That ends the India vs Pakistan series. Pakistan were the better side and walk away with a 2-1 series victory. The T20 series was shared 1-1. India next play England in a 5 match ODI series, while Pakistan travel to South Africa for a complete tour. Let's hope these 2 sides meet more often in the years to come. Cricket needs this rivalry! For now, it's bye bye from us here.
Misbah: "It was the conditions once again. In the second half, the ball was seaming and full credit to the Indians. Their fielding was outstanding. It was just a matter of seeing off the new ball. Even after seeing off the new ball, it was seaming and spinning as well. Plenty of positives in the fast bowling department. Ajmal also performed very well. Nasir Jamshed was a great positive as well. India vs Pakistan is always hard fought. Everybody enjoyed it. The atmosphere was tremendous."
Jamshed: "The captain told me to play my normal game. I started well but couldn't continue. The pitch was difficult in the second innings. It was seaming a bit. I enjoyed the tour, the crowd was great and it was good to win the series. I always enjoy my batting, wherever I bat."
Nasir Jamshed is the Man of the Series. He scored 2 centuries in 3 ODIs.
MS Dhoni is the Man of the Match as well. He top scored for India with 36.
Dhoni: "We didn't start well. 167 wasn't enough. I told the team '160 isn't enough but let's make sure that we bowl well'. The pacers bowled well and the spinners contributed too. The Man of the Match was the fielding. We saved close to 25 runs on the field. Bhuvneshwar gave us the vital early breakthroughs. Ishant made sure that he got seam movement as well. We maintained the pressure. Jadeja bowled well and supported Ashwin - Ashwin gave a few runs but there were 2 wides which went for 10 runs. We learnt plenty of things from the series. The kind of side we've got, I'm sure we will show improvement in the coming series. The biggest plus was the bowling unit. There was help for the pacers but we bowled well. It's importance to score runs now. If we play a 50 over game like a T20 game, with 15 powerplay overs it is still possible to score more than what we scored today."
Ashwin: "We thought we'll give it a shot. The bowlers had a meeting in the break and we backed each other. The new ball bowlers bowled well. It got a lot cooler and the pitch became cooler as well. We made use of it in the evening. We needed a couple of wickets in the middle and we got it. A great morale-booster for the bowling line up."
Pakistan needed one of their set batsmen to stay till the end and finish it off. Misbah made a patient 39 and Umar Akmal hung around for his 25, but a late collapse tilted the game in India's favour. They were 119/4 at one stage and ended up with 157 all out.
India's bowlers and fielders delivered the win. 168 wasn't a great score on this track but the fielders made it look like a score close to 200. There were a couple of missed chances - Dhoni dropped Misbah off Jadeja and Rahane dropped Hafeez off Ashwin, but those were rare blemishes on an otherwise great day on the field for India. Young Shami Ahmed and Bhuvneshwar Kumar set it up with a superb spell at the top, and the bowlers who followed just continued. Jadeja's 1/19 from 10 overs, Ishant's 3/36 and Ashwin's 2/47 say that it was a great teamwork from the bowlers.
48.5 Ishant to Hafeez, out Caught by Yuvraj!! It's over! Yuvraj takes the catch and goes on a celebration spree! This was a full delivery angled in, Hafeez looked to go over mid wicket but Yuvraj took a good sharp catch. He is unstoppable - Suresh Raina and Jadeja run behind Yuvraj to try and catch him but he just goes on and on! A thrilling finish to the series - a much needed nail-biter after a couple of one-sided ODIs. Hafeez c Yuvraj b Ishant 21(31) [4s-2]
Ishant to Hafeez, THATS OUT!! Caught!!
48.5 Ishant to Hafeez, no ball, a missed run out chance! Poor bowling from Ishant, poor fielding from Ishant. A very high full toss from Ishant, he is lucky to get away with it as Hafeez only managed to hit it to short fine leg, Ashwin picked it up and Mohammad Irfan was charging for a single, Ashwin threw it to Ishant who fails to flick the bails. He was just inches away from the stumps but fails to break the stumps
48.4 Ishant to Hafeez, FOUR, Hafeez you beauty! This is absolute brillance! A back of length delivery on the off, Hafeez backs away and slaps it with a flat bat over extra cover, almost went all the way - just bounced once before going over
48.3 Ishant to Hafeez, 2 runs, slower delivery on the off, Hafeez waits and pulls it wide of mid wicket, Jadeja runs across from long on and keeps it to 2
Can Hafeez play a little gem here?
