Australia crumbles as Pakistan pacemen rule at Headingley
Pakistan’s pacemen have ripped through the Australia top order in the opening session of the Test at Headingley to leave the Aussies reeling at 73-6 at lunch on day one.
Coming into the match on the back of a 150-run loss to Ricky Ponting’s side at Lord’s, and with Salman Butt thrust into the captaincy after http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755’s seamers ensured the side made the best possible start to the second, and final, match of the series.
After http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 (fielding an unchanged side to the one that won at Lord’s) won the toss and elected to bat, teen pace prodigy Mohammad Aamer was the first to strike, as Simon Katich moved across his stumps and into the path of a ball that was heading towards his stumps to provide Rudi Koertzen with his first reason to raise his finger in his final Test.
Katich’s dismissal for 13 ended a streak of six Test half-centuries (plus an innings of 18 not out against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Watson-c96326 fell without making much impact on the scoreboard once again this series.
The opener, who had taken the Pakistan bowling attack apart in Australia during the 2009/10 Test series, was trapped lbw by Mohammad Asif for just five, following scores of four and 31 at Lord’s.
That brought Michael http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120 together with Ricky Ponting in the middle in what should have been a steadying partnership for the visitors. It wasn’t.
Clarke was the next to go, as Umar Gul joined the Pakistan party, sending a full-length delivery through the gate and into the Australia vice-captain’s stumps as he departed for the addition of just three runs to the score.
Ponting, who entered the match with an average of just a touch over 105 at the ground, was unable to produce a performance anywhere near that standard as the Pakistan pacemen continued to pressure the batsmen with an unrelenting combination of length and movement.
It was ultimately Asif who claimed the all-important wicket of the opposition skipper, as he caught Ponting on the pads with a swinging delivery to send him on his way for six and leave Australia in all manner of trouble at 4-29.
Michael Hussey’s dismissal lbw for five deepened the crisis for Australia and the fact replays indicated the swinging Gul delivery was sliding past leg stump would not have relieved any of what must have been the rapidly mounting tension in the away dressing room.
Ten minutes before lunch, Marcus North added to Australia’s woes. Fresh from a six-wicket haul at Lord’s but seeking to break an all-or-nothing pattern in his Test batting scores and guide Australia through the remainder of the session without the loss of any more wickets, North failed on both counts as he pushed at a ball he would have been better advised to leave, edging it through to the keeper to provide Umar Amin with his first wicket of the day.
Tim Paine and Steven Smith, each playing their second Test today, are now left with the task of salvaging something from the Australia innings when play resumes in the second session.
Stumps report, day one is available http://www.senore.com/Pakistan-vs-Australia-at-Headingly-day-one-report-a17838.
Tags: