Though he began on a slow note, Raina has shifted gears quickly and looks to take on the opposition as India opt for the batting powerplay in the final five overs of the innings.
Harbhajan too struck a few boundaries to get the Indian fans at the stadium cheering again, but was stumped eventually on the bowling of Saeed Ajmal.
The world is abuzz with the much-anticipated Semi-Final of the ICC Cricket Cup 2011 between arch rivals, India and Pakistan on 30th March, at Mohali- only a few hours away from now. It will be second Semi-Final of the tournament; the first was played between Sri Lanka and New Zealand on 29th March at Colombo, where the Lankan Lions confirmed their place in the Final, which is to be played on 2nd of April at Mumbai, India.
Both countries have faced each other four times in the World Cups, ever since it commenced in 1975, with India winning all four. We will analyze the previous four games and the performances of their past teams.
1992 Benson and Hedges World Cup
The match was played on 4th March at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney. India scored 216 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in 49 overs. Sachin Tendulkar top scored with 54 runs in a partnership with Ajay Jadeja contributing 46 runs.
Mushtaq Ahmed was the star wicket taker with 3 wickets; Aaqib Javed took 2 as Wasim Haider claimed a wicket.
Pakistan was bowled out at 173 runs in 48.1 overs, Aamer Sohail was the highest scorer with 62 runs and Javed Miandad scored 40 runs.
Kapil Dev, Manoj Prabhakar and Javagal Srinath had 2 victims each, as Sachin Tendulkar and Venkatapathy Raju claimed a wicket each.
India won the match by 43 runs.
1996 Wills World Cup
The Quarter-Final was played at Bangalore on 9th March, with India scoring a memorable 287 runs when they had lost 8 wickets in the allotted 50 overs. Navjot Sidhu was the star batsman with 93 runs and Jadeja came out with 45 runs.
Waqar Younis and Mushtaq Ahmed held 2 wickets each as three bowlers claimed a wicket each.
The entire Pakistan team went back to the pavilion once they scored 248 runs in 49 overs. Aamer Sohail was the chief scorer with 55 runs and Saeed Anwar scored 48 runs.
Venkatesh Prasad and Anil Kumble each grabbed three wickets, as the remaining two bowlers got a wicket each.
India won the match by 39 runs.
1999 ICC Cricket World Cup
Both teams qualified for the Super Sixes stage and the match was played at Manchester, England on 8th June.
India posted 227 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in 50 overs, Rahuul Dravid was the highest scorer with 61 runs and Mohammad Azharuddin scored 59 runs.
Wasim Akram and Azhar Mahmood took 2 wickets each as two bowlers claimed a wicket each.
Pakistan was bowled out at 45.3 overs; Inzamam-ul-Haq was the top scorer with 41 runs with Saeed Anwar sharing a partnership of 36 runs.
Prasad wrecked the Pakistan batting and sent back five batsmen, Srinath took three as Kumble had two wickets.
India won the match by 47 runs.
2003 ICC Cricket World Cup
The event took place on 1st March at Super Sport Park, Centurion. Pakistan posted on board 273 runs as they lost 7 wickets in 50 overs. Saeed Anwar came out with an elegant century and scored 101 runs with Younis Khan scoring 32 runs.
Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra claimed 2 wickets each as two bowlers shared a wicket each.
India chased the target in 45.4 overs; Tendulkar was unlucky to miss the century by two runs, and Yuvraj Singh remained unbeaten at 50 runs.
Waqar Younis took 2 wickets as two bowlers claimed a wicket each.
India won the match by 6 wickets.
India has an edge over Pakistan by a clean sweep of 4-0 in the World Cup matches so far. They are appearing for the fifth time in the big event, with both teams hoping to win the match. India will try to make it 5-0, as Pakistan aims to do its best to reduce the deficit by one game.
If it's the talk of the town, could social networking sites be far behind? Celebrities and commoners alike posted last minute online messages of excitement, tension and good luck on the India-Pakistan semifinal in Mohali Wednesday. ( Click here for full coverage of India Pakistan semifinal )
An excited Sania Mirza, Indian tennis player, tweeted early Wednesday: "Okkkk...here we gooo...good luck Team India..more than a billion wishes are with you...give it ur all..(sic)".
Film personality Pritish Nandy similarly tweeted: "Pakistan's bowlers vs India's batsmen: that's the real battle today".
Actor Rahul Bose tweeted that he was on his way to Mohali to watch the match. Kunal Kapoor, another Bollywood actor, tweeted that the tension was "unbearable".
The hype over the match reached a crescendo Wednesday as a lot of cricket buffs took leave from work to watch the match. They did not forget to post their online updates, of course.
Abhinav Singh, an advertising professional, said: "This is one match I just couldn't have missed. So I applied for casual leave and thankfully my boss was understanding enough to grant me the day off! I have called over a few friends to my place so that we can watch the match together and root for India."
Sara Mishra, a student, posted on Facebook: "The big day is here! Good luck Team India! I am sure you will bowl them over".