48.2 Ishant to Hafeez, FOUR, Hafeez is keeping Pakistan in the game! This was full and outside off, Hafeez makes room and slices it over backward point, it races away wide of third man
48.2 Ishant to Hafeez, wide, wayward from Ishant, Hafeez was shaping up for the pre-meditated paddle shot but Ishant bowls this way too wide outside off
48.1 Ishant to Hafeez, no run, a misfield but they don't take the single! This was driven to Raina at mid off, the ball sneaked through him but Hafeez turns down the single
end of over
A maiden over and a wicket. A run out as well. Good response that, from Shami Ahmed.
47.6 Shami Ahmed to Mohammad Irfan, no run, very full and straight, Irfan bends and blocks
47.6 Shami Ahmed to Mohammad Irfan, no run, very full and straight, Irfan bends and blocks
47.5 Shami Ahmed to Mohammad Irfan, no run, back of a length and outside off, Irfan lets it go
47.4 Shami Ahmed to Mohammad Irfan, no run, fuller length on the off, Irfan bends and gets bat on ball
Mohammad Irfan, right handed bat, comes to the crease
47.3 Shami Ahmed to Junaid Khan, out Junaid Khan Run Out!! What an awesome fielding effort! India have been brilliant on the field today and that is making a huge difference. This was hit to the right of extra cover, Junaid Khan ran for the single but Hafeez wanted to make sure that the ball crossed the fielder, it was Raina and he moved across quickly, put in the dive, recovered well and picked his end and made a direct hit at the striker's end. He is overjoyed, and rightly so. Brilliant fielding. Junaid Khan run out (Raina) 0(1)
Shami Ahmed to Junaid Khan, THATS OUT!! Run Out!!
Junaid is run out. Brilliant fielding effort from Raina.
Junaid Khan, right handed bat, comes to the crease
A slip in place as well. Can Junaid do it with the bat as well.
47.2 Shami Ahmed to Ajmal, out Caught by Dhoni!! Shami Ahmed's first ODI wicket and it has come at a good time. 200th ODI catch for Dhoni as well. Length ball just outside off, Ajmal looks to steer it to third man but only manages an edge to MSD. 23 from 16 balls now. Ajmal c Dhoni b Shami Ahmed 1(4)
Shami Ahmed to Ajmal, THATS OUT!! Caught!!
47.1 Shami Ahmed to Ajmal, no run, that's a good start, back of a length and outside off, Ajmal fishes and misses
end of over
Shami Ahmed [8.0-3-23-0] is back into the attack
Some pressure on Shami Ahmed now. How will the youngster respond?
46.6 Ishant to Hafeez, no run, back of a length and outside off, Hafeez looks to punch on the up but misses, only a single run from that over. Add to it a wicket as well!
46.5 Ishant to Hafeez, no run, slow off cutter on the off, Hafeez gets forward and blocks it back to Ishant
46.4 Ishant to Ajmal, 1 run, attempted short one, Ajmal looks to pull and gets some bat on it as it rolls to third man
46.3 Ishant to Ajmal, no run, length delivery on the off, Ajmal defends it to covers
Saeed Ajmal, right handed bat, comes to the crease
46.2 Ishant to Umar Gul, out Caught by Ravindra Jadeja!! Pressure leads to a wicket! This was a good length delivery, there for the big shot but Gul hits it straight to long on. Jadeja takes a simple catch, and the match is turning into a thriller! Umar Gul c Ravindra Jadeja b Ishant 11(28) [4s-2]
Ishant to Umar Gul, THATS OUT!! Caught!!
24 off 23. More than run a ball now.
46.1 Ishant to Umar Gul, no run, back of a length on the off, Gul defends it back to Ishant
end of over
Ishant Sharma [8.0-0-23-1] is back into the attack
Pakistan:
Mohammad Irfan,
Junaid Khan,
Umar Gul,
Mohammad Hafeez,
Saeed Ajmal,
Nasir Jamshed,
Younis Khan,
Misbah-ul-Haq (c),
Shoaib Malik,
Umar Akmal,
Kamran Akmal (wk).
