Pak beats India in Birmingham – What went wrong?
Ajit Parker, Special Correspondent
September 20, 2004

Well! Not again! India just could not pull it through. But it was a close one and betting market was right, it could have gone either way! Inzy before the match was confident to win it. Indian team played well but they really need to be more in the practice nets than earning money for commercial ads and becoming “ambassador” of states. What went wrong is Saurav’s no score and weak Indian bowling and fielding. Tendulkar could have made a difference says Inzy and Saurav. 

What a match! India might have lost to Pakistan, but it definitely was a nail-biting encounter, which kept us guessing till the last minute. Pakistan hit a hat-trick by defeating India third time in a row (earlier in the Asia Cup and Dutch tri-series). With this victory, Pakistan booked a place for themselves in the semi-finals and face West Indies in their next match.

Yousuf Youhana scored 81 as Pakistan beat India by three wickets in a keenly contested match here on Sunday to reach the semifinal of the Champions Trophy. 

In Wednesday's semifinal at the Rose Bowl, Pakistan will take on the West Indies who beat South Africa by five wickets in a rain-affected group game at the Oval on Sunday. 

All 10 Indian wickets to fall at Edgbaston were catches as Pakistan bowled its big rival out for a modest 200 with just one ball left of its innings. Pakistan reached 201 for seven with four balls to spare. 

Pakistan was in trouble at 27 for three but captain Inzamam-ul-Haq steadied the innings with 41 and became the second batsmen after Sachin Tendulkar to pass 10,000 runs in one-day cricket. 

The skipper reached the milestone with a late cut off the bowling of his Indian counterpart Sourav Ganguly. It was in his 322nd game and his 299th innings. 

Youhana, who wound up batting with a runner because of a leg injury, made sure that Pakistan didn't suffer any further problems, hitting a six and five fours in his innings. 

The other semifinal at Edgbaston on Tuesday will be between host England and world champions Australia.
Earlier, Rana Naved took career-best one-day international figures of four for 25. Pace bowler Naved was well supported by Shoaib Akhtar, the Rawalpindi Express weighing in with four for 36. 

It was thanks only to Rahul Dravid (67) and Ajit Agarkar (47), with a stand of 82 in 83 balls, that India's bowlers had a target to defend. Dravid fell caught and bowled hooking at Naved, the World Player of the Year facing 108 balls with four fours. 

Agarkar also fell to Naved, hooking to Yousuf Youhana at short fine leg, having faced 50 balls with a six and three fours. 

Only leg-spinner Shahid Afridi, with two overs for 23, was expensive in an otherwise disciplined attack. 

After dampness in the pitch delayed the start by 15 minutes, Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq saw his decision to field first yield a rapid return. India skipper Sourav Ganguly went for nought five balls into the innings when he was caught behind after driving loosely against Mohammad Sami. And one for one soon became 28 for three inside 10 overs thanks to Naved's double strike. 

First he had Venkatsai Laxman (three) turning him to Shoaib Malik at square leg and the duo combined again to dismiss the out-of-form Virender Sehwag (10) in similar fashion. 

Pakistan should then have made it 28 for four when Afridi at cover dropped Mohammad Kaif, then nine, following a well-struck drive off Sami. 

Kaif kept going, as Dravid took 15 balls to get off the mark, steering fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar through point for four. 

But Akhtar hit back with two wickets in the space of four balls to leave India faltering at 73 for five after 20 overs. 

First Akhtar had Kaif, on 27, edging through to Moin Khan. And three balls later wicketkeeper Moin had his third catch when left-hander Yuvraj Singh went for nought after a tentative push. 

India began the last 10 overs on 131 for six but then added a further 69 runs to give themselves a lifeline.