India successfully avoided a series whitewash by winning a thrilling final ODI by just three runs. The bowlers skittled India for a low total thanks to Ajmal's 5 wickets, but the batsmen weren't able to defy a spirited Indian fielding unit. Pakistan won the series 2-1.

Toss: India won the toss and decided to bat first

Teams:

Pakistan:
N Jamshed, M Hafeez, Y Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, S Malik, U Akmal, K Akmal, J Khan, U Gul, S Ajmal, M Irfan

India:
G Gambhir, AM Rahane, V Kohli, Y Singh, SK Raina, RA Jadeja, MS Dhoni, R Ashwin, B Kumar, I Sharma, S Ahmed

India Innings:

MS Dhoni called correctly for India at the toss, on a very murky cold day in Delhi, and chose to bat first as both sides made changes to their 2nd ODI line up. India dropped Sehwag and Dinda to bring in Rahane and debutant Shami Ahmed. Meanwhile Pakistan dropped Azhar Ali to bring in Umar Akmal. 

Despite India electing to bat first it was the Pakistani bowlers who once again managed to strike early. Indias top three batsmen were removed with in the Power Play as Irfan struck twice and Junaid once, to remove Rahane, Gambhir and Kohli and leaving India on 38/3. Irfan dismissed Rahane caught behind and Gambhir with a gentle catch chipped to Umar Akmal. Meanwhile Junaid continued to torment the Indian batsmen, and eventually dismissed Kohli for the third time in the series thanks to a sharp low catch by Younus Khan at 2nd slip.

There was a definite plan by Pakistani pacers to bowl short to the Indian middle order and take full advantage of the two bouncers per over rule. However, Yuvraj and Raina both looked up to the task as they took the attack to the Umar Gul and picked up 18 in his first over, which prompted the introduction of spin into the attack. 

The change in bowling worked straight away as the fight back was once again put on hold thanks to Hafeez who pegged back Yuvi’s off stump on his fifth delivery. Raina and Dhoni looked to try and break the shackles and build a partnership as Raina struck the first 6 of the game off of Hafeez in the 20th over. Dhoni also got in to the act in the 28th over as he danced the wicket twice in two balls to dismiss Hafeez over the fence for back to back sixes as the score got ticking.

In the very next over, however, Ajmal applied the brakes on the innings once again as he dismissed Raina for a LBW. Ajmal struck again on the very next ball – this time it was Ashwin caught on the back foot plum in front of the stumps. Jadeja managed to block out the hat trick delivery, however, the damage had been done by Ajmal.

Dhoni realizing that wickets were tumbling from the other end continued to attack Hafeez, dismissing the first ball of the 30th over for his third six of the innings. Hafeez did look to fight back as there was a loud appeal for caught behind against Dhoni down the leg side in his next over, followed by an extremely difficult chance ‘dropped’ off the very next ball. Despite Hafeez being unable to pick up the wicket of Dhoni in his spell, the bowler did complete a very tight spell of 44/1. 

On the other hand Gul, who had gone for 30 in his first fours overs returned to the attack to pick up the crucial wicket of Dhoni who flat batted a short and wide ball straight to Umar Akmal. Ajmal went on to pick up his third wicket as Kumar was dismissed for an LBW and India continued to sink loosing their 8th batsmen.

Jadeja realizing that he is running out of partners danced down the wicket to the first ball of the following over and hit Gul straight back over his head for a huge 84m six – the fifth of the innings. Ajmal, however, continued to pick up wickets as he claimed the scalp of Sharma caught and bowled bringing the debutant Ahmed to the crease. Jadeja continued fighting, trying to put up a respectable total for his side as he dismissed the first ball of Ajmals final over for 6.

The spinning magician hit back to finish off the Indian batting order by dismissing Jadeja and in the process picking up his best ever ODI figures (5/24). All the bowlers contributed very well for Pakistan to restrict India to a very chasable total of 167.

Fall of Wickets:

19/1 (Rahane, 4.3 Overs)
29/2 (Gambhir, 8.4 Overs)
37/3 (Kohli, 9.3 Overs)
63/4 (Yuvraj, 15.5 Overs)
111/5 (Raina, 28.4 Overs)
111/6 (Ashwin, 28.5 Overs)
131/7 (Dhoni, 34.4 Overs)
141/8 (Kumar, 37.5 Overs)
160/9 (Sharma, 41.6 Overs)
167/10 (Jadeja, 43.4 Overs)

Pakistan Innings:

The Indian team came out on the field looking like a side desperate to get a win on the board against their arch rivals. The fielders threw themselves around fighting to save every run and the opening bowlers – Ahmed & Kumar - kept it sharp and tight with the ball swinging both ways. The pressure being applied did prove to have the effect India was hoping for, as Kamran Akmal was picked up for a third ball duck by Kumar when he was given LBW. Kumar picked up his 2nd wicket in the 7th over when he knocked back Younus Khans middle stump by a ball which nipped through the gap between bat and pad leaving Pakistan on 14/2.

