Pakistan rides Malik century to defeat India

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) -- Shoaib Malik slammed his second century of the tournament Sunday to spur defending champion Pakistan to a 59-run victory against archrival India in an Asia Cup second-round match.

Malik, 22, lashed out at the Indian attack after opening batsman Imran Nazir fell for one in the first over to post a career-best, one-day score of 143 -- his fourth hundred in 72 one-day internationals -- as Pakistan piled up a massive 300 for nine in 50 overs.

Faltering in its reply, India could only reach 241 for eight in 50 overs, but the ninth-wicket pair of Laxmipathy Balaji and Anil Kumble scampered for close singles off the final two deliveries from paceman Mohammad Sami to ensure it did not concede a bonus point.

Six points are at stake in every game. A victory is worth five points. The winning team can also claim the bonus point if its run-rate is 1.25 times better than the losing side.

If the winner fails to claim the bonus point, it goes to the losing team.

Pakistan, which lost to Sri Lanka by seven wickets Wednesday, picked up its initial five points, while India gained one point from the match to take its points tally to seven. India had claimed six points by defeating Bangladesh by eight wickets Wednesday.

Sri Lanka's 12 points from two victories against Pakistan and Bangladesh has ensured it a place in the Aug. 1 final.

Pakistan's surge Sunday was shaped by Malik's brisk century stand for the second wicket with opener Yasir Hameed, who contributed 31 runs.

Malik's 127-ball innings contained 18 boundaries and a huge six off medium-pacer Balaji over mid-on. His previous highest was the 118 he scored against minnow Hong Kong during the current tournament's preliminary league game last Sunday.

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Blasting his first 50 off 41 balls, Malik went on to complete his century from 95 deliveries, and then returned to claim two for 42 with his off-spin to emerge as the Man of the Match.

Sehwag's bad day in the field continued as he failed to snap Hameed's uppish drive off leg-spinner Kumble at mid-on, and the ball went over the boundary.

Kumble (2 for 49) cut short Hameed's stay at the wicket by shattering the stumps on the next delivery. Attempting an on-drive, Hameed was bowled off his pads.

Pakistan's scoring continued at a brisk rate as Malik put on 66 runs for the third wicket with captain Haq and 63 runs for the fourth wicket with Youhana.

Malik, who on 137 survived a muffed stumping by Rahul Dravid off Sachin Tendulkar, was the fifth batsman out -- with the total on 277 from 46 overs -- when he lofted leg-spinner Tendulkar straight to Kaif at long-on.

Tendulkar (3 for 28) helped India stem the flow of runs as Pakistan lost five wickets for 29 runs in the final five overs. He dismissed Sami (1) and Younis Khan (4) off successive balls at the end in the last over.

India tottered in its victory chase, losing opener Sehwag (1) on the ninth ball, caught behind by Moin Khan off pace bowler Shabbir Ahmed (2 for 38).

Skipper Sourav Ganguly (39) added 62 quick runs for the second wicket with Tendulkar before Sami rattled Ganguly's leg stump.

Left-hander Yuvraj Singh (28) sparkled briefly, but Tendulkar's 103-ball 78 and a valiant 38 from Pathan kept alive India's chance to clinch the bonus point.