Pakistan 180 (45.3 overs)

OLD TRAFFORD, JUNE 8: Victory by 47 runs would not suggest a cliff-hanger in any form of cricket, let alone a World Cup one-dayer. But such is the tension and prestige attached to an India-Pakistan tie of any consequence, that even a 100 runs victory will count as an edge-of-the-seat thriller.

And so it was here at Old Trafford, second home to Pakistani skipper Wasim Akram, as he hosted a fabulous Indian victory amid scenes so celebratory in the Indian camp that you thought they had just won Independence, and so mournful in the Pakistani camp that it looked like they had lost a beloved leader.

The sense that India is at its best defending modest totals against cocky opponents was back today as Pakistan made a hash of getting 227 in dazzling sunshine. But it was the Indian bowling attack which shone even more brightly as they strangled the Pakistani mid-innings and never gave them hope save whenMoin Khan played a typical cameo.

Venkatesh Prasad, whose wicket of Aamir Sohail in the 1996 Bangalore World Cup tie is etched in one's mind like a classic photograph, destroyed the Pakistan line up today. The greenshirts, overwrought with tension went to pieces.

Azhar won the toss and elected to bat on what looked like a good batting wicket. Sachin Tendulkar and S Ramesh, who came in for an injured Saurav Ganguly, comfortably weathered the early wares of Akram and Shoaib Akhtar. The two fearsome strike bowlers had just been seen off when Ramesh did considerable damage to his fledgling career by playing casually across the line to Razzaq. Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid added 55 with such assurance that the Pakistanis began drooping as the Indians approached 100 just past the 20th over.

Why Tendulkar chose to take on long off when was sailing so smoothly will remain a mystery. In the event, he smashed Azhar Mahmood straight to Saqlain when even bookies were giving short odds on his getting a hundred. He wentaway cursing. Pakistan galvanised immediately as life went out of Indian supporters.

Ajay Jadeja, who has played brilliant cameos against Pakistan in the last two World Cups, was sent ahead of Mohammed Azharuddin, in part because the skipper has been struggling, and also because Jadeja has shown good from with a hundred in the last game against Australia. But Inzamam ul-Haq, who the joke goes can't even catch a bus, threw his corpulent form yards to his right to bring off a catch of his lifetime.

Dravid looked his usual pristine self, and yet again he stamped his class on not just the innings, but the World Cup itself. He went just short of the 40-over mark when the fireworks were just about to begin, and once again the Indian innings floundered.

Even a score of 158-4 at 40 is a perfect launch pad for 250, but so feckless and untrustworthy is the Indian bottom half that the assault had to be held back a bit longer. Azhar struggled to time the ball and Robin Singh was choked by the best end-over bowlersin the business among whom Akram, bowling well below par, returned with such mingy figures that he invited usury charges.

Pakistan came roaring out of the blocks, as if they wanted to finish the game in 25 overs. Struggling to put bat to ball, Saeed Anwar, whose overlordship of Indian bowling is well established in his Sharjah fief, flayed away. But Javagal Srinath plucked out Shahid Afridi and when Azharuddin plucked two splendid catches in the slips to evict Anwar and Ijaz Ahmed, India had fought back.

Salim Malik was resurrected for this game because of Yousuf Youhana's injury, but age and the betting scandal has taken its toll. Umpire Steve Bucknor thought for an eternity before upholding a leg before appeal off Prasad. Kumble then found extra bounce on a wicket drying under sunshine for Mongia to make a difficult catch and at 78-5, Pakistan were toast except for Moin Khan.

They are calling him Mowin Khan in some dressing rooms. And yet again, the spunky keeper, who is like a tarantula on theIndian skins, smote the ball hip and thigh to make a rapid 33 and bring Pakistan back into the game.Just when it was all slipping away, Azhar found his wits and went back to his best bowler. Prasad suckered Moin with a short ball that was destined for the stands but he slow pace delivered it to Tendulkar at long leg, and India were right back. They did not make a mistake thereafter.

Super Six: India vs Pakistan

India R B 4/6

SR Tendulkar c Saqlain Mushtaq b Azhar Mahmood 45 65 5/0

(Stepped out and hit down mid-off's throat)

S Ramesh b Abdur Razzaq 20 31 2/0

(Played across the line to a fuller length delivery)

R Dravid c Shahid Afridi b Wasim Akram 61 89 4/0

(Tired to clear cover but good catch did him in)

A Jadeja c Inzamam-ul-Haq b Azhar Mahmood 6 14 0/0

(Surprised by a lifting delivery, good catch at slips)

M Azharuddin c Ijaz Ahmed b Wasim Akram 59 77 3/1

(Edged adrive to point)

RR Singh c Wasim Akram b Shoaib Akhtar 16 21 0/1

(Tried to hoick, caught behind the bowler)

NR Mongia not out 6 4 0/0

Extras (b1, lb3, w8, nb2) 14

Total (6 wickets, 50 overs) 227

Did not bat: J Srinath, A Kumble, BKV Prasad, DS Mohanty.

Fall of wickets: 1-37 (Ramesh, 11.2 overs), 2-95 (Tendulkar, 20.5), 3-107 (Jadeja, 24.3), 4-158 (Dravid, 39.5), 5-218 (Azharuddin, 48.5), 6-227 (Singh, 49.6).

Bowling: Wasim Akram 10-0-27-2 (1nb), Shoaib Akhtar 10-0-55-1 (2w), Abdur Razzaq 10-0-40-1 (4w), Azhar Mahmood 10-0-34-2, Saqlain Mushtaq 10-0-67-0 (2w).

Pakistan

R B 4/6Saeed Anwar c Azharuddin b Prasad 36 44 6/0

(Went for a drive as the outswinger took the edge)

Shahid Afridi c Kumble b Srinath 6 5 1/0

(Tried to place a rising delivery, good stretching catch)

Ijaz Ahmed c Azharuddin b Srinath 11 24 1/0

(Hung his bat to an outswinger)

aleem Malik lbw b Prasad6 19 1/0

(Played back to an inswinger)

Inzamam-ul-Haq lbw b Prasad 41 93 1/0

(Pushed tentatively to an inswinger)Azhar Mahmood c Mongia b Kumble 10 17 1/0(Edged an intended cut)Moin Khan c Tendulkar b Prasad 34 37 2/1

(Turned a short delivery into fine leg's hands)

Abdur Razzaq b Srinath 11 12 0/1

(beaten by a great break-back delivery)

Wasim Akram c Kumble b Prasad 12 16 1/0

(Swung into deep square-leg's hands)

Saqlain Mushtaq lbw b Kumble 0 4 0/0

(Played back to a fuller-length delivery)

Shoaib Akhtar not out 0 3 0/0

Extras (lb11, w2) 13

Total (all out, 45.3 overs) 180

Fall of wickets: 1-19 (Shahid Afridi, 2.3 overs), 2-44 (Ijaz Ahmed, 9.4), 3-52 (Saleem Malik, 13.5), 4-65 (Saeed Anwar, 17.4), 5-78 (Azhar Mahmood, 24.2), 6-124 (Moin Khan, 34.2), 7-146 (Abdur Razzaq, 39.1), 8-175 (Inzamam-ul-Haq, 43.4), 9-176 (Saqlain Mushtaq, 44.3), 10-180 (Wasim Akram, 45.3).

Bowling: Srinath8-1-37-3, Mohanty 10-2-31-0 (2w), Prasad 9.3-2-27-5, Kumble 10-0-43-2, Singh 8-1-31-0.

Result: India win by 47 runs. Man of the Match: Venkatesh Prasad