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'The target of 282 was gettable' - Inzamam

Inzamam-ul-Haq admitted that a target of 282 was achievable, but blamed the sudden batting collapse for Pakistan's tame defeat

Cricinfo staff
02-Apr-2005
Inzamam-ul-Haq admitted that a target of 282 was achievable, but blamed the sudden batting collapse for Pakistan's tame defeat. Here's what he had to say in the post-match press conference:


The Pakistanis had early success, but as the day went on, they had little to celebrate © Getty Images
On whether Pakistan was complacent today after winning the Bangalore Test
Tests and ODIs are very different games. The boys worked hard today in the heat but sometimes these things just happen.
On the first-ball let-off for Virender Sehwag
He's a good one-day player and if you drop him it will always be expensive. Without him India would not have made 281.
On Sachin Tendulkar's golden arm
Non-regular bowlers occasionally pick up wickets. Today was a good day for India when everything they did worked.
On the target
The target of 282 was a gettable one, it shouldn't have been difficult because the pitch was still in very good condition. The turning point came when we slipped from 45 for no loss to 64 for 4 very quickly. After that it was very difficult.
On why Shahid Afridi didn't open the batting
He has batted lower down the order for us in the last 15-20 matches and he has been very successful, so we decided to keep him there.
On the weather
Obviously the weather was very difficult and it was very hot. The gloves were becoming difficult to grip because of the heat but we are professionals and we should be able to adjust to these weather conditions.
On Younis Khan's fitness
He is still not fit but we have two more days to go before the next game so he can't be ruled out yet.