In some ways one can call this game, 'the decider'! India would be looking to book a series win here itself and reclaim the ODI-championship back from the hosts. Pakistan, earlier had won it 4-2! Pakistan will have to win to stay alive. They already had lost Shoaib Akhtar and now the names of Afridi and Umar Gul have been added to the injury list. While India would be without the 'Sultan of Multan'- Virender Sehwag. Agarkar has recovered from injury and will play. Zaheer Khan may be axed with Ramesh Powar coming in as the super-sub.

From Pakistan, Salman Butt may be dropped thanks to the zero runs in his last 2 innings, thereby making place for Imran Farhat. Rana is also likely to be on his way out. So Sami and Rao Iftikhar Anjum should be playing tommorow. I fully agree with the likely teams suggested by Dileep Premachandran on Cricinfo which are as follows-

Pakistan (likely): 1 Imran Farhat, 2 Kamran Akmal (wk), 3 Shoaib Malik, 4 Mohammad Yousuf, 5 Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Younis Khan, 7 Faisal Iqbal, 8 Abdul Razzaq, 9 Yasir Arafat, 10 Mohammad Sami, 11 Mohammad Asif. Super sub: Rao Iftikhar Anjum. India (likely): 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Irfan Pathan, 4 Rahul Dravid, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 Mohammad Kaif, 7 Mahendra Singh Dhoni, 8 Suresh Raina, 9 Ajit Agarkar, 10 S Sreesanth, 11 Rudra Pratap Singh. Super sub: Ramesh Powar.

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"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, prepare to die."
- Klingon Proverb, Star Trek

My Final XI for tommorow:

1. Sachin Tendulkar
2. Suresh Raina
3. Rahul Dravid
4. Yuvraj Singh
5. ???
6. Mehendra Singh Dhoni
7. Irfan Pathan
8. Ajit Agakar
9. Zaheer Khan
10. S Sreesanth
11. Rudra Pratap Singh

I think Suresh Raina needs a chance tommorow to show us his talent, he is a very good prospect for the future and is diffinatly a better ODI batsmen than Kaif and Ghambir, he is also the equal of Kaif in the field. If the ball is swinging and moving like it did in the last ODI Dravid should bat at 3 and replicate what they did last time.

If we bat first, Pathan should go higher in the order but if were chasing he should be kept back until number no.6/7 so we don't burn him out. Lets hope he can bowl as well as he did in the last two ODI's, he has been the second best bowler after M.Asif in this series.

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CC

I think Kaif has had his opportunity and nothing has come from it. Give Raina a go although I wouldn't be surprised if Gambhir played as an opener and Raina would bat at four. I agree with your idea of batting Pathan higher if India bat first and lower down if second.

Pakistan seem to be in the wars at the moment with form and injury. Salman Butt has fired and mis-fired recently and I think his place is dependant upon the selectors faith in Butt to come good again.

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Watch this for a perfect about.
James May

Raina as opener? No way! He deserves a break. no doubt, but playing him as an opener will do more bad than good to Raina and India's chances today. He has always been a middle-order bat and should be allowed to remain one. Batting at no.4 or 5 would be ideal for him. Gambhir should get to open and I am praying he makes good use of this opportunity. I dont want Ganguly back in the team for whatever reason!

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"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, prepare to die."
- Klingon Proverb, Star Trek

I really really really really want Pakistan to win. The reson why is because if Pak wins we have a game 5!! If Pak loses we will not even care about game 5. I think Pak will win cause if they dont the fans wont come in my homtown Karachi and thats why they chose Karachi national stadium biggest ground in PAK and everyone enjoys cricket here. WE WILL HAVE A GAME 5!! You guys all know it. GO PAKISTAN!!!!!!!


So Afridi gone.And Butt and Rana most likely GREAT MOVES by Pakistan and the best move yet if they made this move is they brought one of my fav youngsters RAO IFTHIKHAR ANJUM he will perform well I hope. Hatrick\

It will be a good match but we all want to see a win form Pak right

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CRICKET IS IN MY BLOOD

This is the match India should play there youngsters and rest there experince players Dravid bring Powar in Tendulkar bring raina in and maybe even bring in Venogopal Rao for Yuvraj Singh Pathan needs his rest he should rest and Zaheer should be main bowler

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CRICKET IS IN MY BLOOD

Here is what I think the team should be. My own opinion.

Pakistan (1 Imran Farhat, 2 Younis Khan 3 Shoaib Malik, 4 Mohammad Yousuf, 5 Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Kamran Akmal [WK], 7 Faisal Iqbal, 8 Abdul Razzaq, 9 Yasir Arafat, 10 Rao Iftikhar Anjum 11 Mohammad Asif. Super sub: Azher Mahmood but he wont play so Mohammad Sami Super SUb

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CRICKET IS IN MY BLOOD

India have won the toss and elected to field. They have retained the same team while Pakistan have brought in Sami for Gul while Farhat will be the supersub. Rana and Butt remain and both will have to fire today to remain in contention.

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"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, prepare to die."
- Klingon Proverb, Star Trek

After a slow start, Pakistan have now lost one wicket. India have been bowling well and to a plan. Akmal's wicket was a well deserved one. Raina made it look so easy. He had a fraction of s second for the reaction and like Arun Lal pointed out, he took it as if he already knew where the ball was coming. Good bowling and good fielding.

Butt is playing carefully following the ducks in the last two matches. This time Akmal faced the first over from Pathan.

The score is 27/1 right now after 11 overs and India have taken the second powerplay.

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My computer can beat me at chess.....but its no match for me at kick boxing.

Salman Butt gone for 13 c Dravid b Sreesanth. Finally someone held on to a catch off Sreeshnath. Pakistan in some trouble here now. Inzamam has to play for the recovery.

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My computer can beat me at chess.....but its no match for me at kick boxing.