http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 on Day 1 of first test
Pakistan looked a different team under the inspirational http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482, who is captaining the team in a test match for the first time in his career and on top of that making a return to the toughest and longest format of the game after four long years.
However, over the years one thing is a norm with “BOOM BOOM”; and that is his energy and positive intent. That was one of the main reasons that the Pakistanis roared back after two listless sessions to take six wickets in the last session of the day. The hosts of the two match series taking place at a neutral venue, England, showed that they meant business and were keen on ending Australia’s never ending winning streak against them which has now stretched to 12 after the defeat at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart earlier in the year.
Afridi won a crucial toss under overcast conditions at Lords and opted to field first, the 18 year old rookie Mohammad Aamer was once again at his best troubling the Aussie openers with his pace and late swing.
The left-armer succeeded in getting rid of Shane http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Watson-c96326 who chopped one onto his stumps, before dismissing the Australian captain Ricky Ponting courtesy a stunning catch by Umar Amin at short leg.
Simon Katich was also lucky to survive the Aamer onslaught as he was adjudged not out when the ball appeared to have struck him in line with the stumps in the opening exchanges of the match.
After the departure of Ponting, Katich joined hands with Michael Clarke and the two batted sensibly. The pair rarely looked in trouble against the three man pace attack of Aamer, Asif and Umar Gul, while Danesh Kaneira also took time to settle down.
The two took the score to 171 for 2 on the eve of tea break, when Mohammad Asif struck with the last ball of the session dismissing http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120 lbw, when the ball appeared to be sliding down the leg-side.
After the tea interval Asif bowled an outstanding over of seam and swing bowling accounted for the well set Katich who was snapped behind the stumps by Kamran Akmal, before cleaning up Marcus North with a ball that jagged in sharply off the seam and rattled his stumps.
Tim Paine’s painful debut innings ended when he offered a catch to his opposite number Kamran Akmal off the bowling of Umar Gul.
Paine stuttered for 7 runs off 46 balls, as he found the going extremely tough at the highest level of the game.
Mitchell Jhonson, and another debutant Steven Smith were accounted for by Danesh Kaneria who also made a great return in his second spell.
Hilfenhaus was dismissed by Mohammad Aamer, and soon afterwards the players left as bad light forced an early end to the proceedings on the opening day of the Spirit of Cricket Test Series being sponsored by Marylebone Cricket Club, the owners of Lords cricket ground.
The day belonged to the Pakistani bowlers who utilised the conditions brilliantly, and will be hoping to clean up the remaining Aussie wicket as soon as possible on the second day.
They have to however guard against complacency as they squandered a similar opportunity at the Sydney Cricket ground in January this year, where they rolled over the hosts for a paltry 127 runs in the first innings of the match.
On the other hand the Aussies are aware that the Pakistani batting line-up is extremely inexperienced and their bowlers are set to severely test the rookie batsmen tomorrow, it remains to be seen if the batsmen are up for the real challenge.
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