Live Blogging: The Big Final, Part 1

4:30 PM: Alright then, lets get started. The final is still about half an hour away, so I thought I’d start a little bit early by giving a general idea about the mood and feel of fans on both sides. Facebook status messages are good indicator, quite a fair number of my contacts have been dishing up cricket related status messages. While some people are doing “Pakistan war chants” others are less confident, admitting to “fidgeting” while waiting. At my household, the consensus seems to be that our bowling looks in better form. Lots of talk about Yuvraj too. “How do we get him out?” they wonder.

4:35 PM: There’s a sense of cautious optimism everywhere. Geo Super has kick started their live coverage with pre-match analysis, Moin Khan is on board as well. I can now see the ground in the background, already looks jam packed. Over on a different channel, Geo’s pre-aftari coverage is underway. A young girl has just called in and requested the popular religious TV show host Aamer Liaqat Hussain to conduct “special prayers” for the Pakistan team.

4:40 PM: Cricinfo’s ball by ball coverage has started too. S Rajesh is at the ground and tells us that Indian support is much more then the Pakistani one. Its also quite hot. Plenty of locals at the ground too. Virender Sehwag has not recovered from his groin injury and will have to miss this game. He is replaced by Yusuf Pathan, the all-rounder. Pakistan have also made one change, bringing in Yasir Arafat in place of Fawad Alam. Now then, that’s interesting. I’m sure Fawad is wondering what wrong he has done. Anyway, the toss has just concluded. It’s a flat pitch. Dhoni has won the toss and decided to bat first.

4:50 PM: TV coverage is now underway as well. Nasser Hussain was at the toss. He looks balder today for some reason. Anyway, Dhoni says he’s looking for 180 plus. And Malik says he’s not that concerned. He would have bowled anyway. They’ll try and restrict them between 150 and 160. Lets of annoying ads now including numerous repeats of those Afridi and Younis Khan HBL ads. I’ll take a quick break and go get ready to pray. More updates when I come back.

4:45 PM: The umpires and both teams are out there now and the national anthems are being played. The ground has an electric atmosphere already. They’re flags everywhere. David Llyod and Rameez Raja are the first pair of commentators. Total crowd attendance 32,000.

5:00 PM: Yousuf Pathan, Irfan’s brother and Gautam Ghambir are making their way out to open the innings. Shahid Afridi is giggling. The Pakistan players all look composed and fresh. Asif will start proceedings from the Corlett Drive end. Gentle swing on the first ball, played to cover, Ghambir takes a single…and its a run out appeal on the first ball! Lots of excitement, but that looks not out. And surely enough, the third umpire rules not out.

5:07 PM: First six of the match. Pathan hits this 86 meters over the long on boundary. Glorious start. The crowd erupts. Nice drive off the next ball to take a comfortable 3, the captain Malik chases that down from the boundary. Wide next ball, and off target again on the last ball. Over complete. 13-0 after the first over. India off to a mini flyer.

5:10 PM: Sohail Tanveer takes the bowling from the other end. Gives away a single of the first ball. Another wide off the next. Nerves effecting Pakistan here. Leg glance off the next ball, races to the boundary for the first four of the match. Fielding change now. Third man removed, fine leg pushed back. Play and miss off from Ghambir of the fifth ball. Nice bounce and lift. Single of the last ball. 20-0 after 2 overs.

5:15 PM: Third over starts. Asif errs in length again. On the shorter side and dispatched for a four by Pathan. But excellent comeback of the next ball. OUT! Gentle medium fast ball spooned up on the leg side, caught nicely by the skipper. First wicket down for India. Appeal for a caught behind off the next ball, but turned down. That just brushed the pads. Single of the last bowl again. 26/1 after 3 overs.

5:20 PM: Robin Uthappa is the next man in. Ghambir on strike though, flicks it for a single to third man on the first ball. Fine leg drops back again. Uthappa on stike. Uthappa off the mark. More singles. Single of each ball over the over so far. Another wide of what would have been the last ball. Tanweer will have to bowl that again. Another single of the final ball. 33-1 after 4 overs.

5:23 PM: No swing from Asif, dead straight. Asif’s bowling at a really leisurely pace here, gentle 80 mile per hour deliveries. Uthappa lifts him over cover for another four. Through the line and over long off. Single of the next ball. Ghmabir takes the strike and rotates it again. Pakistan giving away singles without much of a worry. More bounce and zip off the next ball. Uthappa leaves that one alone. Last ball coming up. And its bouncer, ducked in. 39-1 after 5 overs. End of the fielding restrictions.