Author Chetan Bhagat also rooted for the home team on Twitter, saying: "Alright men in blue, d-day today! Cream pak, so they finally realise why partition was a bad idea (sic)."
To all the maddening hype around, Bhagat said: "I know the match is getting overhyped, but it's ok. We get few such moments of national unity. We are one today."
Saeed Ajmal had Sachin Tendulkar caught by Shahid Afridi in the covers to place India at 187/5 in 37 overs in their World Cup semifinal clash at the PCA stadium in Mohali on Wednesday.
Wahab Riaz dismissed Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh off successive balls to place India at 141/4 in 25.3 overs in their World Cup semifinal clash at the PCA stadium in Mohali on Wednesday..( Click here for full coverage of India- Pakistan World Cup semifinal )
Riaz first had Virat caught by Umar Akmal at backward point and on the next delivery, clean bowled the in-from Yuvraj with a superb reverse swinging yorker.
Pakistani fielders dropped Sachin Tendulkar earlier and he made them pay by hitting his 95th ODI half-century in their World Cup semifinal clash at the PCA stadium in Mohali on Wednesday.
Tendulkar was first dropped by Misbah-ul-Haq at mid-wicket when he was on 27 and a few overs later Younis Khan dropped a simple catch at mid-off when Tendulkar was at 45. The unlucky bowler at both times was Pakistani captain Shahid Afridi.
India lost their second wicket when Mohammad Hafeez had Gautam Gambhir stumped by Kamran Akmal.
Sachin Tendulkar and Gambhir brought up the Indian 100 in the 16th over.
The tense buildup to what has been billed as "the mother of all World Cup matches" came to a spine-tingling climax on Wednesday when Sachin Tendulkar strode out to bat for India with Virender Sehwag.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat against Pakistan in their World Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
Pakistan named an unchanged team from the lineup who beat West Indies in the quarter-finals while India brought in paceman Ashish Nehra for off-spinner Ravichandran Aswhin.
Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who will retire after the World Cup, was left out of the Pakistan XI.
The winner of the clash will meet Sri Lanka in Saturday's final in Mumbai.
Hundreds of people moved into their seats as soon as the gates opened, four hours before the blockbuster semifinal between archrivals India and Pakistan was due to begin. The match was sold out last week, but incredibly there were still a few ticket-holders missing as the match began due to intensive security checks at all entrances.
The 28,000 tickets for the match were the most sought-after on the subcontinent. Tendulkar, seeking his 100th international century, and Sehwag were greeted by a tumultuous roar as they walked out onto the pitch at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium.
Watching them was a host of Bollywood superstars, dignitaries and high-ranking politicians - including the Prime Ministers of both countries in what is being seen as a possible first step toward improved diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan.
Indian premier Manmohan Singh and Pakistan counterpart Yousuf Gilani were warmly cheered by the crowd as they walked onto the pitch following the national anthems. Singh shook hands with the Pakistan players before Gilani, while the roles were reversed as the pair met the India team.
India made 200 for five from 40 of their allotted 50 overs against Pakistan in the semi-final of the cricket World Cup here today.
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was batting on 22 and left-hander Suresh Raina on 8.
The other opener Virender Sehwag was the first Indian batsman to fall, trapped leg before wicket by Wahab Riaz in the sixth over after he had made 38 in a total of 48.
Tendulkar and left-hander Gautam Gambhir (27) added 68 runs for the second wicket before the latter left, stumped by Kamran Akmal off Mohammed Hafeez. His 27 came off 32 balls and included two fours.
Virat Kohli (9) and left-hander Yuvraj Singh (0) fell of successive deliveries to Wahab Riaz in the 26th over.
Tendulkar, who got as many as four chances today, finally left when Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi held on to a catch at short extra-cover off Saeed Ajmal. The little master, who was looking for his 100th century, was denied that distinction by the Pakistanis today. He made 85 off 115 balls with 11 shots to the fence.
Sehwag had got India off to a blazing start, literally from the word go. He drove Umar Gul's third delivery through covers for four. In Gul's second over, he hit him to the fence five times. The first was an uppish shot towards mid-wicket and the second was hit off his pads through the same region.
Sehwag despatched the fourth ball of the over past square leg and cut the next one through point before punching the sixth ball, a no-ball, through extra cover. Pakistan gave away 21 runs in all that over.
Sehwag lifted Abdul Razzaq over his head for another four in the next over, before Tendulkar, who was content to let his partner retain most of the strike, came up with an exquisite drive through extra cover.
Sehwag had not quite finished with Gul, taking two more fours off him in the next over. He whipped one ball through mid-wickt and lashed a wider delivery over point. At the end of the first five overs, India were on 47 for no loss and Pakistan appeared headed for a leather hunt.
Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi brought in Wahab Riaz into the attack and he struck in his very first over, trapping plumb in front of the wicket with his fifth delivery. India asked for a review of the decision, but the third umpire upheld the original decision. The batsman had attempted a flick off the back foot but was beaten by the ball that was a bit short of a length.
