Pakistan crush hapless Bangladesh

KARACHI, AFP: Pakistan crushed a hapless Bangladesh by ten wickets in the inconsequential last Super League match in the Asia Cup after paceman Abdur Rauf took a career-best 3/24 at National Stadium on Friday.

The 29-year-old rattled Bangladesh's top order to help Pakistan bowl out the visitors for just 115 in 38.2 overs after the tourists won the toss and elected to bat in overcast conditions.

Pakistan openers Nasir Jamshed scored 52 not out and Salman Butt made an unbeaten 56 to see the home team through at a canter.

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Asia Cup: Dhoni’s Men Take On Pakistan In Super Four Tie Today

Karachi: Having got three full days to recharge their batteries, a rejuvenated India will take on arch rivals Pakistan in a Super Four match of the Asia Cup cricket tournament here on Wednesday, fully aware that a victory will ensure them a berth in the final.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was visibly miffed when he complained about the tight schedule of the tournament that required his team to play three matches over four days. Much to his relief, a three-day break allowed the side to get over the fatigue and the players should be raring to go when they have the traditional rivals at sight.
Irfan Pathan has recovered from a nagging side strain and would be available for selection for the tie. “Irfan has worked very hard with the trainer for the last few days to make a comeback and his availability is a definite plus point for us,” coach Gary Kirsten told reporters after the Indian team’s nets session.
Though predicting the outcome of an India-Pakistan match can be inviting embarrassment, Dhoni’s team seems to have a certain edge, having beaten the hosts in the group stage.
The Indian batting line-up, especially the top order, has been firing on all cylinders and though the tight schedule made it quite taxing for them, runs have not stopped flowing from their blades.
“It was tough out there for us. But I am happy we have kept going. Suresh Raina, Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag have batted really well in the tournament and I hope they keep on doing the same,” Dhoni said.
Raina has hit a purple patch with two centuries against his name and his impressive strike rate suggests he is yet to get over the Twenty20 mode.
Sehwag has been among the runs too, as is Gautam Gambhir and the Delhi duo would walk out to once again lay the perfect foundation for a mammoth total so that they can bury the opponents under the run mountain.
In fact, the top order has made it look so easy that neither Yuvraj Singh nor Dhoni got much of a chance to strut their stuff.
The lone worry surrounds the form of Rohit Sharma, whose run drought is all the more baffling considering his sublime shot in the Indian Premier League. But even though Rohit continues to struggle to the ODI format, his batting colleagues are doing enough to ensure that the team does not suffer from his slump.
The lack of firepower and sting in the bowling attack, however, would remain a worry for Dhoni. In their previous meeting too, Pakistan managed to post 299 for four against a lacklustre Indian attack.
Meanwhile, the game is crucial for Pakistan who face a do-or-die situation as a defeat would put them out of the final. Keen to sort their bowling woes, Pakistan have decided to include paceman Abdul Rauf and off- spinner Saeed Ajmal, replacing Wahab Riaz and Mansoor Amjad, in the team for the crucial tie. Shoaib Malik who has been suffering from dehydration, has declared himself fit as the skipper is keen to play. Pakistan will also have to rise above internal conflicts and put up a vastly improved show to stop the in-form Indians, even though it would not be an easy task. The team already looks a house divided with coach Geoff Lawson and the senior players at the loggerhead, while the Australian is also under tremendous media pressure after his bust-up with the press.
Teams (from): India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa, Yusuf Pathan, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Piyush Chawla, Manpreet Gony, Ishant Sharma, R P Singh, Pragyan Ojha, Praveen Kumar. Pakistan: Shoaib Malik (capt), Misbah-ul-Haq, Fawad Alam, Iftikhar Anjum, Mansoor Amjad, Mohammad Yousuf, Nasir Jamshed, Saeed Ajmal, Salman Butt, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Younis Khan. AGENCIES
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Clinical Sri Lanka storm into final

As birthday bashes go, this was pretty special, with Sanath Jayasuriya bludgeoning Bangladesh into submission as Sri Lanka sauntered into the Asia Cup final. Kumar Sangakkara's elegant 121, just 24 hours after a century against Pakistan, was the supporting act, and with Muttiah Muralitharan at his supple-wristed best with the ball, Bangladesh were brushed aside by a massive 158 runs. Nazimuddin and Raqibul Hasan showed some defiance, but even against an attack missing Lasith Malinga and Farveez Maharoof, 333 was never on.

Some of the Bangladesh players were still in diapers when Jayasuriya made his debut, and they must have felt as helpless as babies when he celebrated his 39th birthday with the fluent shot-making and power-hitting that typified his halcyon years. He raced to a century off only 55 balls, and though it turned out to be a two-man show, Sri Lanka still had enough to pull off their fourth successive win of the tournament.

Having added 201 with Sangakkara in only 27.5 overs, Jayasuriya finally ran out of puff in the Karachi heat. A poor delivery from Alok Kapali was lofted to deep cover where Tamim Iqbal took the catch. There was scarcely any joy from the fielders, because by then Jayasuriya had pounded 130 off only 88 balls, with a heady rhythm of cuts, pulls and drives.

Sangakkara carried on though, having been reprieved by Kapali off his own bowling on 51. He drove beautifully down the ground and made good use of both the orthodox sweep and the slogged version. Occasionally, he would also come down the track and loft the ball over the infield, and Bangladesh appeared bereft of options.

When Jayasuriya lashed Mashrafe Mortaza's opening delivery past point for four, it appeared to be a sign of things to come, but with Shahadat Hossain bowling a maiden first-up, Bangladesh conceded only 20 in the first five overs. The trouble started after that, with Jayasuriya dusting off his pull stroke and driving over the infield with immense power.

Sangakkara wasn't to be left behind, piercing the packed off-side field cleverly occasionally, but after a while he gave up trying to keep pace. Jayasuriya was unstoppable. When the bowlers dropped short, he would pull over midwicket. If they were too full, the disdainful flick was unveiled. Too much width and the hoardings behind the point boundary were battered with short-arm cuts. And if all that wasn't punishment enough, he would also jump down the pitch before lashing the ball over the covers.

The half-century took only 31 balls, and when Abdur Razzak came on, he was taken for 19 runs in his second over. Two crisp fours off Farhad Reza and a single to long leg later, he had a century, the 26th of an illustrious career. Sangakkara, who had caressed some lovely drives himself, was the perfect foil, and Bangladesh's cause wasn't helped when Mushfiqur Rahim fluffed a catch behind the stumps off Razzak right after Jayasuriya had got his hundred.