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Pakistan rode on Salman Butt's century and beat India's 328 by 7 runs according to the Duckworth-Lewis method after bad light stopped play. They finished on 311 for 7 in 47 overs after Sachin Tendulkar scored his 39th century to take India to 328, according to cricinfo.
Pakistan rode on Salman Butt's snazzy half-century as they began their pursuit of a mammoth total, but some tight Indian medium-pace bowling, backed up by effective field placements, kept them down to 155 for 1 at the halfway stage. The light, though, was fading quite rapidly, with Pakistan ahead on the Duckworth-Lewis method, and it remains to be seen if the game could last the distance.
Butt made amends for his lean run in the Test series with a flourishing half-century that had the festive crowd in raptures. Relying on his wrists to generate the power, he lashed the bowlers through the V and kept the rate within manageable limits. He didn't try and hammer every ball, intent to just push the singles but surprisingly managed to complete his fifty in only 53 balls.
His opening partner, Kamran Akmal, matched him stroke for stroke, unleashing cover-drives coated with finesse and carrying on his magnificent form from the Tests. He was stopped in his tracks by an excellent reflex catch by Gautam Gambhir at short point, intercepting a fierce cut off Sreesanth. He was replaced by the versatile Shoaib Malik, who was beginning to convert a slow start into an innings of substance. He greeted Murali Kartik with a big straight six, clattering into the third row of the press box, and ensured that Pakistan, under murky skies, were ahead of the required rate.
Irfan Pathan followed up his bubbly half-century with an impressive opening spell, bowling ten overs on the trot and sticking to the straight channel. He was well supported by Sreesanth, who cranked up some disconcerting pace and stood out with a couple of well-directed yorkers. Rahul Dravid set fields to curb run-scoring through drives, stationed his men at the edge of the circle and played a big part in limiting the damage. Bad light, though, may just end up thwarting them.
One triumphant hundred and three blistering cameos propelled India to an imposing 328, after having been inserted under murky skies in the first one-dayer at Peshawar. Sachin Tendulkar bounced back to form with an assured hundred, his first in ODIs since April last year, and acted as a fulcrum around which the rest of the top order thrived.
India's batting machine triggered a gush of fours at the festive Arbab Niaz Stadium with Irfan Pathan, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh - like musketeers on a mission - spanking 30 boundaries between them. Tendulkar, after a cautious start, joined in the fun and ensured that he didn't miss out on a hundred on a belter of a pitch, in a small ground with a quick outfield to boot. However, Mohammad Asif, with a fine spell, led a minor fightback as Pakistan restricted the scoring in the final stages.
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