British, Oz media hail India; criticise Pakistan's fumbles

London/Melbourne, Mar 31 (PTI): The British and
Australian media marvelled at Sachin Tendulkar's astonishing
luck and hailed India as deserving finalists of the cricket
World Cup, saying Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men were way better
than Pakistan in dealing with pressure during the engrossing
semifinal.
In a piece headlined, 'India retain grip to reach
dream showpiece', 'Daily Telegraph' writer Derek Pringle said
Pakistan didn't deserve to win after dropping Tendulkar, who
top-scored with 85, four times during the match.
"The Great Game between these feuding neighbours
failed to materialise after India won a faltering match to
take their place on Saturday against Sri Lanka in the World
Cup final. They were deserved winners, mostly because a team
who squander five chances, as Pakistan did when India batted
first, do not deserve to win anything let alone the semi-final
of cricket's biggest tournament," the newspaper said.
"This is probably Tendulkar's last chance to win the
World Cup so perhaps that, as well as having his hundredth
international hundred hanging over him, added to the pressure
of an already tense occasion. Yet, whatever it is that
disrupts the little master's flow, it afflicted him Wednesday
and he should have been out on 27, 45, 71 and 80.
"Before those let-offs, he had also survived an lbw
and a stumping, both of them adjudicated by TV replay, by a
hair's breadth."
The 'Herald Sun' in Australia also said that Pakistan
lost the match because of the four dropped catches.
"Pakistan drop their bundle," read the headline.
"They say one moment can decide a match, but four
moments sealed Pakistan's fate as they dropped batting wizard
Sachin Tendulkar four times on their way to a World Cup
semi-final loss to India."
'The Guardian' in England ridiculed the dropped
catches and said, "to drop him once was unfortunate. To do it
four times beggared belief."
"Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan captain, seemed to go
through all five of the stages of grief. Denial as he patted
Misbah-ul-Haq on the bum after he dropped the ball at
midwicket. Anger as he ran his fingers through his hair when
Younus Khan fluffed one at extra cover. Bargaining with the
umpires over those referrals."
"Depression when Kamran Akmal let an edge fly by his
gloves, and finally meek acceptance when Umar Akmal spilled a
final chance at mid-off. Finally Tendulkar hit the ball to
Afridi who took the catch just in time to save his sanity."