Sehwag's 38 came off 25 balls and included nine fours. India were 48 for one in 5.5 overs at that stage.
Gul was happy that Sehwag was no longer on the scene, but his troubles were not quite over. Tendulkar glanced one that strayed down the leg side to the fine-leg boundary for four.
In the next over, the little master clipped a short one from Riaz to the mid-on fence and then came up with a text-book square drive, going down on one knee, for another four.
Tendulkar and Gambhir also kept gathering the runs in singles and twos and took the side to 73 for one in the first ten overs.
In the next over, Tendulkar moved forward and offered a defensive stroke to Saeed Ajmal, missed and umpire Ian Gould adjudged him leg before as the crowd watched in disbelief. Tendulkar had to do some quick thinking about asking for a review, India having already lost the previous review when Sehwag was given out. Tendulkar took his chance and the replays showed the ball would have likely missed the leg stump by a slight margin. The umpire reversed his decision as the crowd heaved a collective sigh of relief.
Afridi, Pakistan's leading wicket-taker in the tournament, conceded just three in his first over as the match slowly seemed to be acquiring an intense quality. In Ajmal's next over, Gambhir finally got his first for.
Tendulkar had a charmed life as Misbah failed to take a catch after the batsman pulled Afridi towards mid-wicket. He was on 27 at that stage.
In Ajmal's next, Tendulkar swept him fine for four and then edged him to the fence through the vacant slips. At the end of 15 overs, India were 99 for one. A single by Gambhir off Afridi brought up the 100 of the Indian innings.
At the other end, Gambhir cut Mohammed Hafeez for another four. Tendulkar moved into the 40s with a four off Afridi, over the bowler's head.
The Indian batsmen were clearly under pressure and the next over saw Gambhir making his departure, stumped by Kamram Akmal after being beaten by the turn of a delivery from Hafeez. Gambhir had faced 32 balls for his 27 that included two fours. India were 116 for two in 18.5 overs.
At the other end, Tendulkar got another life, on 47, off Afridi, the offending fielder being Younis Khan, who had stretched his hand to stop the drive but dropped the ball, as the bowler gaped in disbelief. India were 119 for two after 20 overs.
India's scoring rate had come down a bit, though Tendulkar did try to keep one end going. He hit Afridi over extra cover to reach his half-century and then came up with a beautiful late cut through the vacant slips for another boundary. Hafeez, however, managed to keep Virat Kohli under check. At the half-way mark, India were 141 for two.
Riaz claimed Kohli off the second ball of his next over, caught by Umar Akmal at backward point after the batsman offered a weak shot to one that bent in and edged the ball. Kohli made only nine in a total of 141 in 25.2 overs.
There was a buzz around the stadium as Yuvraj Singh, man of the match in four of India's previous outings in the tournament and the hero of its quarter-final win against defending champions Australia, walked in. He was beaten by the first ball he faced and had his stumps knocked back. India were now 141 for four in 25.3 overs, and Riaz was in line for a hat-trick.
Dhoni, the next man in, denied him the hat-trick and edged the next delivery to the third man boundary for four to take some of the pressure off. The Indian skipper signalled his intent to not get cowed down by steering Hafeez to the third man boundary. Tendulkar then glanced Riaz in the next over to the fine-leg boundary for another four.
In the next over, Afridi was left holding his head as Tendulkar was dropped again, this time by Kamran, though it was a difficult chance, by any standard, after the batsman edged a defensive push. The batsman then square drove Afridi over the off-side field for one more four as India reached 168 for four after 30 overs.
Earlier, Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and opted to bat first. India dropped spinner R Ashwin and brought in pace bowler Ashish Nehra on the expectation that the pitch would offer more for the seamers and in the knowledge that the Pakistani batsmen are good players of spin bowling.
Pakistan, however, made no change from the eleven that defeated the West Indies in their quarter-final match.
The winner of today's match will meet Sri Lanka in the final on April 2. The Sri Lankans beat New Zealand by five wickets in the first semi-final in Colombo yesterday.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani were amongst those present at the stadium to watch the high-voltage encounter.
Dr Singh and Mr Gilani shook hands with the players of both teams before the start of the match.
Others present in the stadium included Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi and several other celebrities, including politicians, industrialists and actors.
The teams:
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain, wk), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel.
Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (captain), Kamran Akmal (wk), Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal.
ICC World Cup Cricket 2011 2nd Semi final match will face India Vs Pakistan.This Match Is BIG BIG AND More BIG Match For All Cricket Lover Whole world wide.Pakistan and India Game Means A world Cup Final Match
Play Between : India Vs Pakistan (IND VS PAK)
Date Of Play : 30 March 2011
Start Time : 14.30 (Local Time) (GMT 09.00)
Venue: Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, India
Match Type : Day /Night
Captain : MS Dhoni vs Sahid Afridi
India had mixed luck when they went in for Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) referrals very early in their World Cup semifinal against Pakistan at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium here Wednesday.
