England vs Pakistan – 1st Test, Day 2 Report: Pakistan experience two extremes on Day 2
Pakistan enjoyed two extremes of the beautiful game of cricket on the 2nd day of the first Test against England. England had ended day one at 331 for the loss of 4 wickets, and Eoin Morgan was unbeaten after scoring his maiden hundred, while Paul Collingwood was also looking solid at the other end. The Pakistani bowlers knew that early morning moisture was going to be their best chance of making inroads in the English batting line-up.
England batsmen, on the other hand, were determined to see off the first period, and bat http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 out of the game. Mohammad Aamer and Asif started the day well for Pakistan. The pair once again looked like the duo that baffled the Aussie batting line-up a few days back. Aamer, who in the last session of day 1 looked tired and out of sorts, was once again in complete form. The left arm bowler quickly found his length and continued to pitch the ball on the off stump line. There was constant movement for Aamer, and he moved the ball away from the left-handed Morgan while cramping the right-handed Collingwood by making the ball come to him. The English duo found it really difficult to put bat to ball in the first few overs, and in the 6th over of the morning, the pressure eventually paid off. After adding just 6 runs to the overnight score, England lost Paul Collingwood. He was trapped right in front of the stumps courtesy of a typical in swinger from Asif. The right arm medium pacer continued to hit good length and moved the ball both ways, leaving Collingwood uncertain of the path of the ball. England’s Twenty20 Captain missed one that came in and was sent back after scoring 82 runs. Eoin Morgan also went soon after; this time Asif got the ball to go the other way and Morgan, while trying to play a drive on the move, was struck on the pads. The left-hander scored 130 runs from 216 balls with 19 delightful boundaries and a six.
The rot continued for England's batting line-up from then on, and even though it was Asif who did all the damage, Mohammad Aamer played his part by keeping a lid on the batsmen from the other end. Next man to go, however, was through a run out: Graeme Swann left Matt Prior stranded as he turned blind for a 3rd, and the English wicketkeeper was sent back run out for just 6 runs (Mohammad Aamer/Salman Butt).
Asif continued to bowl the nagging off stump line; he got his 4th wicket when he once again caught the batsman plum in front. This time it was Swann (2 off 13 balls), and on the very next ball, James Anderson misjudged the length and direction of the ball, and let the very first ball go. He was struck on the knee roll and was dismissed on a golden duck. Asif did not get the hat-trick, and Umar Gul finished it off by knocking over Stuart Broad in the next over. England were all out for 354 runs.
Pakistan looked ecstatic to have bundled out the hosts, and claiming the last 6 wickets for just 17 runs. Pakistan’s reply to England’s total, though, was in simple words disastrous. It all started in the fifth over with Captain Salman Butt’s (1 off 13 balls) wicket, and just did not stop. The left hander once again was out in the slips, followed by his opening partner Imran Farhat. Farhat (19 off 51) was knocked over by James Anderson for his 2nd wicket. The tall lanky fast bowler Steven Finn, who had impressed against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747, surprised the Pakistan middle-order with his bounce: he got the wickets of the 2 Umars (Amin and Akmal) in the middle order; both perished in the slips, Umar Amin for just 2 off 6 balls, and Umar Akmal no better with 4 runs off 8 balls (his spell included just the one boundary.)
Anderson continued to wreak havoc, and went on to claim 5 wickets (matching Mohammad Asif’s haul). Pakistan, at 47 for 6, looked well on course for being dismissed inside 3 figures. A good partnership worth 38 runs between Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Aamer got them to 105, but both left in quick succession and a follow-on looked imminent. Umar Gul, with nothing to lose, played some big shots and got to 30 from 29 balls with 4 fours and a six. With just 8 runs needed to avoid the follow-on, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Danish-Kaneria-c1314 (7) was dismissed in the 50th over, and a 39 run 9th wicket stand was broken. Muhammad Asif faced one ball, but bad light ended the day’s play. In the end, Pakistan were at the total of 147, and need 8 runs with only one wicket in hand to avoid the follow-on.
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