And That’s the End of Pakistan’s Hope for the World Cup

Pakistan lost its semi-final match to India by 29 runs last evening (March 30, 2011) in Mohali, India, and thus came to end the excitement pumped up by media of both the countries over the past week.

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Winning the toss, India chose to bat first. It was also then that some people in said “so the match is out of our hands now.” And it was. Indian batsmen hit Pakistani bowlers with confidence and being-home ease. India scored a total of 260 for the loss of 9 wickets in 50 overs. Sachin Tendulkar, who was expecting to hit his 100th century, ended at 85, still remaining the top scorer of the day, ad of course the man of the match.

Pakistan started nearly okay, and as in many previous instances, started to yield as the Indian bowlers sent Pakistani batsmen home. As Kamran Akmal was sent out (scored 19 runs off 21 balls), Pakistani batsmen started following his way out of the field. Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, and Shafiq all failed in staying on the pitch for long enough to have shouldered Pakistan out of the trouble.

Misbah-ul-Haq did a fine job at the end, striking a number of boundaries. But it was already too late. The Pakistani inning ended at 231 runs in 49.5 overs, one ball to go.

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani was at Mohali, watching the match with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh.

With Pakistan packing for home, the issue “victory” heightened by media’s constant pumping has come to end (hopefully) and happily those 25 acres of fertile land that had to be given away as a prize to the Pakistani team by Punjab’s Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif have also been saved. Hopefully, Mr. Sharif will now consider giving that land to his Punjab’s poor farmers and laborers whose suffering surely wouldn’t have ended with Pakistan’s victor.