Pakistan captain Younus Khan finds himself under pressure as his team heads into the series-deciding third and final one-day against New Zealand. Under Younus, Pakistan lost the one-day series against Australia in the UAE and against Sri Lanka while touring the Island Nation earlier this year. Pakistan, who have not won a one-day series since beating the West Indies last year, achieved a thumping 138-run win in the first match thanks to efforts of Afridi, Latif and Kamran Akmal. However, they could not produce the same in the second match and ended up letting the Kiwis level the series. They now would now have to comeback hard to clinch the 3-match series.

With three ODIs done and dusted in the 7-match series, the action now shifts to Punjab Cricket Association stadium, Mohali. Home to the Punjab cricket team, the PCA hosted its first ODI when India took on South Africa during the Hero Cup in November 1993. The Indian team came back well after losing the opening match of the series by winning back-to-back games. While they came up with a power-packed performance in the batting friendly conditions at Nagpur, they also showed that they can put in the hard work and battle it out during the Delhi encounter where the pitch behaved indifferently. Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni were the protagonists who combated the spirited Aussies to help India go 2-1 up in the series.

After losing to Australia by just 4 runs in their opening encounter, the Indian team came back strongly with a resounding win in the second match that was mainly possible due to the superlative knock by the captain MS Dhoni along with two very useful half centuries by Gambhir and Raina. The bowling department too shined during the match although they would have hoped for a victory by a larger margin than that of 99 runs. The batters seem to be in good flow with Sehwag, Gambhir Raina and the skipper himself displaying good form. The bowling sector is also well taken care of with the likes of Nehra, Praveen and Ishant putting up a good display in the previous match. However the form of two major players in the team is a matter of concern – that of Sachin Tendulkar, who is due for runs, and Harbhajan Singh, who has had two expensive outings. Having said that, Tendulkar is a master craftsman who just needs a short time in the middle to bring out the best in him, while Harbhajan Singh is a spirited fighter who can turn the heat on Australia at any time. Although they would be a confident lot after their previous match, the Indians need to ensure that complacency does not creep in.

The Champions League has not quite caught the imagination of the fans in the way that the IPL has done, but from the point of view of quality cricket and format, it has been a big success. There is no greater testament to the format than the fact that the two best teams in the tournament are contesting the finals. Both New South Wales and Trinidad and Tobago have been the teams to beat, and indeed, the match they played against each other was a pulsating thriller. It is fitting that these two sides will contest the finals at Hyderabad. The forecast is for a sunny day, while the pitch at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium has been batsman-friendly and provided some keen contests right through the tournament.

T&T have become crowd pullers after their string of wins at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium and would now play the semi-final game almost like a home team considering the support they have been getting from the Hyderabad crowd. The most powerful aspect about this line-up is their flamboyant batsmen who have made the opposition bowlers look average. The opposition might view Kieron Pollard as their most dangerous batsman but the likes of Barath, Simmons and Stewart proved that they could not be taken lightly either. Their bowlers have always been equal to the task, with Dwayne Bravo leading the pack. He is the highest wicket-taker of the tournament and has proved to be a useful bowler at the death. After their clinical performance in their last game against the Eagles, it seems unlikely that they will make any changes. The Caribbeans will also be well acquainted with the conditions having played their last few games here.