KARACHI, March 17:
Openers Shahid Afridi and Salim Elahi demonstrated one of the most ruthless batting performances to set up a crushing 170-run victory for Pakistan A in the third and final one-dayer against India A at the National Stadium here on Tuesday.
Afridi, who burst into fame with a world record 36-ball century against Sri Lanka two years ago, played an almost identical knock to blast 112 from 70 balls. Elahi played an equally electrifying innings of 142 runs from 144 balls.
The two pinch-hitters shared in a 201-run first wicket stand in just 149 balls to propel Pakistan A to a mammoth 378 for four in 50 overs after being put into bat on a beautiful wicket.
India A, in their turn, made a spirited start to reach 116 for two from the first 15 overs. But after that, they played some senseless and ill-planned cricket to crash out for 208 in 31.4 overs.
Pakistan allrounder Naeem Ashraf removed the top order to finish with four for 23 while the spin combination of Arshad Khan and Mohammad Husain equally shared four other wickets between them. Arshad conceded 57 runs from his 10 overs while Husain bagged two wickets for 23 runs from 4.4 overs.
With the win, Pakistan also succeeded in making a clean sweep of the one-day series after having won the Sheikhupura and Lahore games by six wickets respectively. The Indians, who leave home on Wednesday morning, return with the satisfaction of having clinched the 'Test' series 1-0.
It was a wonderful display of stroke-play by Shahid Afridi and Salim Elahi. They virtually slaughtered the Indian bowlers who could only haplessly watch the ball disappear at regular intervals.
It was not that the two batsmen took life in their hands and threw their bats at every thing. Rather, it was pure clean hitting from the duo with almost every ball being driven from the middle of the willow. They picked up gaps skillfully and chose the right balls to hammer.
While Salim Elahi carried his fine form from the earlier two games where he hit 44 and 89 not out, Shahid Afridi selected the best venue to break the run drought. Every ball he faced was cheered by some 1,500 home fans who got their money's worth to the best of their satisfaction.
Afridi's innings was punctuated with 13 scorching boundaries and half a dozen towering sixes. He had reached his first 50 runs from just 35 balls with the help of nine boundaries and two sixes. He continued his attractive stroke-play by reaching the magical three figures from 65 balls with 13 hits to the fence and four over the fence.
While every bowler suffered a rough treatment at the hand of Afridi, India's international spinner Sairaj Bahutale was the biggest sufferer when the Pakistan star hammered him for three sixes, including two off successive balls before falling in the same over to the same bowler.
However, it was Salim Elahi who impressed the jury and won the Man-of-the-Match award. Elahi's polished run-a-ball 142 was laced with 12 gorgeous boundaries.
He scored his first 50 runs from 47 balls with eight boundaries while needing another 58 balls for the next 50 runs that included three boundaries. His innings was more classical and text book one in comparison to Afridi as all of his shots were carpet ones except for a few.
Elahi, besides picking up the Man-of-the-Match award, was adjudged Man-of-the-Series while Ajit Agarkar was adjudged Man-of-the-Series.
After Afridi and Elahi laid the foundation of a huge Pakistan total, Akhtar Sarfaraz and Basit Ali made sure that the home team to make the target out of the reach of the tourists by some quick fire knocks.
Sarfaraz, who scored 90 at Sheikhupura, stroked a 62-ball 56 with five boundaries. He added 120 runs for the second wicket with Elahi from 125 balls.
Basit Ali showed flashes of brilliance in hitting an unbeaten 37 off 19 balls with three fours and two sixes.
Pakistan collected 92 runs in the last 10 overs after the first 30 overs had yielded 225 runs, including 120 in the first 15 overs.