As a result of the tight bowling and exceptional fielding, after the first 12 overs Pakistan had conceded 60 dot balls and were 24/2, however, the RRR was still under 4. Jamshed and Misbah came together in the middle and slowly but surely started building a much needed partnership. The pair got Pakistans total past the 50 mark in the 18th over as they saw out Kumars brilliant 10 over opening spell. 

The partnership was broken in the 21st over as Ashwin struck and claimed the crucial wicket of Jamshed as Billy Bowden gave a borderline LBW decision in favour of India. Umar Akmal came out in the middle to join the Pakistani skipper as the number of runs required dropped beneath a hundred and the RRR was still under control.

As the two batsmen tried to keep the score ticking the Indian skipper gave an extra life to his Pakistani counterpart in the 24th over by putting down a sharp chance off of Jadejas bowling. The bowlers also started releasing the pressure as twice off of Ashwins bowling 5 wides down the leg side were given away by India. Misbah and Umar did exactly what was required for Pakistan as the 100 came up in the 31st over. 

Umar looked to pick up the tempo as he dispatched Ashwin for two fours – one through the covers and the second swept away – in the 33rd over as Pakistan progressed steadily towards the target. However, once again just as it looked like Pakistan were sailing, Ashwin got the wicket of Misbah Ul Haq – caught by leg slip - to keep India in the game. As Malik came out to join Umar Akmal in the middle the equation still seemed very much in Pakistans favour with only 55 runs needed to win and more than 15 overs remaining.

As the power play was taken the pressure on Malik & Umar Akmal was visible as both batsmen tried to ensure the scoreboard kept ticking over. Ishant Sharma was bought back into the attack who struck, after being hit for four, by removing Shoaib Malik. Once again it was a borderline decision with the impact of the ball possibly just outside off stump, however Billy Bowden once again gave the decision in Indias favour.

The wicket forced Mohammad Hafeez to come out to bat, who had been pushed down the order due to a minor injury picked up by him whilst in the field with 49 runs still required to win. The pressure on the Pakistani team clearly showed as Umar Akmal looked to slog sweep the ball to the fence, however only got an extremely high top edge which ended up landing in no mans land. In the final over of the power play the pressure applied by India showed its result as the set batsmen, Umar Akmal, danced down the wicket to Jadeja only to miss the ball completely and get stumped – bringing India right back into the game.

The pressure on Hafeez was obvious when he decided to play a paddle sweep with a leg slip in place, however, luckily for the batsmen a relatively simple catch was put down by Rahane as Pakistan still required 34 to win in the last 8 overs. Gul seemed to be responding well to this pressure as he struck Ahmed for two crucial fours to help release some of the pressure – however, the game remained very much in the balance. Ahmed responded well with the final ball of the 43rd over as he struck Gul on the helmet with a sharp bouncer, which the batsman was unable to duck.

The pressure continued to swing back and forth between the sides as a loud appeal for LBW off of Ashwins bowling against Gul was turned down with 27 needed from the last 6 overs. With Pakistan only able to pick up two runs in the 45th over, the game lead for an extremely tight finish in the last 5 overs. As Jadeja came on to bowl and extremely tight 46th over Pakistan needed 24 runs at 6 runs an over in the last 4 and seemed to be cracking under pressure.

Fall of Wicket:

3/1 (K Akmal, 2.1 Overs)
14/2 (Khan, 6.5 Overs)
61/3 (Jamshed, 20.3 Overs)
113/4 (Misbah, 34.1 Overs)
119/5 (Malik, 36.3 Overs)
125/6 (U Akmal, 39.2 Overs)
144/7 (Gul, 46.2 Overs)
145/8 (Ajmal, 47.2 Overs)
145/9 (J Khan, 47.3 Overs)
157/10 (Hafeez, 48.5 Overs)

After the Pakistan bowlers did a great job to restrict India to 167 the Indian bowlers hit back fantastically. The Indian team look determined to get a victory and bowled and fielded superbly to ensure a victory for India. In the end it was India who won a brilliant tense ODI, however, Pakistan take the series 2-1.