When opener Virender Sehwag was adjudged leg before to medium-pacer Riaz Wahab by Australian umpire Simon Taufel, the explosive batsman straightaway went up for a review without even consulting his partner Sachin Tendulkar at the other end. The referral went waste as TV umpire Billy Bowden upheld the decision as the ball had pitched in line with the stumps and was hitting the middle stump.
At 75/1, the other umpire, England's Ian Gould, ruled Tendulkar lbw to offspinner Saeed Ajmal. After discussing with Gautam Gambhir, Tendulkar successfully challenged the decision and the review showed the ball was going down the legside, missing the stump.
Tendulkar survived another vociferous appeal in the next ball, this time wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal whipping off the bails with the batsman lunging forward. Tendulkar's luck continued when he was dropped twice off skipper Shahid Afridi by the two senior most cricketers in the side, first by Misbah-Ul-Haq at short midwicket when he was on 27 and then by Younis Khan at short extracover when he was on 45.
Before the semifinal, India have gone in for eleven referrals and they could get only two decisions reversed.
Pakistan have questioned 19 umpiring decisions and only five were overturned. Afridi himself went in for seven leg before reviews, but only two were upheld. The Pakistanis got three other decisions in their favour.
Gould's record has been impressive as none of his six decisions were changed whereas Taufel had one of his seven decisions overruled by the TV umpire.
Saeed Ajmal had Sachin Tendulkar caught by Shahid Afridi in the covers to place India at 187/5 in 37 overs in their World Cup semifinal clash at the PCA stadium in Mohali on Wednesday.
India vs Pakistan Scorecard | Match in Pics | In Pics: Indian fans in Mohali
Special Coverage: India Pakistan Semi Final
Tendulkar was dropped four times before Afridi grabbed the catch. Tendulkar scored 85 runs off 115 balls with the help of 11 fours.
Wahab Riaz dismissed Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh off successive balls to place India at 141/4 in 25.3 overs.
Riaz first had Virat caught by Umar Akmal at backward point and on the next delivery, clean bowled the in-from Yuvraj with a superb reverse swinging yorker.
Tendulkar made Pakistan pay by hitting his 95th ODI half-century.
Tendulkar was first dropped by Misbah-ul-Haq at mid-wicket when he was on 27 and a few overs later Younis Khan dropped a simple catch at mid-off when Tendulkar was at 45. The unlucky bowler at both times was Pakistani captain Shahid Afridi.
India lost their second wicket when Mohammad Hafeez had Gautam Gambhir stumped by Kamran Akmal.
Sachin Tendulkar and Gambhir brought up the Indian 100 in the 16th over.
Tendulkar took India to 73/1 in 10 overs after the dismissal of Virender Sehwag.
Tendulkar survived two close calls in Saeed Ajmal's second over. On the fourth delivery, the ball hit Tendulkar on the pads, the Pakistani players appealed and umpire Ian Gould raised his finger. Tendulkar opted for the review and the replays showed that the ball was going down the leg side. The decision was overturned.
On the next delivery, Tendulkar missed the doosra while playing a front foot shot and Kamran Akmal took off the bails in a flash. Square leg umpire Simon Taufel went for the third umpire and the replays showed that Tendulkar had brought his right foot down in the crease just in time.
Wahab Riaz trapped Sehwag plumb in front of the wicket after India got off to a fiery start.
Sehwag hit 9 fours in his 25-ball 38 and his onslaught started when he hit five fours off Umar Gul's second over as India got off to a flying start.
Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and opted to bat as India made one change to the side that beat Australia in the quarterfinals, bringing in pacer Ashish Nehra in place of spinner R Ashwin.
Pakistan have made no change to the team that beat the West Indies in the quarterfinals, deciding against including mercurial pacer Shoaib Akhtar despite widespread speculation before the match.
Teams:
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, Ashish Nehra
Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (c), Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal+, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Wahab Riaz, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal.
Umpires: Simon Taufel and Ian Gould (both on-field), Billy Bowden (third umpire), Rod Tucker (fourth umpire). Ranjan Madugalle (match referee).
Ahead of the World Cup semi-final clash between India and Pakistan at Mohali, the speaker of the Bihar assembly has announced that the Wednesday's session will start at 9.00am and end at 1.00pm.
Earlier, some legislators had sought an early adjournment of the House on Wednesday to allow them to watch the match.
Cutting across party lines, several MLAs made the unprecedented demand requesting to limit the proceedings of the day during the ongoing Budget session. They were mounting pressure on the speaker to adjourn the assembly during the match period.
The House session continues till around 5 pm everyday which means the MLAs would have to miss most of the first innings of the all-important match.
Batting for an early adjournment of the House on the day, JD(U) MLA Ajay Pratap said, "India-Pakistan matches are always exciting and interesting. We are asking for a half day so that we too can enjoy the match."
However, the state government was not amused at the idea of the House functioning for half a day. Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi said MLAs who were keen to watch the match had the option of staying away from the assembly.
"Those who want to watch the match can stay absent. As it is, all legislators are never in attendance for the session," Modi argued.
- Indian fans go silent in Mohali. Dhoni caught LBW off a Wahab delivery. MSD went for the review. But Simon Taufel's decision stood.
