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India XI v Pakistan XI, Indian Cricket League, Hyderabad
Khaleel fifty helps India XI prevail
Cricinfo staff
April 11, 2008
India XI 153 for 6 (Khaleel 63) beat Pakistan XI 152 for 8 (Imran Nazir 56) by four wickets
Scorecard
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Ibrahim Khaleel anchored the India XI chase with his 63
© ICL
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Wicketkeeper-batsman Ibrahim Khaleel top scored with 63 as the ICL India XI came back strongly to register a win over the ICL Pakistan XI in Hyderabad. It was a splendid fightback on two fronts for India XI; they had lost the opening game of the tournament to World XI, and the manner in which the Pakistan XI openers blitzed away after Inzamam-ul-Haq decided to bat, few would have punted on the Indians to bounce back.
Inzamam won the toss and in the blink of an eye Pakistan XI reached 42 off four overs, with 22 coming off the second over bowled by G Vignesh. Abdul Razzaq's cameo of 17 ended on the final delivery of the fourth over, but his partner Imran Nazir continued to score freely, just like he had done against World XI the previous day.
However, none of the other batsmen got going, and India XI began to peg back the scoring-rate with wickets at regular junctures. Ali Murtaza picked up two wickets with his left-armers, while T Kumaran had Imran Nazir stumped for 56, having scalped Razzaq early in the innings.
Twenty extras provided the second-highest contribution behind Imran Nazir's 56, as Pakistan XI totalled 152.
India XI too got off a brisk start, with Abhishek Jhunjhunwala combining well with Khaleel after Vignesh perished for 18, which included two sixes. At the halfway mark, India XI were past 80, though Jhunjhunwala fell in the 11th over to Arshad Khan for 23.
Two run-outs then gave the Pakistanis a sniff of hope. TP Singh was unlucky; a straight drive from Khaleel was stopped by Arshad, who reacted well to knock down the stumps at the non-striker's end. Khaleel, who had anchored the chase during his 63, then unnecessarily went for a second run after having hit two boundaries in the 15th over. Khaleel's knock contained eight boundaries, and he, like some of his team-mates, wasn't afraid to improvise, even flat-batting balls pitched short on off stump to the leg-side boundary behind square.
Two more wickets fell, but R Sathish, the India XI captain, came with an unbeaten 20-ball 29 to steer his side to a four-wicket win, continuing the trend of successful chases.
© Cricinfo
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