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India in Pakistan, ODI Series, 2005-06
Pakistan score on firepower and form
George Binoy
February 5, 2006
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How long Shahid Afridi spends in the middle could have an important influence on the series.
© AFP
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After the run-fest in the Test series, India and Pakistan prepare to clash in five one-day internationals, and if recent history is any indicator, we have another leather hunt in the offing. In their last 15 matches (30 innings) 300-plus totals have been achieved ten times while the teams have posted scores between 275 and 300 on seven occasions.
Head-to-head
Since losing 3-2 at home to India in 2003-04, Pakistan have beaten India eight times in ten matches including a 4-2 win in India after trailing 2-0 in the series. Pakistan have been on a recent hot-streak, beating West Indies 3-0 and England 3-2. India recovered from tournament losses in Sri Lanka and against New Zealand and trounced Sri Lanka 6-1 at home before drawing the series against South Africa 2-2.
Allround advantage
While both teams boast heavyweight batsmen, Pakistan have three superb allrounders in Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik and Abdul Razzaq to India's fledgling Suresh Raina and, of late, Irfan Pathan. Malik averages 44.53 (career average 32.58) and has three fifties in his last four ODIs against India. Afridi scores 26.84 per innings against India but during his last tour of India he walloped 211 runs at a strike rate of 172.95.
Individual battles
Virender Sehwag v Rana Naved-ul-Hasan
While Sehwag has hammered the Pakistan bowlers in Tests, he averages just 29.76 against then in ODIs with just one century in 17 games. His chief scourge has been Rana Naved, who has dismissed him six times in all (four in the last five matches) while conceding 102 runs off 109 balls. If Rana Naved can repeat his success against Sehwag he will nullify Pakistan's biggest threat.
Ajit Agarkar v Inzamam-ul-Haq
Agarkar may leak runs at 5.61 an over against Pakistan but he's managed to pick up Inzamam, who averages 45.29 against India, twice for the cost of just 19 runs. Agarkar's incisive wicket-taking ability may prove crucial in a high-scoring series.
Shahid Afridi v Irfan Pathan and Zaheer Khan
India's chances in the series may depend on whether they are able to contain Afridi. At Kanpur in 2004-05, he smashed the second fastest ODI century and shut India out of the game as early as the 15th over of the chase. Pathan and Zaheer haven't had the happiest time against Afridi. He's clobbered Zaheer for 77 runs off 52 balls and Pathan for 41 off 24.
Shoaib Akhtar v Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh
Akhtar is Pakistan's premier strike force and his success versus Indian batsmen has been varied. Sachin Tendulkar has scored 104 runs off 110 balls but got out thrice against Akhtar. But he has managed to keep Dravid under his thumb. Dravid has a strike rate of just about 50 and has fallen to Akhtar twice. Yuvraj, on the other hand, has been able to score at a cracking pace of 121 (61 off 50 balls) and has fallen just once to him.
Batsman v bowler stats include matches since 01-09-2001 only
Recent form - India
Dravid has been in sparkling touch, averaging 82.80 in his last ten ODIs while Yuvraj averages 53.16 from nine innings against Sri Lanka and South Africa. Mahendra Singh Dhoni excelled against Sri Lanka but didn't cross 20 in three hits against the pace and bounce of South Africa. The real worry for India is their likely opening pair. Tendulkar made a superb comeback from a tennis elbow with back-to back fifties against Sri Lanka but his form has gone into freefall thereafter. He averaged just nine (36 runs in fours innings) against South Africa. Sehwag on the other hand hasn't been able to convert his starts . He has made at least 30 in six out of his last ten knocks but managed to cross fifty just once.
Recent form - Pakistan
Kamran Akmal has been supreme form this season and averages 43.42, with back-to-back hundreds against England, in his last nine innings. While Inzamam also averages 58.33 in his last ten matches, India's tormentor Younis Khan hasn't been in the best of form, he managed just 30 runs in the series against England. Perhaps most relieving for India, is Afridi's average of 17.40 in his last ten innings, with just one score above fifty. His last three innings against India read 40 off 23 balls, 102 off 46 and 44 off 23.
George Binoy is editorial assistant of Cricinfo. For some of the stats he was helped by Arun Gopalakrishnan from Cricinfo's Chennai office.
© Cricinfo
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