- Headlines Today's Rahul Kanwal tweeted - Rock of Gibraltar falls. Pakistan finally take a catch. With respect, Sachin didn't deserve to get 100 after being dropped 6 times.
- Tendulkar departs after scoring 85 in 115 balls. Afridi took the catch off Hafeez.
- Tendulkar dropped for the fourth time. This time by Umar off Hafeez at 81. India 182/4 after 35 overs.
- Headlines Today's Karthikeya Sharma says Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has left for the Raj Bhawan for a break while Yousuf Raza Gilani has returned to Taj hotel. Both the PMs are expected to be back after 5.30 pm.
- Rahul Kanwal tweeted - Pakistani fans rediscover their voices. Time for Indians to go silent. Punjab puttar got a strong ovation, but occasion got to him.
- Rahul Kanwal tweeted - Pakistani politicians in Mohali fast losing hope. Saying India running away with match. Mushahid Hussain unhappy with missed chances.
- Rahul Kanwal tweeted - Bumped into the Foreign Secretary. Seems happy with the way things are going so far. Says PMs sitting together and talking all through.
- Koel Purie tweeted - Help! We can't crumble now. No, no, no.
- Hundreds of fans unable to get tickets have found giant screens outside the stadium and are enjoying the match over mugs of beer.
- Nothing scandalous or juicy yet..other than a few mad women wearing juicy track pants in this heat! Sachin pilot here and looking quite thrilled with the game! Hopefully next update will be more interesting!, says a TV journalist.
- Oops! Local boy Yuvraj comes and goes for a duck. Wahab dislodges his stumps.
- Headlines Today's Gaurav Sawant on Twitter - Careful Sachin! God comes to God's rescue for the third time. Tension mounting. Not a match for the faint hearted.
- Vivek Oberoi on Twitter: Heart attack! .. dropped again. Thank you Pakistan. Win Mohali.
- Sachin brings up his 95th ODI fifty off a four from Afridi.
- See what I mean when I say Sachin is God? Back from the dead, twice. Jesus, only once. - Somebody on Twitter.
- Now Younis drops Sachin off Afridi again. Is it the little master's day today?
- Headlines Today's Rahul Kanwal tweeted - Sachin is playing like a cat with nine lives. Stadium now bursting at the seams. No space to place a toe.
- Municipal Corporation of Delhi declares half day after India won the toss. It is not official, but no action will be taken if anybody wants to go home to see the match.
- Twists of fate. India has never defeated Pakistan in Mohali and Pakistan has never defeated India in World Cup encounters.
- Misbah drops Sachin on a sitter off Afridi. Sachin was on 28.
- This World Cup's highest wicket taker and Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi comes into the attack.
- Sachin gets another life. Third umpire rules not out in stumping.
- Close call for Sachin. Crowd celebrates as umpire review denies LBW call off Ajmal.
- Advani wishes Dhoni and his team and expresses hope that India will meet Sri Lanka in final.
- Headlines Today's Gaurav Sawant tweeted - SMS chatter: Pak wins toss. Elects to BET first.
- No lunch meet between PM Manmohan Singh and Yusuf Raza Gilani. Premiers skip lunch.
- The 50 comes up for India in the 7th over as Gambhir joins Sachin in the middle.
- Mail Today's Ajit Vijaykumar says Sehwag out leg before to Wahab Riaz after an explosive start. He smashed 38 off 25 balls, with nine hits to the fence. India 48 for 1 after 5.5 overs.
- Headlines Today's Saurabh Shukla says on and off field the great Indo-Pak bonhomie. Hope this stays as the two PMs cheer Sehwag's fours.
- We just landed in Chandigarh, security is crazy and excitement pulsating! They have added many flights in the middle of the night to bring people back so will come back late night after winning, says a Headlines Today journalist.
- Headlines Today's Saurabh Shukla says showmen diplomacy. Both PMs demonstrate great camaraderie in the middle of the field. Good body language.
- Umar Gul goes expensive in 3rd over. Concedes five fours to Sehwag and a no ball.
- Rahul Bose, Sunil Shetty, Raveena Tandon, Anil Thadani, Ritesh Sidhwani, Vivek Oberoi, Gautam Singhania and Subodh Gupta at stadium to watch match, says designer Manav Gangwani.
- Daler Mehndi, Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao, Abhishek Bachchan, Siddharth Mallya, Vijay Mallya, Arbaaz Khan and Fardeen Khan at stadium to watch match, says designer Manav Gangwani.
- Players of both teams wearing red ribbons on their shirt as a show of support for people suffering with AIDS.
- Sachin, Sehwag start against Pakistan. Umar Gul opens bowling.
- National anthems over. Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi, Aamir Khan sing along with Team India and spectators.
- Here's more for the cricket lovers. A specially minted coin was used during the toss that will be auctioned by the ICC post the match.
- Mail Today's Ajit Vijaykumar says India bring in Ashish Nehra for R Ashwin, after looking at the grass on the track. A big gamble? No Shoaib Akhtar.
