India v Pakistan 2007-08

At Gwalior, November 15, 2007 (day/night). India won by six wickets. Toss: Pakistan.

On another pitch not suited to strokemaking, Tendulkar mastered the art of the limited-overs ninety with a sublime innings that left watchers wondering why the cricketing gods seemed intent on denying him his 42nd one-day hundred. Pakistan's batsmen were again hamstrung by an overcautious approach, and although Mohammad Yousuf made 99 and Younis Khan passed 50, they consumed 193 balls between them. The target did not look unduly demanding, and once Tendulkar read the pace of the pitch it proved to be woefully inadequate. Sehwag, in the worst form of his life and fighting for his place, threatened a half-century, then threw it away. But Tendulkar set the pace, and despite his now-routine departure in the nineties - his sixth such dismissal of 2007 - Yuvraj Singh and Dhoni applied the finishing touches and sealed the series 3-1. Earlier Ganguly had made a spot of history by claiming his 100th wicket, in his 311th one-day international: he joined Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya as the only three men with 10,000 runs, 100 wickets and 100 catches. Zaheer Khan took his 200th one-day international wicket when he bowled Shoaib Malik.

Man of the Match: S. R. Tendulkar.