Sehwag is out. And Tendulkar seems to be taking over from where he left off.
Tendulkar looks in good touch, the wicket doesn’t seem to have reduced the scoring rate too much and they are saying the outfield is fast.
Could be that it’ll slow up under the dew and that could mean much more of a struggle for Pakistan if India keep this up.
FYI, The bbc are reckoning on a TV audience of a billion for this.
Tendulkar dropped for the fourth time - clearly the gods are smiling on India today!!
Fifth chance held by who other than Afridi… 195/5, run rate still around 5/ov
This batting PowerPlay is going to be very important. Can India get north of 275-280?
ETA: got off to a good start but not looking likely now. They need to get up above 255 though.
They have been strangled somewhat. Feels like this could go to the wire.
Pakistan will need to bat well for a change. Get a good start. Indians will have to attack.
All in all a finely balanced match.
260- not a great score on this ground. Especially as India’s strength is its batting.
I favour Pakistan (hope I haven’t put the kiss of death on them AK48).
i think Pakistan are slightly ahead. This total is defendable though. Zaheer is going to be key for India.
Thanks to Jackknifed Juggernaut, I’m spying on the game. India look way too tense, Pakistan’s batsmen look relaxed. Crowd is starting to get nervous.
I went out to the local Madras Curry House for dinner for my birthday. All the staff are Indian so I thought it was no problem getting a score. First Indian guy who approached after our drinks I asked if he knew the score. He explained in perfect English he was from Mauritius and he didn’t like cricket. Foiled!
Well, Yuvraj might have sucked with the bat today, but he’s doing a bit better with the ball.
India’s match to lose now.
I take credit for that last over (one wicket, no runs), since I posed this before it happened.
77 needed from 51. Close. Too close for my liking.
And Afridi is gone two balls later!
And once again the crap waist-high full toss from the spinner takes a crucial wicket! Afridi must be shattered. I was laughing out loud at Harbhajan celebrating that like he’d just bowled the ball of the century!
I’m not sure how high the RRR has to be before I’m going to feel comfortable. It’s at 10.3 right now, and I’m still nervous.
Ashish Nehra just put on a clinic, an absolute clinic, of how to bowl fast in the late overs. Four dot balls where Riaz was nowhere near hitting the ball, then followed by a gem which Riaz flailed at and gave an easy catch.
India looks ready for the final now.
This is over. There are still about 4 overs left but it’s done. Pakistan are not winning this game.
So Sri Lanka v India in the final. How about a Tendulkar century to win the World Cup on home soil and get 100 international 100s? Or a Murali wicket to wrap up the win for SL with his last ball in cricket? I wouldn’t put it passed either of them.