- India win toss and elect to bat against Pakistan.
- Mail Today's Ajit Vijaykumar says PCA Stadium at Mohali almost full. No surprises there. Still, 28,000 aren't that many, considering the match.
- According to team sources, Ashish Nehra may replace Munaf Patel in the playing 11.
- Pak pacer Shoaib Akhtar will not play against India, the team management decides owing to his fitness concerns.
- Mail Today's Ajit Vijaykumar says Why is there so much grass, even if it is dead? Hopefully, toss won't be a factor.
- Mail Today's Ajit Vijaykumar says Teams have arrived. All eyes on Akhtar. Will he play on a track that has a fair amount of grass?
- Prime Minister Manmohan Singh leaves for Mohali along with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi from Delhi.
- Indian and Pakistani teams leave for the stadium from their hotels.
- Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raja Gilani has reached Chandigarh.
- Sourav Ganguly, Sanjay Manjrekar, Rameez Raja entering via gate no 1. Arun Jaitley arrives with family.
- Mail Today's Ajit Vijaykumar says ICC playing conditions state that in case of a no-result even on the reserve day, Pakistan will go through to final as they topped their group and India had come in second in Group B.
- Right now there are more cops than fans. Building up fast. Everyone is cursing PM's presence.
- Former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raza says even if Pakistan lose today, they will go back as heroes. Shahid Afridi needs to perform well with the bat.
- MTV India tweeted - With both Veena Malik & Poonam Pandey at the India-Pakistan match, there are going to be lots of legs before wickets.
- Mail Today's Ajit Vijaykumar says from Mohali - Clear sky after heavy rain last night. Strangely, wicket has a fair amount of grass.
- Minister of State for Communications and IT Sachin Pilot to receive Pak delegation headed by PM Yusuf Raza Gilani at Chandigarh airport.
- With the satta bazaar heating up, Delhi Police sources say the betting stakes could be as high as Rs 500-600 crore for this match.
- A host of Airbuses, Bombardiers and Hawkers are expected top hover over the Mohali awaiting landing permission.
- With at least six special flights operated by commercial airlines and about 50 private aircrafts expected to land during the day, Chandigarh airport might even match the busiest airports like Delhi and Mumbai by Wednesday afternoon.
- All roads other than those leading to Mohali are empty. Roads to the stadium are clogged as India take on Pakistan in the World Cup semi-final clash at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali on Wednesday, March 30, 2011.
- Taj hotel under 3tier security blanket as Pakistan PM Yusuf Raza Gilani and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh are expected to check in here only. Pak team already staying here.
- Mukesh and Anil Ambani, Sharad Pawar, Vijay Mallya, Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sunil Shetty, Anil Agarwal and the Hindujas are said to be watching the match.
- Heavy rains and thunderstorm had lashed Mohali on Tuesday night on the eve of the blockbuster World Cup semifinal clash.
- The ICC revokes the media ban for Mohali's match. The move comes after the intervention of the Information and Broadcasting ministry.
- Sources say Indian coach Gary Kirsten has ensured that the Men in Blue don't get to read the morning newspapers and neither do they watch the 24x7 coverage of the upcoming encounter on news channels.
Shahid Afridi dismissed master blaster Sachin Tendulkar to reduce India 187/5. Sachin Tendulkar scored 85 runs.
India vs Pakistan: Live commentary
Earlier, Wahab Riaz provided double blow to India by dismissing Kohli and Yuvraj (0) in one over.
After fiery start, India lost opener Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir.
Wahab Riaz provided first breakthrough to Pakistan when he dismissed dangerous Sehwag. Sehwag scored 38 runs of 25 deliveries.
India received second jolt when Mohammad Hafeez got rid off Gambhir for 27 runs.
Earlier, Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the crucial toss and elected to bat first against Pakistan in the second semifinal of Cricket World Cup 2011.
Dhoni has made one change in the side. Spinner R Ashwin paved the way for pacer Ashish Nehra. Dhoni feels that Pakistan side is good against spinners.
On the other hand, Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi said that toss will not affect the result of tie. He said that there are no changes in the Pakistan side. The same team, which played against West Indies will play today.
Afridi said that this is biggest encounter of his career.
Teams:
Ind: Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, Ashish Nehra
Pak: Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Wahab Riaz, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal
Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) is all geared up to host the high-profile Indo-Pak World Cup semifinal clash on Wednesday, PCA secretary MP Pandove said on Tuesday.
"It's a great opportunity and a great honour to be hosting such a high-profile match, in which Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan besides other dignitaries will be present," MP Pandove, also BCCI treasurer, said.
He said there was always pressure in hosting such a mega match, but added they were happy to play host to the two neighbouring countries.
On the VVIPs coming here, Pandove said that "UPA chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar, ICC president and Union Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, Pakistan Cricket Board chief Ejaz Bhat among others, are watching the match."
Pandove said that Bangladesh Cricket Board secretary Mehbubullah Anam, Cricket Sri Lanka secretary Nishant Ranatunga and several former cricketers will be present. Chairman of Indian Selection Committee Kris Shrikkanth reached on Tuesday.
