Pakistan v India too close to call

If odds published today by bet365 are to be believed, a close contest is in prospect when Pakistan meet India at Karachi on Saturday in the first of five one-day internationals. Both sides are 5/6 to win the match, and the same odds apply to the series.

In spite of his lack of form in the recent VB Series in Australia, Sachin Tendulkar is 9/4 favourite to top-score for India. With three one-day tons Down Under, VVS Laxman is a tempting 5/1 alongside skipper Sourav Ganguly, while the odds of 11/2 offered for the dependable Rahul Dravid are attractive. Of the longer-priced batsmen, Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif are both 8/1 - punters who remember the NatWest Series final of 2002 will be aware of their appetite for the big occasion.

Pakistan, who have been through a rebuilding phase since the World Cup, have a much less-familiar batting order. Of the recognised batsmen, the captain Inzamam-ul-Haq is 4/1 alongside opener Yasir Hameed, who has an impressive one-day average of more than 44. Bout both of them are behind that seasoned campaigner Yousuf Youhana: he is the 7/2 favourite to top-score for Pakistan on Saturday. Shahid Afridi is tempting at 13/2 - if he can explode at the start of the innings, he could well have a big impact on the game.

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