Pak veterans square series
The Pakistan Veterans fought back from the brink to win the second limited-overs game and square the three-match series
Wisden Cricinfo staff
22-Dec-2003
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Yashpal Sharma chats with Azmat Rana, centre, and Mansoor Akhtar, left © Getty Images |
2nd match, December 21
Pakistan Veterans 194 for 4 (Ijaz 69*, Mansoor 58*) beat India Veterans 191 for 6 (Razdan 53) by 6 wickets
Pakistan Veterans 194 for 4 (Ijaz 69*, Mansoor 58*) beat India Veterans 191 for 6 (Razdan 53) by 6 wickets
Ijaz Ahmed continued his run of good form with an unbeaten 69, helping Pakistan Veterans romp to a six-wicket victory over the India Veterans in the second limited-overs game of the three-match NTPC Goodwill Veterans series on Sunday.
Things didn't look too rosy for the Pakistan Veterans at one stage, as they struggled to 60 for 4 after the Indians made early inroads into the batting line-up. But a 134-run fifth-wicket partnership between Ijaz and Mansoor Akhtar (58*) ensured their victory at the Karnail Singh Stadium in New Delhi.
Earlier, Vivek Razdan played the lead role with the bat for the Indians, scoring 53 off 49 balls with four fours and three sixes, helping his team reach 191 for 6. In the end, it just wasn't enough, and now the series is down to the wire.
1st match, December 19
India Veterans 175 (Gursharan 55) beat Pakistan Veterans 163 (Ijaz 40, Razdan 3 for 23) by 12 runs
India Veterans 175 (Gursharan 55) beat Pakistan Veterans 163 (Ijaz 40, Razdan 3 for 23) by 12 runs
India Veterans rode on the back of a good spell by Vivek Razdan (3 for 23) to beat the Pakistan Veterans by 12 runs in the first limited-overs match of the three-match series in Jalandhar on Friday.
Chasing 175 in 30 overs, the Pakistan Veterans got off to a terrible start, losing three wickets for 31 runs, before Aamer Malik (30) and Ijaz Ahmed (40) put on 73 runs for the fourth wicket. Surinder Khanna (2 for 33), who also opened the batting for the India Veterans, turned his arm over to break the partnership, and claimed both batsmen. Razdan then returned to wipe out the tail, and with it, the Pakistan fightback.
The India Veterans got off to a thundering start, as Khanna (23) and Atul Wassan (28) slammed 42 runs in only 29 balls. But the beginning was not taken advantage of, and the team lost wickets in a flurry to slump to 68 for 3. However, Gursharan Singh put his hand up to do the job, scoring 55, and was involved in two vital partnerships with Bhaskar Pillay and Vijay Yadav to take India Veterans to 175.