Thrilling Win for India

It puts other sports to shame........how can football be called interesting compared to this........first one way, then the other.......n then back again......it continued till the very last ball........n then some more.

So it's nine o'clock n time for the toss. I go upto the first floor tv room to watch India versus Pakistan.......can India beat their arch-rivals today? Not more than 5 minutes have passed than we are told to go upto the second floor because the seniors have to practise for an event planned for sunday. I luckily manage to find a seat......not soon afterward, the room is full with everyone excluding 6 or 7 of us on the floor.

Everything goes badly for India right from the toss..........Shoaib Malik puts India in to bat. Everyone cheers, but i know the ball will be swinging around quite a bit and it's going to be difficult for the Indian batsmen. True to from the ball is swinging, Mohammed Asif bowls beautifully, exploiting the conditions to the hilt and takes the first four wickets to fall.........brilliant bowling.

Uthappa is not one to be bogged down though and he wants to show that his 47 that helped India beat England in the sixth ODI was not a once in a lifetime innings........he comes to the party with two sixes off Yasir Arafat and before long, he reaches his fifty......well done, Uthappa. Rain delay!! The players go off the pitch for about ten minutes.........but then Uthappa falls first ball after resumption. Pakistan are back on top again.

Pathan on his comeback wants to be counted........hits two towering sixes off Afridi......but gets out the next ball. India lose their way in the last over.........but manage 141. Respectable after their poor start.

RP and Sreesanth to open.........RP bowls well, good swing........picks up his first wicket. But Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal accumulate runs........looks like Pakistan might run away with the match. But not if Agarkar and Pathan can help it........Pathan's first over since being dropped from the Indian team is a wicket maiden........not to mention a run out off his first ball. The noose is tightening around pakistan.........the run rate is climbing. Shoaib Malik falls to Pathan, Afridi is dropped by Agarkar, and then Afridi gets out trying to hit one over the top like he usually does.

Pakistan need 39 off 14 balls after Afridi's wicket........looks like it's all over. Misbah ul-Haq clobs 10 runs off the last two deliveries and then Agarkar goes for 17 in his over. Pakistan are back in the hunt. One over, 12 runs to win for pakistan. Sreesanth to bowl........single, four, double, four.......all over for india. One to win from two. Misbah misses........one from one. Dhoni brings everyone inside after consulting nearly half the team. Sreesanth is feeling the pressure. A short ball and Misbah can't get it away........Yuvraj throws the ball to Sreesanth who whipes the bails off. Tie- game............or is it??

Everyone seemed to think that that was it...........but I knew better. There's a bowl out. By the time everyone managed to figure that out........the warden has switched the TV off.........everyone peters away disappointed. Hope can do wonders..........so I wait.....with only hope to keep me company. The TV's back on............yipppee!!

Bowl out time..........India are going first.........Sehwag hits. One to India. Yasir Arafat misses. Harbhajan in next..........it hits!! Next up for Pakistan, it's Umar Gul........and he misses too. Now it's Uthappa's turn to hit the stumps and he does it well. Shahid Afridi has to hit for Pakistan to stay in the hunt..............but no, he misses too.........and India have won!! What a match.........this is what cricket is all about.........high class encounter and a thrilling finish. Three cheers for cricket.......and one more for India!!