Pandove advised the fans coming to watch the match to reach the stadium well in time and be seated by 12 pm in view of the movement of the top dignitaries.
Wahab Riaz dismissed Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh off successive balls to place India at 141/4 in 25.3 overs in their World Cup semifinal clash at the PCA stadium in Mohali on Wednesday.
Scorecard | Match in Pics | In Pics: Indian fans in Mohali
Special Coverage: India Pakistan Semi Final
Riaz first had Virat caught by Umar Akmal at backward point and on the next delivery, clean bowled the in-from Yuvraj with a superb reverse swinging yorker.
Pakistani fielders dropped Sachin Tendulkar twice and he made them pay by hitting his 95th ODI half-century.
Tendulkar was first dropped by Misbah-ul-Haq at mid-wicket when he was on 27 and a few overs later Younis Khan dropped a simple catch at mid-off when Tendulkar was at 45. The unlucky bowler at both times was Pakistani captain Shahid Afridi.
India lost their second wicket when Mohammad Hafeez had Gautam Gambhir stumped by Kamran Akmal.
Sachin Tendulkar and Gambhir brought up the Indian 100 in the 16th over.
Tendulkar took India to 73/1 in 10 overs after the dismissal of Virender Sehwag.
Tendulkar survived two close calls in Saeed Ajmal's second over. On the fourth delivery, the ball hit Tendulkar on the pads, the Pakistani players appealed and umpire Ian Gould raised his finger. Tendulkar opted for the review and the replays showed that the ball was going down the leg side. The decision was overturned.
On the next delivery, Tendulkar missed the doosra while playing a front foot shot and Kamran Akmal took off the bails in a flash. Square leg umpire Simon Taufel went for the third umpire and the replays showed that Tendulkar had brought his right foot down in the crease just in time.
Wahab Riaz trapped Sehwag plumb in front of the wicket after India got off to a fiery start.
Sehwag hit 9 fours in his 25-ball 38 and his onslaught started when he hit five fours off Umar Gul's second over as India got off to a flying start.
Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and opted to bat as India made one change to the side that beat Australia in the quarterfinals, bringing in pacer Ashish Nehra in place of spinner R Ashwin.
Pakistan have made no change to the team that beat the West Indies in the quarterfinals, deciding against including mercurial pacer Shoaib Akhtar despite widespread speculation before the match.
Teams:
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, Ashish Nehra
Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (c), Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal+, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Wahab Riaz, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal.
Umpires: Simon Taufel and Ian Gould (both on-field), Billy Bowden (third umpire), Rod Tucker (fourth umpire). Ranjan Madugalle (match referee).
You can Watch India vs Pakistan Semi Final Match Live, Ind vs Pak Live Cricket Streaming and India vs Pakistan Semi Final Score here below, which is going to takeplace today in Mohali stadium on 30th March 2011. Get here latest updates related to Ind vs Pak Live Cricket Streaming and India vs Pakistan Semi Final Scorecard as we will update you ball to ball score and many other details like who will win the Toss and elected to batting/ fielding ?, Match details, Squads.
Mohali Stadium India vs Pakistan Semi Final tickets have been sold on the opening day yesterday at various branches of Central Bank of India including the two gates of PCA stadium, Mohali. India vs pakistan semi final date is on 30 march 2011 (Wednesday). india vs pakistan world cup 2011 will be played at mohali cricket stadium. India pakistan semifinal match will be very interesting as The Indian and Pakistani cricket teams have been long-time arch rivals and their rivalry is considered one of the most intense sports rivalries in the world.
As Light rain had lashed in Mohali and Chandigarh yersterday, fans has been in confusion that Ind vs Pak Semi Final Match will tookplace or not but the Mohali weather is as usual like a sunny day, which brings cheer on the faces of both the teams. Geo Super live stream, Justin.tv, Webcric, Cricinfo, Freedocast, espncricinfo.com, espn star, starsports are some of the websites for India vs Pakistan Semi Final Match Live Cricket Streaming, score and ball by ball commentary.
If the rain in Mohali continues and the Mohali weather doesn’t change until today, the match will be postponed to the reserve day, that is March 31st. Even if the conditings remain same on that day, the winner would be decided in a one over per side elimination (OOPSE) method if there is any chance of play, which would be heartbreak for Indian fans as Pakistan would move into finals for finishing top in their group table.
India Pakistan Semi Final Match scheduled to begin at 14:30 local time (09:00 GMT)
Teams (Squads):
India squad
MS Dhoni*†, V Sehwag, R Ashwin, PP Chawla, G Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh, Z Khan, V Kohli, A Nehra, MM Patel, YK Pathan, SK Raina, S Sreesanth, SR Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh
Pakistan squad
Shahid Afridi*, Misbah-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Ahmed Shehzad, Asad Shafiq, Junaid Khan, Kamran Akmal†, Mohammad Hafeez, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Akmal†, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Younis Khan
India Pakistan 2nd Semi Final Match details:
Toss: India won the Toss to bat
Umpires IJ Gould and SJA Taufel
TV umpire BF Bowden
Match referee RS Madugalle
Reserve umpire RJ Tucker
India's star batsman Yuvraj Singh has requested the countrymen to inspire the home team by singing the national anthem loudly before their high-profile World Cup semi-final clash Pakistan at the PCA stadium here today.
