Sport Today

Source : CGI
Country: India
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* Azhar attributes Batting Collapse to Bad shots

Sharjah, April 22: Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin attributed the Indian
team's batting collapse on Friday to "bad shots", but said that though the team
kept losing wickets, they had been able to maintain a good run rate.
        He staunchly defended his decision to field first after winning the
toss. "Last Friday, Pakistan had asked us to bat first, and we had not done too
well. I thought it would be better to  try and chase a total this time, as
we had done successfully against Australia in the semi-final", he said.
        Azhar, however, felt it had been Bedade's wicket which turned the
match irrevocably away from India.
        "Bedade was in so much command that had he stayed another 30 runs,
we would have got our target", he said.
        Meanwhile a beaming Salim Malik attributed Pakistan's hat-trick of
Australasia cup victories to a fine team effort, and the ability of fight
under pressure. He especially praised the team's two left-handed opening
batsmen, Aamir Sohail (who was named man-of-the-series) and Saeed Anwar for
giving the team a superb start in every match.
        "This is my first championship victory as captain and I feel it is my
son Osama, born in January this year, who has brought me luck", said Malik.
        Commenting on the match, he said he had been unhappy with the
eventual Pakistani total of 250, and thought India did a splendid job of
restricting them to that score, when they had been looking at anything
above 275 at one stage.
        "I knew it would not be an easy score to defend, so we were looking
for an early breakthrough, and by the grace of God, we got it".
        Malik felt that getting Vinod Kambli's wicket was the turning point
in the Indian innings. "If Kambli had stayed, he would have taken the Indian
team to the target", he said.
        "When we got Kambli, I knew we had as good as won". Pakistan, who he
said were undoubtedly the better side on the day.

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- Manuvir

> Now read this carefully, Manuvir and all you others who attacked Azhar
> for blaming Bedade. And then tell me what he says. It seems rather
> obvious to me that he "felt it had been Bedade's wicket which turned
> the match irrevocably away from India", as oppsed to "he felt that
> Bedade was to blame for the defeat." *Huge* difference between the two
> things, guys.