5:27 PM: Change of voices in the commentary. Nasser Hussain takes things up with Ian Chapell. Single of the first ball. Uthappa gets in that one nicely. Played to cover for no run. Next ball played to mid on, no run this time either. Another wicket off the next bowl! OUT! Uthappa caught at mid on, another wicket for Asif. He hit that off the toe, went straight up and taken easily by Afridi. Danger man Yuvraj Singh comes in. Good fielding of the last ball to keep Yuvraj on zero. 40/2 after 6 overs.

5:32 PM: Bowling change, Afridi comes in. Single of the first ball, little bit of a fumble in the field, India take two. Single of the third ball brings Yuvraj to strike. Right then, that’s one of the big match ups of the game. Afridi vs. Yuvraj. Only a single this time. Ghambir back on strike. Oooh…tricky single of the next ball, just made it though. 45/2 after 7 overs.

5:35 PM: Double change, spin from both ends. Hafeez comes in. Swing and a miss of the first ball from Ghambir. Hafeez gives away too much room of the next ball, cracking cut shot for a four. No chance for the backward point fielder. Another swing and miss of the next. Single off the next ball brings up India’s 50. Yuvraj in now. Two dot balls to end the over. 50/2 after 8 overs.

5:38 PM: Beautifully placed and timed, classic boundary of the third ball. Ghambir growing in confidence. Single off the fourth ball brings Yuvraj on strike. Faster ball by Afridi this time. Played on the off side for a single. 58/2 after 9 overs.

5:40 PM: Yuvraj struggling with his timing, good bowling from Hafeez, mixing his pace and length. But Ghambir is looking in supreme touch. Times that perfectly through the gap between cover and extra cover. 4th boundary for the young man. Misfield off the next ball, Hafeez not happy. 2 runs leaked away between point and backward point. Better stop off the next ball. Boundary through extra cover off the last ball of the over. 69/2 after 10 overs.

5:43 PM: Good delivery from Afridi first up, Yuvraj still not finding his timing. Commentary change, we can now here Michael Slater. Down the leg side this time, tucked away to short fine leg for a single. Smashed down the ground by Yuvraj of the fourth ball. Yuvraj underway now. Ravi Shastri in the commentary couldn’t be delighted enough. Yet another single of the next ball. Ghambir lofts it over long on for a massive six. 82/2 after 11 overs. Pakistan need a wicket here.

5:46 PM: Change in the bowling. Umar Gul comes in. This is going to be a crucial spell. Yuvraj on strike, poor start. Down the leg side, wide. Next ball played to the on-side for a single. Let’s see how Ghambir plays Gul now. Around the wicket, change of tactics. May be trying to cramp him for room. Played for no run down to backward point. Next ball not timed, no run. A Mexican wave is now going around the stadium, amazing atmosphere. Brilliant yorker of the next ball. Dug out and a single taken. Last ball of the over coming up. Sliced through cover this time, its a very facst out field and it races for another boundary. 6th boundary for Ghambir. Pakistan must get his wicket. Single of the next ball gives Ghambir his 50. 89-2 after 12 overs.

5:52 PM: Single off the first ball brings up the fifty partnership. Yuvraj tries to hit that out of the ground, only a single in the leg side this time though. You can feel he’s itching to get going though. Nothing is stopping Ghambir on the other end. Another four at mid on. Chipped over the infield this time, single taken. Yuvraj back on strike. Asif keep it to a two this time, good fielding. 98/2 after 13 overs.

5:55 PM: Glorious four on the on side this time. Umar Gul drifting into middle and leg and pays the price. Ghambir looks very dangerous. Pakistan need his wicket ASAP. Another nicely timed shot this time on the off side, single only. Yuvraj on strike now. Straight in the air this time! OUT! Gul takes the catch him self, nicely done. Pakistan celebrate. Yuvraj’s timing just hadn’t come off at all today. See, I told you Gul would take care of him. Big wicket for Pakistan. Another big hitter in. Dhoni is off the strike though. Single brings the Indian skipper on the strike. Dhoni surveys the field. He’s eying the off side. Play and miss of the first ball. Excellent captaincy from Malik, a slip is now in. Pressure being applied. Last ball coming up. Full and hit down the ground. Single taken. 105/3 after 14 overs.

