Delhi, April 17, 2005
India Pakistan Cricket Series 2005 - 6th One Day International Result: Pakistan 303-8 (50 overs) beat India 144 (37 overs) by 159 runs
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Teams in Delhi amid tight security Discuss ODIs 
April 16, 2005
After a gruelling 50 days of cricket, the India-Pakistan series is poised for an exciting finish.
The arch-rivals meet for the final and sixth one-dayer at Feroze Shah Kotla in Delhi. India, trailing 2-3, need to do their best to pull even. Pakistan, who cannot lose the series, go in as favourites.
The match will be played on a fresh pitch. The captains yesterday inspected it for about 15 minutes,
Rahul Dravid eventually echoing Inzamam ul-Haqs point of view that the pitch will be the same for both the teams, yielding no advantages to either.
The curator, Mr Radhey Shyam Gupta said: There is no grass on it and the bounce will be low.
Meanwhile the match referee, Mr Chris Broad, and the neutral umpire, Mr Rudi Koertzen, were stopped from entering the Ferozeshah Kotla yesterday afternoon by overzealous security personals. It was only after Delhi and District Cricket Association officials intervened on being called up that the duo got in. A three-phase security ring has been thrown around the stadium.
In another incident, a plainclothesman at the team hotel pushed and shouted at Pakistans assistant manager Asad Mustafa. He quickly apologised, but that didnt stop Inzamam-ul Haq from giving him a tongue-lashing. Aap cool rahen aur tameez se baat karen... Samjhe ki nahin... the captain warned. The plainclothesman apologised to Inzamam as well, not once but thrice!

India face up to end of a memorable era Discuss ODIs 
April 15, 2005
TWO YEARS on from their finest hour an unexpected surge to the World Cup final Indian crickets oddest couple are heading in different directions, John Wright in search of pastures new and Sourav Ganguly seemingly towards a premature sunset.
Between them, coach and captain engineered some spectacular triumphs, none more notable than the victories over Steve Waughs Australians at Calcutta (2001) and Adelaide (2003). They also brought in and here Wright, rather than Ganguly, deserves the acclaim a culture of professionalism that had been alien to a team that relied far too much on individuals, most often
Sachin Tendulkar .
Most importantly, the Indians, traditionally tigers at home and cattle to the abattoir abroad, learnt how to fight the good fight in foreign climes, drawing Test series in England and Australia, and triumphing for the first time across the border in Pakistan.
The figures alone make for impressive reading. Under Wrights guidance, India won 20 of 51 Tests, losing only 15. In the decade that preceded the Wright-Ganguly era, they had managed an abysmal two wins away from home, in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, but in the 27 matches that followed, they had nine wins against 11 defeats, a record that would pass muster in most countries barring Australia.
As for Wright, whose relationship with Ganguly was sometimes fraught because of the captains more relaxed attitude to physical training, he will leave behind nothing but fond memories. On the eve of his final game, Dravid whose stint under Wright at Kent made him one of his chief supporters said: Hes made a huge contribution and helped us grow, as a unit and as individuals. Hes been more than a coach, hes been a friend to many of us.
The one dayer in Kotla will be the last time Wright will be guiding Team India.
MATCH: Pakistan has avenged its one-day cricket home series loss to India last year by dominating the sixth game in Delhi and claiming the return series 4-2 in a match disrupted briefly by disappointed fans.
Pakistan won the final one-dayer by 159 runs, bundling India out for 144 in 37 overs after Shoaib Malik (72) and skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq (68) anchored an imposing score of 8-303 in 50 overs.
The hosts starting their chase on a jittery note by losing openers
Virender Sehwag (21) and
Sachin Tendulkar (9) cheaply. India never recovered as Pakistan's bowlers tore through the middle order after skipper
Rahul Dravid (19) and Yuvraj Singh (13) were run out. Rookie Mahendra Dhoni's 24 was the top score for India, whose slide to 94 for six angered the fans.

Spectators in the northwestern gallery of the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium began throwing water balls into the ground and play was suspended as the two umpires - South African Rudi Koertzen and India's A. V. Jayaprakash - summoned Pakistan's fielders into the middle and police reinforcements moved into the troubled stands to restore calm.
Pakistan's fielders and the Indian batsmen went into the pavilion as play remained suspended for 16 minutes. On resumption, Arshad Khan completed a haul of three for 33 as India crashed to an embarrassing defeat.
A capacity crowd of 28,000 packed the stadium more than two hours before the toss and cheered as Pakistan President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met the players before the start of play.
Pakistan was give a sound foundation by Malik's 87-ball 72 and Inzamam's brisk 68 from 69 deliveries.
In Picture: Top Man of the Match Shoaib Malik top scored for the visitors, stroking eight fours in his 72 before being bowled by Agit Agarkar
Above The home fans react by throwing bottles onto the pitch, forcing the umpires to take the teams off for 15 minutes