Cricket Update: Pakistan vs. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757- Resistance from Azhar Ali on 3rd day at Abu Dhabi.
Pakistan showed a pretty poor bowling performance against some classical South Africa batting in the second test being played in Abu Dhabi. South Africa scored a total of 584 runs until they declared their innings with the loss of only 9 wickets. This was
never going to be an easy task for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 to come into terms with such a huge total. Right from the word go, the Pakistani team were put under immense pressure but as they say, performing well under pressure is the key attribute of a champion.
How many times have we have seen Pakistan in shambles when it comes to their batting performance? Chasing such a huge total like this, Pakistan lost their first wicket on the second day just on the score of 2. This put immense pressure on the new batsman
at the crease. Azhar Ali , http://www.senore.com/Cricket/A-Young-c41367 promising batsman , a unique breed amongst his fellow players but some great fight to put Pakistan in an unwavering position and give them some hope after poor bowling display in their first innings.
Pakistan fought very bravely in the first session on the 3rd day of the second test at Abu Dhabi. Taufeeq Umar and Azhar Ali , after some heroic efforts put up a partnership of 117 runs for the second wicket. Before lunch, the all important wicket
of Umar always gave South Africa an opening to shatter the Pakistan batting line up. Azhar Ali became the centre of the attention soon after his partner Umar was lost.
Unlike players like Umar Akmal who came with a bang and made an impact on the team and the selectors, Azhar Ali is like a stallion for a long race. He quietly made his way through the Pakistan test line up. He gives us the impression of being custom made
for this format of the game. His earlier innings in England in this year, gave his critics an idea of what he was made of. He has built more on that impression in this series as another ecstatic fifty by him was the result. It’s his 3rd half century
this series which shows us how consistent this young man can be.
He played a very calm innings. When the opportunity arose, he delivered. He managed to deal with the excessive short deliveries bowled at him by Steyn and Morkel well. Playing a pull shot, Azhar was able to put yet another fifty under his belt.
Azhar’s temperamental batting skills alongside quite a start from Younis, who was the man of the match in the first test of the series, put Pakistan in an affirmative position. At lunch Pakistan were just 129 with a loss of only 2 wickets. This was too early
to say anything yet, as Pakistan were still a long way behind. They needed to step up their gears and in any case try to avoid the follow on or rather get close to the total as much as they could have.
Will they be able to do so? Steyn finding his rhythm can always be very devastating for any side. Let us hope that he does not stun the batting line up of Pakistan from their perspective. What will happen from now is an unpredictable pattern that can be
only known after observing the match.
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