6:01 PM: Six overs to go now. Afridi to continue. Dhoni curves that to mid off, and steals two runs, excellent running. At this rate (7.55) India will get up to round about 160. Pakistan will be happy with that. Dhoni hits it in the same direction this time, well fielded down the ground to restrict it to two. Asif moving into the circle now. Malik goes in to the outfield, smart thinking. Dhoni also struggling with his timing early on, nevertheless gets it for a single on the on side. Last ball from Afridi, dot ball. Good over from Afridi. 110-3 after 15 overs.

6:05 PM: Into the last five now, David Llyod and Nasser Hussain back in the commentary team. Accidental high full toss from Gul on the first ball, immediate apology. No ball called. Ferocious short ball of the next ball, quicker and bouncier that one. Dhoni sways away from that one. Nelson up on the board. OUT! cleaned up this time! The old trick, push him back with a short ball and then clean him up with a brilliant yorker. Dhoni tried the ugly heave and found his off and middle stump disturbed. Now then, Pakistan are right in this match. Sharma next man in. Slip in again. Aggressive captaincy. Down for a single at third man. Three balls to go in this over, and one over left to go in Gul’s spell, two wickets for him now. Slip out for Ghambir, plays it on the on side for a single, he’s still out there on 63 off 43. Another toe-breaking yorker from Gul. Just manages to keep it out. Excellent bowling from Gul again. Last ball to Dharma, another super yorker, tucked away for a single. Excellent over. 114-4 after 16 overs.

6:12 PM: Afridi’s finished his spell (0-30) so Arafat comes into the play. Arafat is a specialist death bowler in domestic cricket back home, this could prove to be an inspired decesion from Malik. Nice yorker front up. Just a single. Another yorker on the next ball, another single. Pakistan wouldn’t mind this. Current run rate only just above 7, this will get India to only about 140. That wont be enough. Ghambir to face Arafat now, slower ball played on the off side for a single. 22 deliveries since the last boundary. Excellent bowling from Pakistan. Sharma on strike now. Full toss, still no damage. Single again. Crowd getting slightly quieter. Another full delivery, another single of the last ball. 120-4 after 17 overs.

6:16 PM: Gul’s last over. Single of the first ball takes Ghambir off strike. Played nicely down to third man, extra pace on that delivery, just single again. India are being choked for runs here. Pakistan giving nothing away in terms of boundaries. Dharma finally hits one out of the ground though. Over leg side, towards the scoreboard, length ball dispatched for a six. Rare error from Umar Gul. 79 meters that last one. 3 balls left to go in this over. Back to a yorker this time, and another single. Ghambir on strike, worked on the off side, just a single again, Misbah fields well. Last ball coming up, what will Sharma do here? OUT! Reverse sweeps it and straight in the hands of Asif at short fine leg! Excellent bowling from Gul! He’s the leading wicket taker in the tournament now, 13 wickets to his name. 130-5 after 18 overs.

6:22 PM: Full toss and dispatched for four. Arafat erred in length again and dispatched for another four this time through third man. Deft late cut. Sharma on 14 not out. Nice come back with a yorker, poor fielding, gives away 2 runs. Shouldn’t even have been a one. Length ball, thick inside edge brings a single on the off side. 8 balls left to go in the innings, 2 left in this over. Another yorker, dot ball this time. Last ball is a full toss, two runs off it. 143-5 after 19 overs.

6:24 PM: Its the final over coming up. And aftar time is closing in. Tanvir will bowl this one. Sharma on strike, 2 runs taken at cover. Next ball coming up, that’s up in the air, going towards midwicket, Hafeez is under it, he should take this but makes a mess of it! And it goes over the boundary for six. Bad, bad miss from Hafeez. Cruical runs these, and may come to haunt Pakistan later on. Anyway, next ball coming up, yorker…dug out to the leg side for a single. One more single this time off a thick inside edge. Sharma takes two more down towards third man. Big last over for India this. Final ball coming up. Two more runs down the ground and India end at 157/5 after 20 overs.

Good work over all from the Pakistani bowlers. It is already maghrib prayer time here so I’ll go break my fast and pray, and come back with more updates after the break.

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