Malik stars in Pakistan win

Shoaib Malik kept Pakistan alive in the Asia Cup with a dashing 143 that propelled them to 300 for 9, and a 59-run win at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. There were some climactic moments at the end, with India just managing to avoid conceding a bonus point - a factor that could have a huge bearing on deciding the finalists.

Halfway though the game, with the top order nearly all gone, India were out of it, and they targetted 241 instead. That was the score they needed to avoid conceding a bonus point to Pakistan. But with six runs needed in the last over, the tailenders pressed the panic button, and India nearly made a meal of it. It all came down to running two byes and, thankfully for India, Moin Khan missed the stumps on both occasions. With Pakistan likely to beat Bangladesh on Tuesday, India will face a must-win situation - preferably with a bonus pointagainst Sri Lanka in the final league game on July 29.

Malik batted for almost 50 overs and his fourth century in one-dayers, which was also his highest score, set India a mountain of a task under lights. With useful support from the rest of the middle order, Malik ensured that runs came at a brisk pace right through the innings.

This was an innings where Malik lived on the edge. The ball flew off his bat's edge, Virender Sehwag grassed two tough chances, Rahul Dravid missed a regulation stumping, the third umpire gave him the benefit of the doubt ... But amid all this there was effective improvisation and some crisp clattering. He got Pakistan off to a flier after Imran Nazir fell in the first over, maintained the run-rate and stepped on the pedal at the end.

For India, Irfan Pathan got them the early wicket and maintained some good pressure at his end but it rained runs at the other end; Lakshmipathy Balaji might have been reminded of his disastrous one-day debut - when he conceded 44 off four overs against West Indies - as Malik cashed in on an erratic spell. A large number of balls were sprayed around and the 61 he conceded in seven overs handed Pakistan the initiative.

Malik's accomplices in the middle overs played vital roles, too. Inzamam-ul-Haq threatened to play one of his nonchalant masterpieces but fell sweeping straight to Yuvraj Singh at square leg, after the two had put on 66 in 77 (171 for 3). Youhana slipped into the supporting role neatly and shared another rapid partnership with Malik; 63 came of just 9.3 overs. While 113 had come in the first 20 overs, 114 were scored between the 20th and the 40th.

Malik continued his unorthodox methods - sweeping the seamers from outside off and slapping forehands over mid-off - and brought up his 100 in 95 balls. He was extremely lucky to survive a run-out chance when on 99 but inconclusive replays meant that he received the benefit of the doubt and completed his fourth century in one-dayers. He made 43 more runs before hitting out to the fielder at long-off. By then though, he had made his highest score in one-dayers and it had come at a time when Pakistan's precarious position required a knock like this.

India needed similar heroics to get anywhere close to 301 and, for a brief while, Sourav Ganguly and Tendulkar gave a whiff of what could have been. After Virender Sehwag fell early - poking tentatively at a good length ball from Shabbir Ahmed - a few overs of chilling drama followed. Shoaib Akhtar's fearsome run-up and the bobbing hair were all on show and the short balls were well-directed. Ganguly had a torrid time early on as a series of short ones had him groping tentatively, with one flying off the splice and landing short of third man. Having overcome that sizzling spell, Ganguly unfurled his innovative strokeplay. Backing away, he first glided Shoaib to the third man fence and then carved Shabbir over cover for a stunning six.

But just as the jitters seemed to have settled, Ganguly fell to a moment of indiscretion. He walked too far across the stumps to Sami and the ball struck his thigh pad before crashing into leg stump (79 for 2). From that point, Tendulkar lost partners at regular intervals as the batsmen succumbed to the mounting run-rate. Tendulkar played the anchor role, mainly nudging, running hard, and striking a few classical drives. After Mohammad Kaif's run-out, going for a run that never was, the batsmen aimed to avoid conceding the bonus point and targeted 241.

Once Tendulkar reached his fifty, there was a brief period when he displayed his repertoire as he smashed Shoaib for two fours in an over, and then delectably scooped him to midwicket. But that was just a glimmer in the darkness. He pulled a ball straight to short midwicket after making 78 (214 for 6). Irfan Pathan's responsible 38 had an irresponsible ending, but it helped India inch towards getting a point from the game. But much more drama ensued before the task was finally completed with two wickets in hand.

After such a riveting one-day series earlier this year, it was tough to imagine an India-Pakistan encounter without a dramatic ending. The Indian tailenders achieved this in a convoluted way and actually won something from a thumping loss.