Play to go almost six an over.

In his 'home' debut, Dinda was wayward with his bouncers, conceding three wides -- two in his second over -- while Bhuvneshwar too lacked the bite as the Pakistani duo went scotfree.

Against an ordinary Indian fielding that saw the ball flying past the fielders, it just made the task easier for the Pakistani opening duo.

The 23-year-old Jamshed continued from where he had left in Chennai, while Hafeez made up for his duck with a sensible batting display and rotating the strike.

The duo never panicked and such clinical was their approach that they put on 100 runs in exactly 100 balls -- incidentally, Pakistan's first century stand by any opening pair at the Eden.

Hafeez completed his 15th half-century from 50 balls with a single to deep square leg.

After two overs, Jamshed followed suit notching his seventh half-century hammering Ashwin for a boundary over long-on.

The New rules -- that stipulate five players inside the 30-yard circle for full 50 overs -- added to India's misery as Pakistani batsmen were not deprived of the boundaries.

Part-time spinner Jadeja finally gave the breakthrough almost at the midway stage when Hafeez missed the ball trying to break free to end the glorious opening wicket stand.

Azhar Ali (2) continued his poor run when he was run out after being sent back by Jamshed from the striking end as Pakistan lost their second wicket in four runs.

They quickly lost a third, when Younus Khan (10) was unlucky to be adjudged leg before despite a bat-pad as the Indians managed to arrest the free flowing Pakistani run-rate.

Jamshed, however, kept his cool in his elegant innings to bring up his second consecutive century, third overall, all against India.

Jamshed clobbered Jadeja over his head for a straight overboundary to move to 96 and retained the strike taking a single on the last ball with a cool-headed demeanour.

The left-hander straight drove one uppishly in the mid-off boundary region to bring up yet another century against India.

But he could not carry his innings through as he became Jadeja's second victim.

Jadeja claimed Kamran Akmal (0), his third, in the same over to bring in the Pakistani middle order collapse.

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