India hand 29 run
defeat to Pakistan,
set up final against Sri Lanka
India beat Pakistan by 29 runs in the second World Cup semi-final in Mohali on Wednesday.
India posted 260-9 and then returned to bowl out Pakistan for 231
in 49.5 overs.
Sachin Tendulkar was the highest scorer for India with 85 runs, Wahab Riaz took six wickets for 46 runs for Pakistan.
India will now me
et Sri Lanka for the final in Mumbai on April 2.
30th March 2011, a day every Pakistani and Indian will remember for their entire lifetime. It's a date that's been carved in every cricket lovers mind, heart and soul. When it comes to the two cricket crazy nations India and Pakistan, it's usually way more than just cricket. As India entered the semi-finals against Pakistan, the hype and lead up had already begun. Many offices generously gave their employees a holiday, employees who didn't have a holiday; mass bunked, colleges finished lectures early,
TV showrooms and cafes were full right since the afternoon, movie theatres screening the LIVE match started receiving high footfalls since
morning, twitter was at it's best with the cons
tant updates and statements mentioning the semi-final, photoshop was probably used the most yesterday with more and more innovative pictures being shared on most social networking websites, every radio channel ran promotions for the much awaited game and the list go
es on.
They return as heroes
It was a match that will live long in my memory.
Pakistan slipped out of the World Cup after a nerve-wracking loss toarchrivals India.They now return home as heroes nonetheless.
The defeat is not under debate: we lost fair and square. However, the team that returns home is now a special one. They are special because they wore green and marched into the yard in Mohali, with their heads high, sending shock waves of intimidation to their opponents.
Shahid Afrid
i’s leadership and the team’s performance in the 2011 World Cup was awe-inspiring. They continued to defy all odds, defeating the unlikeliest of opponents and losing when defeat seemed implausible. They lived up to their tag of being the most unpredictable team in the world. It makes them one of the most entertaining sides to watch in the game of cricket. No one can deny that fact.
It is importan
t to go back in time and look at the haywire journey our cricket team has gone through. The odds were against us all the way, but we still managed to shock many and get into the semi-finals.
Think of the turmoi
l the Pakistan team has been through. The 2007 World Cup was marked with the sudden death of our coach Bob Woolmer. This upset was followed by a year which saw no Tests in 2008. This was then followed by the Sydney debacle. And we were rocked by one of the most damaging scandals in cricket history when three of our players were banned on grounds of involvement in spot-fixing.