Cricket Update: Pakistani batsman, Mohammad Yousuf makes an impressive return
Pakistan has started its two day practice match against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 desperately needed someone to calm their nerves, as they were searching for some one dependable that can take them out of their misery in the on going four match series against England.
The visitors are down 2-0, after heavy defeats in the opening two tests at the Trent Bridge in Nottingham and Edgbaston Birmingham.
On both occasions, it was their batting that let them down big time, as they perished for their two lowest totals against England in consecutive innings.
The second innings at Nottingham saw them crash to 80 all out, after they were set a target of 435 runs to win.
In the first innings of the second test, they crashed again this time for even a more ignominious 72 runs total to further compound their miseries.
After the first test, the Pakistan Cricket Board brought back Mohammad Yousuf, yet the batsman failed to reach in time for some solid practice before the second match, and hence was not included in the playing eleven.
However, over at Worcester he looked in good touch, striking the ball with the languid ease that had made him one of the most prolific scorers in Pakistan’s test history with a top drawer average of 53 runs per innings.
Yousuf was unbeaten on 40 off only 55 balls, when the heavens open in Worcester, cutting short his comeback innings.
However, despite the short duration of the innings, Yousuf who hit 8 fours in his knock has done enough to win back his place for the third test set to start at the Oval on 18th August.
Another batsman under the spotlight for inclusion in the third test is http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Peshawar-c832 batsman was dismissed for only 27 runs.
He struck four boundaries in his 42 ball runs knock that was accumulated after a 58 minute stay at the wicket.
It remains to be seen if Yasir is included in the third test squad or not given the reluctance of the team management in England to include him, they have relied on Umar Amin in his place despite his continued failures in the series.
Even the other batsman, who started his international career on this tour, Azhar Ali, has hardly done enough to cement his spot in the fragile Pakistani line-up. While same is the case with the most talented batsman in the line up the brother of wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal.
The trio of Umar Akmal, Umar Amin and Azhar Ali have between them managed a solitary half century in the series.
The contribution came in from Azhar Ali in the second innings of the only test win on the tour thus far the second match at the Headingley in Leeds.
The one positive amongst the doom and gloom is the state of the wicket at the Oval, which is generally full of runs, and one where the Pakistani batsmen have prospered on over the years.
The ground also gave Pakistan its first away win in a test match in the early fifties, and was the venue where the team posted a total of 708 runs in the 1987 series. For now though, the beleaguered tourists would be more than happy to have post even half of the 708 runs in their first innings in the third test match.
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