"Request all people in the stadium to inspire us by singing national anthem loudly," Yuvraj tweeted.
"Jai Hind, Good night," Yuvraj signing off. India will take on Pakistan in the second semi-final of the World Cup in the PCA stadium, which will also be attended by Prime Ministers of both the countries.
Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram suggested Shahid Afridi and his bowlers to get rid of in-form India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh as early as possible during their ICC World Cup 2011 semi-final in Mohali on Wednesday if they hope to reach the tournament final in Mumbai on 2 April.
“Shahid Afridi and team will have to bowl intelligently to him (Yuvraj),” said the legendary pacer while talking to a cricket website. “They will have to stop his run-flow and that's the only way I think Yuvraj can be stopped.”
Akram said that the stylish Punjab batsman has shown great attitude in the World Cup so far and is eager to play long innings. He further added that Yuvraj has converted good starts to fifties and a century which he felt could be disastrous for Pakistan if they did not dismiss him early.
The 29-year-old Chandigarh player has so far earned four Man of the Match awards and has compiled a tally of 341 runs at a astounding average of 113.66 besides claiming 11 scalps at a bowling average of 24.63.
The former Pakistan great also hailed the Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for his judicious and smart captaincy and admired his horses-for-courses strategy.
India’s bowling attack has apparently been their weak link in the showpiece event so far. However, Wasim Akram warned Pakistan batsmen not to take Indian attack lightly. He said that the Zaheer Khan-led bowling brigade of co-hosts is doing pretty well. The best thing about Indian attack, according to the former Pakistan seamer, was their variety.
Akram singled out India’s spearhead pacer, Zaheer Khan for praise. He said that Khan has been bowling well over the past two years but his length has been perfect in the ongoing World Cup.
When asked about the pressure of crowd on the teams, Akram reckoned India would be more under pressure since they are the hosts.
“India will be the team under pressure, not Pakistan. The media in India is big and strong. The pressure created by them is simply mind-boggling and then there are a billion people with massive expectations,” said the legendary pacer.
The national anthems, a pantheon of leaders and celebrities from both sides of the border, and a toss that India has won to choose to bat first against Pakistan in the second semi-final of the cricket World Cup.
It's game on at Mohali. And Sachin Tendulkar and Virendra Sehwag have walked out to bat.
This after Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Dr Manmohan Singh met the two teams at the PCA stadium.
Mr Gilani, accompanied by his wife Fauzia, was received at the defence airport by Union Minister of State for Communication, Sachin Pilot, and Pakistan's High Commissioner, Shahid Malik, among others.
Before leaving Islamabad for India, Mr Gilani thanked Dr Singh for inviting him to the match, and said that he's "looking forward to a great game." He also said he believes "this match will bridge the gap" between India and Pakistan. (Watch: Match will bridge India-Pak gap: Gilani)
Captains MS Dhoni and Shahid Afridi have asked their teams to ignore the hype and focus on the game - a little tough to do, perhaps, given the circumstances. (Watch: Cricket above diplomacy, say both captains) The match has mass-produced hysteria on both sides of the border. And the "aman ka chhakka" diplomatic initiative launched by Dr Singh has added a new dimension.
The electric atmosphere crackled some more last night after rain began pounding Mohali, but this morning, the Sun was out. The Met department promises a clearer sky during the match. However, there is a slight possibility of a light shower in the evening. (Read & Watch: Clear sky in Mohali ahead of match)
A large delegation is accompanying Mr Gilani. His team will use the Taj hotel in Chandigarh as its base. The main players include controversial Interior Minister Rehman Malik, who publicly warned his country's cricket team against match-fixing, provoking fierce criticism both within and outside Pakistan.
Team Singh will include Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon. Congress party president Sonia Gandhi, as well as Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi are not part of the official delegation but will attend the game and the dinner that Dr Singh is hosting at 7.30 pm tonight for the Pakistani delegation at the stadium. (Read: Gosht Barra, Tawa ki Machhi for PMs' dinner)
At the stadium, Mr Gilani and Dr Singh will watch the game from a VVIP box, but are expected to exit a little later to hold informal talks.
Last week, in a move that surprised many, Dr Singh formally invited Mr Gilani and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to watch the match with him. Mr Gilani accepted the invitation over the weekend.
Sources say that there is no formal agenda or structure for the talks between the two Prime Ministers. This is the first time such high-level talks are being held since a group of 10 Pakistanis sailed into Mumbai in November 2008 and launched India's worst-ever terror attack.
Asked if he would try to move from playing "a one-day series to a longer series" during his talks with Dr Singh at Mohali, Mr Gilani replied: "Naturally when we go (to India), the talks will be held according to the opportunity."
