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| September 6, 2003 | Saturday | Rajab 8, 1424 |
Minnows Bangladesh scent historic Test victory
MULTAN, Sept 5: Pakistan were battling to avoid an embarrassing defeat against Bangladesh on Friday after being set a reasonable target on the third day of the final Test at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
Needing 261 for a clean sweep of the three-match series, the home side were instead reeling at 148 for six with their fast receding victory hopes now resting squarely on the broad shoulders of Inzamam-ul-Haq.
Taking nothing away from Bangladesh’s new found disciplined approach and commitment, it must, however, be said that Pakistan’s inconsistent selection policy has allowed the visitors to come thus far in this third and last Test.
Khaled Mahmud, the Bangladesh captain, believes that his side must play out of their skin on the fourth day to win. “Ideally, we would have been much happy if we had managed to give Pakistan something like 300 to chase. We still have the game in out control, but in cricket you can’t be sure until the last wicket falls or the last run is scored.”
Bangladesh, of course, have played better cricket here than their more experienced opponents, to emerge on the brink of victory. And if they win on Saturday, it will be a thoroughly deserved achievement for a side who had been craving for this monumental moment.
Pakistan, on the other hand, have a tendency of being overgenerous to lowly ranked opponents over the years.
At the same time, there is no point in arguing over the dismal standard of umpiring in this Test because that will not change the situation because both teams have been at the rough end of the stick from ICC elite panel officials throughout the series.
Now only Inzamam, under immense pressure because of a lack of runs, remains to lift Pakistan out of this deep self-inflicted mess with Yousuf Youhana forced to sit out of this Test.
He obliged the 5,000 local crowd by reaching his first fifty of the series — and his 33rd in 88 Tests — in the closing overs of the day with a typical lofted straight drive off slow left-armer Mohammad Rafique. It was his seventh boundary. By close of play Inzamam was holding the fort with a circumspect 53 in almost two-and-a-half hours of application.
Salman Butt and Mohammad Hafeez got the Pakistan’s second innings off to a rocky start with both the openers surviving close calls. The lefthander set the tone with a chancy 37 on what proved to be an ordinary Test debut. Having got reached 11 when Hannan Sarkar failed to grasp a catch at third slip, the left-hander cared less for the team’s interests and continued to play flashy drives.
Salman’s luck finally ran out when substitute Mashrafe bin Mortaza brought off a superb catch on the second attempt at gully, giving left-arm paceman Manjural Islam his first wicket of the match.
Hafeez also departed to the same combination, driving loosely outside the of-stump, for 18 to leave Pakistan struggling at 62 for two.
Yasir Hameed appeared to have settled down but having got to 18, he received an unplayable delivery from Mahmud which rose awakwardly to catch the shoulder of his bat and into Mashrafe’s safe pair of hands in the gulley.
Pakistan were in further strife when Younis Khan was run out without facing a ball after a horrible mix-up with Inzamam, leaving the home side in tatters at 78 for four.
Farhan Adil the fell to Rafique on the spinner’s 33rd birthday, caught at slip for eight.
Rashid Latif, the Pakistan captain, kept Inzamam’s company for 54 minutes but after facing 49 balls, he was adjudged lbw by Asoka de Silva for five. Saqlain Mushtaq, however, survived the final minutes of the day until bad light ended play with 8.3 overs still remaining.
Earlier, Multan’s famous dust storm twice interrupted the game on a hazy day, with the sun appearing for brief periods. The first storm, lasting around 20 minutes, delayed the start of play by half an hour. The second stoppage came at 12.03pm, 27 minutes before from the extended lunch/prayers interval.
Bangladesh, resuming at the overnight 77 for four, lost their remaining second innings wickets for the addition of 77 runs. Umar Gul and Shabbir Ahmed ended with four wickets each, giving away 68 and 58 runs. Together they claimed 15 of the 19 wickets that fell to the Pakistani bowlers. Umar, in the process, improved his first innings’ career-best figures.
Scoreboard
Bangladesh (1st innings) 281 (Habibul Bashar 72; Umar Gul 4-86)
Pakistan (1st innings) 175 (Mohammad Rafique 5-36, Khaled Mahmud 4-37)
Bangladesh (2nd innings) (overnight 77-4)
Hannan Sarkar c R. Latif b Umar Gul 3
Javed Omar c Inzamam b Shabbir 16
Habibul Bashar c R. Latif b Umar Gul 3
M. Ashraful c Salman Butt b Shabbir 3
Rajin Saleh c Rashid Latif b Umar Gul 42
Alok Kapali c Rashid Latif b Yasir Ali 22
Khaled Mahmud lbw b Shabbir 2
Khaled Mashud lbw b Shabbir 28
Mohammad Rafique lbw b Umar Gul 4
Tapash Baisya not out 14
Manjural Islam c Younis b Saqlain 5
Extras (b-5 lb-2 w-2 nb-3) 12
Total (all out, 46.3 overs) 154
Fall of wickets: 1-4 2-9 3-23 4-41 5-77 6-91 6-111 8-127 9-137
Bowling: Umar Gul 15-2-58-4 (nb-3 w-1), Shabbir Ahmed 23-6-68-4 (w-1), Yasir Ali 6-1-12-1, Saqlain Mushtaq 2.3-0-9-1
Pakistan (2nd innings)
Salman Butt c sub (M. Mortaza) b Manjural 37
M. Hafeez c M. Mortaza b Manjural 18
Y.Hameed c M. Mortaza b K. Mahmud 18
Inzamam-ul-Haq not out 53
Younis Khan run out 0
Farhan Adil c Habibul b M. Rafique 8
Rashid Latif lbw b Khaled Mahmud 5
Saqlain Mushtaq not out 3
Extras (lb-4 w-2) 6
Total (for six wickets, 53.3 overs) 148
Fall of wickets: 1-45 2-62 3-78 4-81 5-99 6-132
To bat: Shabbir Ahmed, Umar Gul, Yasir Ali
Bowling (to date): Manjural Islam 16-2-50-2, Tapash Baisya 6-0-27-0 (w-2), Khaled Mahmud 16-6-33-2, Mohammad Rafique 15.3-3-34-1.
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