Just when everyone was thinking that it was a boringly one sided tournament, Pakistan made a strong comeback and won the Kitply Cup beating India in the finals. In the first two matches, India won basically from the performance backed by strong start given by Sehwag and Gambhir which was so typical of Delhi Daredevils in IPL. The story continued in final of Kitply Cup as well when openers failed to give a decent start and middle order could not live up to the mark. If this was the story of Delhi Daredevils in IPL, it continued with Team India in Kitply Cup.

Pakistan put up a spirited show in batting department which is commendable after the blasting they got from the senior officials of Pakistan Cricket Board. It was a flat track but the way Younis Khan and Salman Butt batted was a perfect example of slow but solid foundation getting converted into a big score. Indian bowlers actually did a good job in restricting Shahid Afridi in the last few overs which saw a possible 330 getting down to 315.

After looking the score, lot of parallels were drawn between this tournament and a tournament 10 years back in the same country. Then also two of Pakistani batsmen scored centuries to take the team total to a similar figure. A young & new southpaw ran havoc then with another old but new southpaw and India sealed one of the most memorable victories in the last over under dim light.

Thankfully there were no chances of the match being played in dim light yesterday because there were floodlights available and this was a day-night encounter. If chasing a 300 plus score than was a rarity then, these scores are chased much more regularly these days, sometimes with ease.   

With Sehwag getting caught with law of averages, Gambhir and Rohit Sharma kept scoring at a brisk pace without ever looking in trouble. Trouble did come and it looked more like a self created trouble. Rohit Sharma had played a lofted pull to get a boundary and a fielder was specifically placed for that shot later. He tried the shot again in a confused manner and found the fielder with precision. Gambir’s square drives forced Malik to place a fielder at deep point/cover region with in the power-plays and Gambhir finally ended in his hands. Yousuf Pathan came, blasted a few thundering boundaries and got out on a bad ball. Raina and Yuvraj Singh had a threatening partnership going and just when they were getting over 6 runs per over without any risks, Raina got out on the worst ball of the match. Soon Yuvraj got out and it became more of a catch up job although Dhoni and Pathan tried their best. In short, batsmen kept getting runs easily with the help of some ordinary fielding and not so great bowling. They also kept getting out to mistimed/misplaced shots. It looked as if they were actually playing in t20 where not hitting a boundary in an over is a punishable offence. There was no one who could – as in old commentary language – hold the innings together. Probably, the middle order is still under the hangover of IPL.

If this is our future team, what we badly lack is a batsman who can hold one end. We have too many stroke makers. Ironically, the job of staying at the crease is best done these days by a batsman who was considered to be the most destructive of all – M S Dhoni. His strike rate has dropped from over 100 to 81 since he has become captain but his average has improved from a mere 40 plus to near 50. He would have won the game yesterday as well had he got some company. May be sending Raina ahead of him was a mistake which he himself accepts.

"I made a mistake; I should have come before Raina. That decision was taken in a positive frame of mind.”

What is most commendable in his captaincy apart from his cool & calm composure is his honesty and maturity. It was a great sight when he called Chennai Super Kings for a huddle after loosing to Rajasthan Royals in IPL final. It was a rarity because loosing teams disappear into a hiding after the match and the blame game starts. Dhoni’s composure on the other hand was very mature after the loss.

Anyways, we win some and we loose some. But India did play well in this miniscule tournament. Even when we lost, it wasn’t surrender to a huge score or occasion. But for a few mistakes, India would have won it. There is not much cries after yesterday’s loss in India. But by the look of things, Pakistan might have got their entire team sacked had they lost. May be they needed this win more than us. Hence, we just tried to be a friendly neighbour yesterday.     

- Vibhash