STATS CORNER – The second semi-final of the World Cup 2011 will be played between arch rivals India and Pakistan at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali today.
Pakistan entered the semi-finals for the record sixth time by defeating West Indies by 10 wickets in the first quarter-final at Mirpur, Dhaka, while India qualified for last four for the fifth time by beating Australia by five wickets the second quarter-final in Ahmedabad.
The day/night encounter will be the 120th ODI between the two teams and the fifth in the World Cup. Pakistan have a good record against India in ODIs. They have won 69 and lost 46 out of the 119 one-day internationals played between the two teams. The remaining four matches did not produce any result.
India have a perfect record against Pakistan in World Cup. They have won all four matches against Pakistan in this mega event. In 36 day/night matches played between the two teams, Pakistan have won 20 while India achieved victories in 16 matches. Shahid Afridi’s boys also have a good record against India in India.
They have won 17 and lost nine in the 26 matches played in India. Pakistan have won both matches against India at Mohali, the venue of the semi-final. Both teams have won five matches each in the last 10 ODIs played between them. The last encounter between the two teams was played at Dambulla on June 20, 2010 in Asia Cup, in which India recorded a three-wicket victory.
Out of a total of five, Pakistan have won two and lost three semi-finals in the World Cup, while India have won two and lost two out of four semi-finals in the mega event. The two teams have never met in the semi-finals of the World Cup. India defeated Pakistan by 43 runs when the two teams met in the knock-out stage at Bangalore on March 9, 1996.
Batting first after winning the toss, India scored 287 for eight in 50 overs. Navjot Singh Sidhu made 93 while Ajay Jadeja scored 45. It was Ajay Jadeja who played the decisive role, scoring 45 from 25 balls with four fours and two sixes. Waqar Younis bowled the last two overs for 40 runs, after his first eight had cost just 27.
A slow over-rate was punished by the deduction of an over from Pakistan’s innings, the only such penalty in the tournament. Even so, their openers seized the initiative. Saeed Anwar had scored 48 from 32 balls, including two sixes, when he skied to Anil Kumble.
Stand-in captain Aamir Sohail was at 55 off 46 balls, with one six, when he slashed wildly at Venkatesh Prasad. Pakistan scored 113 for two from the vital first 15 overs, putting them way ahead of India. But Venkatesh Prasad grabbed two more wickets and, gradually, the run-rate faltered.
Rashid Latif, with two big sixes in a run-a-ball 26, kept Pakistan going, but his stumping off Anil Kumble sparked a collapse. The run-out of Javed Miandad signaled the end of Pakistan’s reign as one-day champions
and, apparently, of a career spanning three decades. Pakistan scored 248 for nine in 49 overs to lose the match. Navjot Singh Sidhu was named man of the match.
