Pakistan out to take Pepsi Trophy tomorrow (3 April 1999)
BANGALORE, India, Friday - India's chances of clinching the Pepsi Trophy suffered a major setback today when skipper Mohamed Azharuddin withdrew from the final of the tri-nation tournament on Sunday with a shoulder injury
03-Apr-1999
3 April 1999
Pakistan out to take Pepsi Trophy tomorrow
Bandula Molligoda
BANGALORE, India, Friday - India's chances of clinching the Pepsi
Trophy suffered a major setback today when skipper Mohamed Azharuddin
withdrew from the final of the tri-nation tournament on Sunday with a
shoulder injury.
Ajey Jadeja will continue to lead India in Azharuddin absence in
Sunday's day-night final and his place will be taken by all-rounder
Harikesh Kanitkar who hails from Pune in Western India.
With star batsman Sachin Tendulkar being still on the injured list,
India face the herculean task of overcoming Pakistan in the final to
be worked off at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in the Southern Indian state
of Bangalore on Sunday. However India have been strengthened by the
return of Nayan Mongia, Harikesh Kanitkar, Javagal Srinath and Anil
Kumble in their bit to beat the mighty Pakistanis in the final.
The Pakistanis under the inspiring leadership of Wasim Akram scored
resounding wins over India by 143 runs and seven wickets respectively
in the league tournament and the Indians have the daunting task of
overcoming the high riding Pakistanis tomorrow.
It was at the same venue that Wasim Akram was vilified by his
countrymen three years ago for opting out of the World Cup
quarter-finals against India three years ago which India won and the
Pakistan skipper is determined to erase memories of that incident by
leading his side to a splendid win to make it three wins in a row
over India in this tournament.
A capacity crowd of 70,000 people are expected to witness this final.
The teams (in batting order):
Pakistan - Saeed Anwar, Shahid Afridi, Ijaz Ahmed, Inzamam ul
Haq, Yousuf Yohanna, Moin Khan, Azhar Mahmud, Wasim Akram (captain),
Saqlain Mushtaq, Arshad Khan, Shoaib Akhtar.
India - Saurav Ganguly, Nayan Mongia, Rahul Dravid, Ajay Jadeja
(captain), Hariskesh Kanitkar, Amay Khurasia, Robin Singh, Ajit
Agarkar, Javagal Srinath, Anil Kumble, Venkatesh Prasad.
Source :: Daily News (https://www.lanka.net)