Sachin, Team India build on dropped catches

New Delhi: India upstaged archrival Pakistan by 29 runs in the so-called "mother of all World Cup matches" to progress to the final against Sri Lanka, giving Sachin Tendulkar another chance to reach his 100th hundred after his charmed innings fell just short on Wednesday.

Sachin Tendulkar enjoyed an incredible run of luck as he got six lives during the cricket World Cup semifinal against Pakistan.

After being dropped four times, getting a referral in his favour and surviving a stumping chance, Tendulkar finally walked back to the pavilion after scoring 85 runs when he was caught by Shahid Afridi off Saeed Ajmal.

The great escape story started in the 11th over when Tendulkar was ruled out leg before by on-field umpire Ian Gould off Ajmal on the fourth ball of the over but the decision was overturned following a review.

The review showed that the ball was somehow missing the leg stump. On the very next delivery he survived a close stumping chance and Ajmal was left frustrated.

Then Misbah-ul Haq dropped the little master on the bowling of skipper Shahid Afridi. He was on 27 then and Afridi was left red-faced when Younis Khan spilled a chance at mid-off on the third ball of the 20th over. Sachin was then on 45.

Another frustrating moment came for Afridi on the third ball of the 30th over as stumper Kamram Akmal dropped Tendulkar. It was a tough chance behind the wicket.

Then it was was turn of Kamran's brother Umar to drop Tendulkar as he failed to latch on to a pull at wide midwicket. He was on 81 then. Tendulkar finally ran out of luck when Afridi caught an uppish drive at extra cover, Ajmal being the bowler who finally got the wicket he probably deserved much earlier.

Read more at:http://cricketnext.in.com/news/sachin-team-india-build-on-dropped-catches/56045-13.html