Ahmedabad: Riding on a career-best 72 by Yuvraj Singh, India beat Pakistan by 11 runs after posting a formidable 192 for five in the second and final Twenty20 International against Pakistan at the Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, here yesterday.
Yuvraj blasted seven sixes and four fours during his 36-ball innings, while skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (33), Ajinkya Rahane (28) and Virat Kohli (27) came up with valuable knocks.
Pakistan pacer Umar Gul picked up four for 37.
The tourists, who won the first match in the two-game series by five wickets in Bengaluru on December 25, were unchanged, while India brought in Ravichandran Ashwin at the expense of Ravindra Jadeja.
In reply, Nasir Jamshed (41) and Ahmad Shehzad (31) put on 74 for the first wicket in 9.5 overs and Mohammad Hafeez hammered 55 off 26 balls, but Pakistan fell short as wickets tumbled in the later overs.
Meanwhile, it was announced yesterday that England’s wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow will miss next month’s one-day series in India after being granted an extension to his compassionate leave due to a family illness.
Bairstow, who left before the final Twenty20 fixture in India before Christmas for the same reason, has been replaced in the squad by Joe Root.
The England and Wales Cricket Board said Bairstow is “expected to return to the squad for the T20 and ODI tour of New Zealand beginning in late January”. Root made his Test and Twenty20 debuts for England against India earlier this month.
