Pakistan's victory in Rawalpindi not only evened things up between the two teams, it also made the next game, at Peshawar tomorrow, yet another must-win affair for both teams.
The wicket at Peshawar is a good track for batting, but I would not like to predict any possible score on the track.
Before the Rawalpindi match, Ganguly and I were looking at the pitch and we both agreed that it was not the kind of pitch on which 600 runs would be scored. We were proved wrong when both teams easily crossed 300. The weather will also be a factor at Peshawar because temperatures are rising every day, and it will be hard work for fast bowlers in such conditions. The batting on both sides has been really spectacular, and at the moment, the sky is the limit for both teams.
Indian fans would be disappointed with the performance of their captain, Sourav Ganguly, so far, especially since he usually plays very well against Pakistan. He does look a little out of touch, and it is never easy to be captain in an India-Pakistan series. That he has not come into his own would be worrying him, but right now he has other worries to deal with as well. He must certainly be feeling the pressure, and would be hoping to fire in Peshawar.
However, he has been a magnificent ambassador for his country and seems to be enjoying the tour tremendously. He is always smiling and chirpy, and seems to be taking the burden of captaincy lightly.
In fact, when I spoke to him at the meeting with President Musharraf, he commented that the only perk one gets as captain is that one gets to shake the hand of prime ministers and presidents before the rest of the team!
The President too was in great form yesterday. He confessed to having watched cricket during working hours, and remembered key moments in both games. He spoke admiringly about Tendulkar's knock and even pointed out that the series has been hard-fought so far, since even the languid Inzamam was seen diving around the outfield!
The Pakistan team looked a lot more settled in the second game, and I think the difference was the inclusion of Shahid Afridi. He batted well, seemed to be using his head, was handy with the ball since he took two wickets, and fielded superbly. He has given the team good balance, and if he continues in this vein, it will be a great asset for the hosts.
I was also impressed with the way Shoaib and Sami bowled on a totally unresponsive wicket. Except for the unstoppable Sachin Tendulkar, they managed to contain and dismiss the Indian batsmen, and it was their quality bowling that finally prevented India from going up 2-0.
I think it would be unfair to say that Tendulkar did not play a potentially match-winning knock. When you are chasing 330, it simply cannot be a one-man show. India needed a couple of attacking cameos around the maestro if they had to win, but sadly for them nobody scored a 30-ball 50 to support Tendulkar's charge.
The Indian bowling on the other hand has been a little listless, with the exception of Ashish Nehra and Ramesh Powar. The former looked confident after his match-winning last over in the first game, while the latter looked icy cool though he came in to bowl and later to bat in a very precarious situation.
The bowlers need to work on their line and try to get their basics right if they are planning to stop the run riot in the next game.
Previous column: Blame it on Inzamam
Srinath's column: Zaheer's return to form is imperative
Rashid Latif: Tendulkar is cricket's 'Kohinoor'
