Deja vu all over again?

India are off to a sensational start on the first day at Karachi. Irfan Pathan snapped up a hat-trick in the first over of the game. Pakistan are right now 39/6. But this could easily be a false dawn. Remember Calcutta 1999. Pakistan were tottering at 26/6 before Moin Khan, with a lot of help from Saleem Malik, Wasim Akram and a hopeless follow-up by India's bowlers not named Srinath and Prasad ensured that Pakistan got to paltry 185. India crashed from 140/2 to 223 all out thanks to those two balls from Shoaib Akhtar. Saeed Anwar capitalized on a dropped chance and made 188 even as Srinath bowled heroically. Set 279 to win, India had a century partnership for the opening wicket but the middle order crashed yet again. There was controversy when Tendulkar was ruled run out by a throw from long on (?) by Nadeem Khan even as Shoaib Akhtar came in the way. Ironically Tendulkar grounded his bat before the ball hit the stumps but when the ball hit the stumps, he and his bat were airborne, after colliding with Akhtar. The crowd vented their anger on Pakistan's players. Tendulkar came out to calm them down. But after India's collapse, the crowd could take no more and the final day was played out to empty stands.

Labels: deja vu