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| November 17, 2005 | Thursday | Shawwal 14, 1426 |
Kaneria helps Pakistan pull off stunning victory
MULTAN, Nov 16: Pakistan pulled off a stunning 22-run victory in the first Test against England at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. With a devastating bowling performance, the unpredictable Pakistan buried England’s hopes in this city of the saints with Danish Kaneria and Shoaib Akhtar leading the rout.
England, who began the day as slight favourites in pursuit for the remaining 174 runs, capitulated inside 43 overs for the addition of 151 runs 45 minutes after lunch.
The architect of this come-from-behind triumph was Kaneria who sent down 19 overs unchanged and was deservedly rewarded with four wickets.
The leg-spinner was handsomely complemented by Shoaib Akhtar. The Rawalpindi Express made a welcome return to the side with six wickets in the match.
But his three wickets in the second innings on a last-day pitch hardly assisting pace bowlers were probably more crucial to Pakistan’s cause.
When Geraint Jones and Shaun Udal held up Pakistan’s victory charge for 77 agonizing minutes on either side of the lunch interval while adding 49 runs in 100 balls, it was Shoaib who provided the breakthrough.
The fast bowler was also accountable for applying the coup de grace — Steve Harmison providing the 30-year-old his 150th wicket in 38 Tests — that sent the entire and a vociferous crowd of 8,000 into a state of frenzy.
The pressure exerted by Inzamamul Haq and his men hurt England so much that the last nine wickets fell for 111 runs in 33.5 overs.
Pakistan endured an anxious 45-minute period after England resumed at 24 for one in the second innings before three wickets in eight balls changed the complexion of the match.
Kaneria ended a threatening partnership of 57 between Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell, getting rid of both of them in his third over.
Bell’s attempted cut stroke was smartly snapped up by Kamran Akmal while the last ball saw the Strauss (23) edging a defensive push to Hasan Raza at slip. Mohammad Sami then accounted for Paul Collingwood (4).
England were in strife at 67 for four when Andrew Flintoff strode out to join Kevin Pietersen. It was a situation demanding sensible batting from them. But the pressure got the better of both Flintoff and Pietersen.
The all-rounder holed out to Younis Khan in the deep for 13 to make England 93 for five, giving Kaneria another important scalp.
Pietersen never settled down and he tried an expansive drive at Sami and the price for his aggressive intentions; caught behind for 19 leaving England tottering at 101 for six.
Ashley Giles came to the crease to partner Jones with a respectable average in Test cricket.
However, the tall right-hander found a charged-up Shoaib Akhtar, coming on for a second burst, too hot to handle. A 94-mph yorker uprooting the middle and leg stumps out of the ground after Giles (14) had hung around for 28 minutes.
England were reeling at 117 for seven. With 81 runs still required, Udal joined Jones, the last England hope.
The eighth-wicket pair went to lunch unscathed after a session that overwhelmingly was Pakistan’s.
The final twist was yet to come after the break as Jones and Udal continued to frustrate the Pakistanis with ones and twos now and then as England edged closer to the target.
Freshened up by the lunch interval, Shoaib Akhtar went for the final kill. Jones was removed with a scorching inswinger as the heads in the England dressing-room dropped in anguish.
Jones kept his end intact for 107 minutes. His 75-ball innings of 33 had a solitary boundary. Three balls later, Kaneria bowled Udal for 18 with a googly.
And then Younis Khan caught Harmison to ensure the day belonged to Pakistan who were deserving winners in the end.
It was only the third win for Pakistan at home against England and their first since Abdul Qadir’s 13 wickets condemned Mike Gatting’s team to an innings defeat 18 years ago.
Scoreboard
Pakistan 1st innings 274 (S. Butt 74, Inzamam 53; A. Flintoff 4-68, S. Harmison 3-37).
England 1st innings 418 (M. Trescothick 193, I. Bell 71; S. Ahmed 4-54, S. Akhtar 3-99).
\Pakistan 2nd innings 341 (S. Butt 122, Inzamam 72; A. Flintoff 4-88, S. Harmison 3-52)
England 2nd innings (overnight 24-1):
M. Trescothick b Shabbir 5
A. Strauss c Raza b Kaneria 23
I. Bell c Akmal b Kaneria 31
P. Collingwood lbw b Sami 3
K. Pietersen c Akmal b Sami 19
A. Flintoff c Younis b Kaneria 11
G. Jones b Akhtar 33
A. Giles b Akhtar 14
S. Udal b Kaneria 18
M. Hoggard not out 0
S. Harmison c Younis b Akhtar 9
Extras (b6, lb1, nb2) 9
TOTAL (all out, 52.4 overs) 175
Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-64, 3-67, 4-67, 5-93, 6-101, 7-117, 8-166, 9-166.
Bowling: Akhtar 12.4-1-49-3, Shabbir 10-0-25-1, Kaneria 20-0-62-4, Sami 9-0-31-2, Malik 1-0-1-0.
Umpires: Simon Taufel (AUS) and Billy Bowden (NZL)
TV umpire: Asad Rauf (PAK)
Match referee: Roshan Mahanama (SRI)
Second Test: Faisalabad (Nov 20-24)
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