Now, it is lunch time in the Sabina Park Stadium, Kingston, Jamaica. West Indies innings stopped at 241 runs after 50 over losing 9 wickets. Though they start badly earlier in the innings, they could make a fighting total at last.
Pakistan captain Inzamam-el-Haq won the toss and decided to bowl fast. His two new ball bowler Umar Gul and Naved-ul-Hasan (Rana Navid) proved his decision right taking Chris Gayle early and keeping the West Indies batsman under pressure. Gayle was out scoring just 2 runs and it was the first wicket of the World Cup Cricket 2007. After that Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul could stay at the wicket till 17th over but could not able to make any boost at the scoreboard as their 57 run partnership came off 102 balls. Sarwan played well in the way of scoring 49 runs. However, he got out in the 24th over of the innings. At a crucial situation, Captain Brian Lara and Marlon Samuels came to the wicket. Though they were very slow at first in scoring, they came out of the pressure and built the base of the West Indies innings making a superb 91 run partnership just off 104 balls. Though Lara got out after scoring 37 runs playing 56 balls, Samuels could make the first half century of the World Cup Cricket 2007 playing a smashing 70 ball 63 in which he played three 6s and five 4s.
However, it was Dwayne Smith, who played a cameo innings of 32 runs playing just 15 balls in which he could hit two 6s and three 4s. Once it seemed that West Indies can easily score 250 plus while Samuels and Lara was batting. However, neither of them could carry their innings till the end of the West Indies innings.
On the other hand, Pakistani bowlers could bowl well. Iftikhar Anjum took three important wickets for Pakistan conceding 44 run in 10 overs. However, Mohammad Hafeez played the vital role at the end of the innings taking two most important wickets of the West Indies innings- Marlon Samuels and Brian Lara, while both of them were set at the wicket and looked very dangerous for Pakistan. Umar Gul also took two wickets giving 38 runs in 9 overs. Danish Kaneria looked very economical and dangerous for the West Indies batsmen in his earlier overs but later he gave 28 runs in just 3 overs. His bowling figure is 1 for 45 in 9 overs.
I think this is a small total for this wicket. Though Pakistani bowlers got some good bounce and swing earlier in the innings, I think the wicket is good enough to chase 241 runs.
Cricinfo
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