http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 edge ahead on day two despite Gul strikes
The second day of the first Test match between Australia and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 had it all. Action, excitement and drama, all power packed in a single day of Test match cricket. And don’t we love it when such excitement eventually yields a result from a Test match?
From what we have seen over the last two days, one feels that a result is surely coming out of this one.
From an overnight score of 229/9, Hussey continued to slog it out for his side, putting up a valiant 56 not out from 100 deliveries.
The Australians could only survive seven overs, when Bollinger was bowled by Mohammad Aamer after scoring four runs. Australia was all out for 253.
Mohammad Aamer was Pakistan’s best bowler, picking up 4 wickets in 20 overs. His strike partner, Mohammed Asif also extended good supported, securing 3 wickets from 19 overs. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Danish-Kaneria-c1314, Pakistan’s front line spinner, picked two scalps.
Pakistan would have already been dreaming about posting a huge, first-innings lead over their opponents. But the Australians were adamant that they would make Pakistan work hard before achieving that. The Aussie firepower was ready to be unleashed on the Pakistani batsmen, ready to keep the spectators on the edge of their seats.
And so they did. Half an hour into the innings and Pakistan had already lost their opener Imran Farhat to a rising delivery from Hilfenhaus. Tim Paine took the first catch of his Test career. And soon followed the second. Debutant Azhar Ali paid the price for lack of footwork and was caught behind off Hilfenhaus for 16.
But there was one man who was not going to let things get away so easily. Salman Butt ensured that he remained at the crease and score as many runs as possible, taking calculated risks and even scoring quite a few boundaries. His total of 63 from 94 balls formed a significant part of Pakistan’s first innings total.
The entire Pakistan team was bowled out for only 148 runs, 105 less than Australia’s first innings total. Thanks to some fairly distraught and irresponsible batting from the rest of the Pakistan side, they lost this opportunity to gain an upper hand over Australia. Players like Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal and Shahid Afridi, who were expected to rise up to the challenge, could not manage to build a partnership of any sorts with Salman Butt.
The Australian bowling attack had done the trick, once again. This time, it was Shane Watson who was the pick of the bowlers. His five-wicket haul comprised of all the most important Pakistani wickets of Salman Butt, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 and Danish Kaneria to finish off the innings. Bollinger and Hilfenhaus picked two wickets each and Mitchell Johnson picked one.
Debutant Steven Smith did not get a chance to bowl in the first innings, which was wrapped in almost 40 overs.
Australia would have felt like true champions, turning the game around drastically after a poor initial performance. An automatic lead of 105 meant that Australia could set up a target of close to 400 and yet give their bowlers over two days to pick 10 Pakistani wickets. Sounds very realistic.
But Pakistan had different ideas.
After a steady start from openers Watson and Katich, Australia were looking comfortable at 61/0 from 16 overs. But then, Mohammed Asif tempted Watson with a wide, swinging delivery. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Watson-c96326 edged the ball to first slip and failed to convert yet another start into a big score. The Australia middle order once again failed miserably. After being at 61/0 in 16 overs at one point, they were reduced to 97/4 in the 27th over. Umar Gul scalped a couple of wickets off successive balls.
Ponting and Hussey were out without scoring while http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120 made a minor contribution of 12 runs.
Mohammed Asif and Gul were the two bowlers who were responsible for the destruction, picking two wickets each. Mitchell Johnson, who came in as a night watchman, is accompanying Siman Katich. Katich is still batting on 49 and will have to take up the responsibility of establishing a challenging target for Pakistan.
No one knows how many more twists and turns are going to take place in this match. But one thing is for sure, for the many neutral supporters at Lord’s and the several others reading this, the next three days of the match are sure to provide entertainment at its best.
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