Uthappa seals thriller for India
Friday, 7 September 2007
The best one-day matches are decided in tight finishes and, when the life of a series hangs in that balance, it makes the tension that much more real, reports Cricinfo.
Led by a magnificent 94 from Sachin Tendulkar and an icy-cool unbeaten 47 from Robin Uthappa, India hunted down the target of 317 with two balls to spare.
England fought hard and never let go but the price India paid for playing only four bowlers was compensated - if only just - by the decision to play seven batsmen.
The last few overs were dramatic, and none more than the final one. Uthappa, playing in his first match of the series and batting in the unfamiliar role of the finisher, found himself facing Stuart Broad, England's best bowler of the day, with 10 runs needed to keep his team in the series.
The first ball yielded a hard-run two but Broad fired the next in the blockhole; Uthappa could only dig it out straight to the bowler who comfortably ran out Zaheer Khan, backed up too far.
The next ball was another full ball, aimed at the middle stump. Uthappa, though, was outside the off stump by the time the ball got to him and deftly helped it over the short fine leg.
The fielder was pushed back and in came long-off. This time Uthappa was down the wicket and the ball went screaming past mid-off. Through these two high-quality and calculated strokes, one young man had out-thought the other. It was a nerveless innings when the run-chase had threatened to go horribly wrong.
India began their pursuit with their heaviest artillery, Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, firing in unison. Ganguly set the tone, putting James Anderson away through his favourite point region.
Tendulkar then responded with a flick off Broad that flew off the bat and it was game on. There was decisiveness to the calling as the pair pinched quick singles. While they still traded largely in boundaries, there was no hesitancy in the running between wickets, a refreshing trend after the last few games.
Tendulkar picked off Anderson for three consecutive boundaries - an off drive, a flick through square leg and a repeat of the earlier stroke - in the eighth over, and Ganguly was keen not to be left out. Off the next over he came breezily down the pitch to Broad and carved him over cover.
There was an exchange of words as Broad clearly wasn't enjoying bowling to two highly skilled one-day batsmen on an unhelpful pitch. All this did was spur Ganguly on further, and another trip down the pitch sent the ball several rows back in the stands behind long-on.
India 317 for 8 (Tendulkar 94, Ganguly 53, Uthappa 47*) beat England 316 for 6 (Shah 107*, Pietersen 53, Wright 50) by two wickets
Led by a magnificent 94 from Sachin Tendulkar and an icy-cool unbeaten 47 from Robin Uthappa, India hunted down the target of 317 with two balls to spare.
England fought hard and never let go but the price India paid for playing only four bowlers was compensated - if only just - by the decision to play seven batsmen.
The last few overs were dramatic, and none more than the final one. Uthappa, playing in his first match of the series and batting in the unfamiliar role of the finisher, found himself facing Stuart Broad, England's best bowler of the day, with 10 runs needed to keep his team in the series.
The first ball yielded a hard-run two but Broad fired the next in the blockhole; Uthappa could only dig it out straight to the bowler who comfortably ran out Zaheer Khan, backed up too far.
The next ball was another full ball, aimed at the middle stump. Uthappa, though, was outside the off stump by the time the ball got to him and deftly helped it over the short fine leg.
The fielder was pushed back and in came long-off. This time Uthappa was down the wicket and the ball went screaming past mid-off. Through these two high-quality and calculated strokes, one young man had out-thought the other. It was a nerveless innings when the run-chase had threatened to go horribly wrong.
India began their pursuit with their heaviest artillery, Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, firing in unison. Ganguly set the tone, putting James Anderson away through his favourite point region.
Tendulkar then responded with a flick off Broad that flew off the bat and it was game on. There was decisiveness to the calling as the pair pinched quick singles. While they still traded largely in boundaries, there was no hesitancy in the running between wickets, a refreshing trend after the last few games.
Tendulkar picked off Anderson for three consecutive boundaries - an off drive, a flick through square leg and a repeat of the earlier stroke - in the eighth over, and Ganguly was keen not to be left out. Off the next over he came breezily down the pitch to Broad and carved him over cover.
There was an exchange of words as Broad clearly wasn't enjoying bowling to two highly skilled one-day batsmen on an unhelpful pitch. All this did was spur Ganguly on further, and another trip down the pitch sent the ball several rows back in the stands behind long-on.
India 317 for 8 (Tendulkar 94, Ganguly 53, Uthappa 47*) beat England 316 for 6 (Shah 107*, Pietersen 53, Wright 50) by two wickets