This is India Vs Pakistan 2006 ODI series review. I have been keep requesting new product for ODI series without any luck. So, I am forced to put my review here. Here are the highlights of this series.
India vs Pak Hutch Cup Series 2006 were much anticipated series of the year for Indian and Pakistani cricket fans. After loosing test series against Pakistan by the margin of 1-0, India was under pressure to deliver in ODI series. After loosing first one by D/L method, at the end of 4th ODI, India wrapped series with 3-1 sending series into fifth dead rubber game.
Man of the Series - Yuvraj Singh’s Consistency
One of the reasons India’s recent successes in ODI is Yuvi’s consistency with bat. Here are his scores looks like in last 11 ODIs he played against Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Pakistan - 79, 0, 103, 4, 53, 49, 39, 82, 79, 37, 107. His blazing 39 in 1st game carried India past 300, fascinating 82* while chasing 265 in 2nd game, matured 79* while chasing 288 in 3rd game, steady 37 while chasing 171 in 4th game, 107* while chasing 286 in 5th game are awe-inspiring for any middle order ODI batsman.
Dhoni’s versatility
After first three game of this series, India’s first true wicketkeeper batsman Dhoni stormed into ICC’s top 10 ODI batsmen ranking. His versatility, explosiveness, and consistency while setting up big score batting first at the top order and chasing big score at the bottom of the order batting second is mind-boggling. If His 65 in 1st game while batting first was instrumental putting up big score of 300 then his master blaster 79 in 46 balls in 3rd game and 77 in 56 balls in 5th ODI while chasing big targets was caliber of world class innings.
Sachin’s re-emergence
Media makes player hero or zero and it never been true for SRT in his 17 years of career. Recent test series failure despite getting good starts in both innings of Karachi test, media and former players scapegoat him for India’s test series failure and nicknamed him as Endulkar. For arguably greatest batsman of cricket, his yet another exam of batting resulted into circumspect 100, blazing 42, and mind boggling 95 in first three ODIs to shut everyone’s mouth.
Pakistan’s opening dilemma and top order collapse
Ever since India visited Pakistan in historic 2004 series, Pakistan have tried endless opening combinations, Imran Nazir, Imran Farhat, Taufiq Umar, Salman Bu-tt, Yasir Hameed, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal. Even though Pak’s recent success against England in ODI seen Akmal’s two centuries, he failed to deliver against India. That forced unsuccessful midseries changes of India’s nemesis Afridi as an opener. Salman Bu-tt’s incapability against Irfan Pathan’s deadly swings got exposed. Three top-order collapses while batting first in Rawalpindi (68 for four), Lahore (82 for four) and Multan (29 for four) cost them the series.
Shoiab Malik’s Consistency
If you think Younis Khan is India’s biggest nemesis in India-Pak test cricket, Shoiab Malik is India’s biggest nemesis in India-Pak ODIs. Ironically both play as one-down in respective format of their game. He is instrumental to their recent success against India in ODIs. Here is his scores looks against India ever since he started coming one-down in ODI format since Asia Cup 2004 - 143, 68, 5, 61, 4,12, 75, 65, 41, 72, 90, 95, 108, 9, 12.
Mohd Yusuf, Inzamam Ul-Haq, and Younis Khan’s impact as a batsman
Younis Khan and Mohd Yusuf was most successful batsman against India in their test series of 2006. Pakistan’s three main batsman’s inconsistent success and their incapability to put big partnerships in ODI series at the middle order means its going to be early collapse and that means Pakistan can’t put big score to pressurize Indians.
India’s bowling emergence – Irfan Pathan, Sreesanth and RP Singh
If Balaji was revelation in India’s Pak series of 2004, Srisanth and RP Singh are revelation in 2006. Srisanth’s fiery pace, deadly swingers and RPSingh’s surprised package of mixed deliveries. Both of them along with Irfan Pathan bowled at right line and length to restrict Pakistan to 265, 288 and 161 in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th games to win series for India. Suddenly India’s bowling pipeline looks really good - Pathan as super head of India’s bowling, Laxmipati Balaji and Ashish Nehra nursing the injury, India’s fastest bowlers VRV Singh and Munaf Patel knocking the door means Zaheer Khan and Ajit Agarkar needs to work on their consistency and fitness.
Mohammad Asif’s emergence as a India’s new nemesis
Mohd. Asif’s consistency over his line and length, putting bowls at the unplayable areas where batsman gets confused to go over front foot or back foot, and beautiful in swings continued in ODIs. His rise and maturity as a bowler are only heartening things for Pakistan in their bowling department. He gave them great chance in 1st game by taking Sehwag’s early wicket, magical spell of two early inroads to reduce 12/2 while India was chasing 288 in crusial 3rd game, and magnificent show of swings along with Umar Gul when Sachin-Dravid was surviving unplayable deliveries in 3rd game.
Rana Naved Hussain’s failure
One of the biggest reasons Pakistan’s series win against India in 2005 was their front line bowler, man of the series of the tournament – Rana Naved Hussain. He was Pakistan’s strike bowler doing early inroads in Indian batting lineup of Shewag, Sachin, and Ganguly in 2005. He was revelation in that series but same bowler made many mistakes in 2006 series. His failure over control of line and length means explosive batting by Sehwag’s 22 runs in 5th over of second game and Dhoni’s destructive 29 runs in 42nd-44th while chasing in 3rd game.
Dravid’s captaincy especially in 1st and 4th game
Dravid’s aggressive field placement and strangling tactics by closing gaps for singles after Pakistan lost Bu-tt in 1st game, innovative field settings in 4th game especially Akmal’s catch at short point after Raina put at that place just one bowl prior to his dismissal.
India’s fielding especially in 4th game
Although India’s sloppiness in 3rd game of dropped catches and ground fielding didn’t cost them game, it made much tougher while chasing 288. That made Coach Greg Chappell for extra fielding and catching session on the eve of 4th game. It was great to see alert close in fielding, sharp catching, and innovative field placement in next game. Sharp, young, and athletic fielders like Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh and Mohd Kaif in inside circle throughout game means India saved at least 25-40 runs per game.
Inzamam’s obstructing the field incident
Although there were negative reactions over Inzamam’s reaction of getting out on obstructing the field left a bad taste, it was unique and valid according to cricket’s law. It was really disheartening, regrettable, and shameful to see player of Inzi’s caliber who is the captain of team, played more than 100 test and 350 ODIs, experience of more than 15 years showing his unawareness of knowledge of game.
Sachin’s new bunny, Inzamam
In all India vs. Pak ODI series in last 15 years, out of 64 ODI he played against India, 7 times Inzi got out on the mixed deliveries of Sachin. Truely amazing stats for part time bowler.
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