AHMEDABAD — Yuvraj Singh cracked a dazzling 72 before the bowlers staged a brilliant recovery at the death overs as India clinched a nerve-wracking 11-run victory over arch-rival Pakistan in the second T20 International to level the series 1-1 here Friday. A career-best 72 by Yuvraj, who was adjudged the Man of the Match, helped India post a formidable 192 for five in 20 overs. Pakistan managed 181 for seven in 20 overs after skipper Mohammed Hafeez top-scored with 55, his second consecutive half-century. Hafeez was declared the Man of the Series. Put in, the Indian middle-order put on a sterling show and atoned for its dismal performance in the first Twenty20 in Bangalore. Yuvraj smashed seven sixes and four fours during his 36-ball innings. Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (33), Ajinkya Rahane (28) and Virat Kohli (27) also came up with valuable knocks. Pakistan pacer Umar Gul picked up four for 37. India pacer Ashok Dinda (3-36) bowled an excellent spell in the death overs to restrict Pakistan. Dinda picked up two wickets in the penultimate over giving away just eight runs when Pakistan needed 20 to win. Pakistan got off to a good start with Nasir Jamshed (41) and Ahmed Shehzad (31) adding 74 runs for the first wicket. But none of the batsmen coming down the order could go on to score a big innings. Earlier, Gautam Gambhir (21) and Ajinkya Rahane (28) gave India a steady start with their 44-run stand for the first wicket. Unlike the first Twenty20, Pakistani opening bowlers Sohail Tanveer and Mohammed Irfan were wayward, prompting skipper Mohammed Hafeez to introduce pacer Umar Gul in the fifth over. Gambhir greeted Gul with three consecutive fours before being trapped lbw on the fifth ball. Gul removed Rahane in the next over, taking a good catch off his own bowling. Yuvraj and Kohli were going strong with their 35-run stand for the third wicket, but Kohli gifted away his wicket in the 12th over while attempting a needless single. What followed next was a blitzkrieg by Yuvraj that left the Pakistanis hapless. Yuvraj and Dhoni were involved in a 97-run stand in just 7.2 overs and took India's score to a mammoth total. Yuvraj's brilliant innings (including three consecutive sixes off Ajmal Saeed) was ended by Gul with Shoaib Malik taking a good catch at long-off boundary. Dhoni, who hit 33 off 23 balls, became Gul's fourth victim after he was clean bowled by a yorker in the final over. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has, meanwhile, announced a venue shift for the third Test between India and Australia because renovation work at Green Park in Kanpur will not be completed in time. Cricket Australia released a BCCI statement Friday saying that Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal, Hyderabad, would be the new venue for the third Test beginning on March 14. Australia will play four Tests in India, the first beginning Feb. 22 in New Delhi. The second is scheduled to begin March 2 in Mohali and the fourth on March 22 in Chennai. — Agencies
