|
|
| December 1, 2005 | Thursday | Shawwal 28, 1426 |
Pakistan recover from early shocks: Inzamam injured
LAHORE, Nov 30: Despite skipper Inzamamul Haq’s retirement due to an injury, Pakistan were better placed on the second day in the deciding third and final Test at Qadhafi Stadium on Wednesday.
When play was called off due to fading light, although the floodlights were on, Pakistan had progressed to 185 for the loss of four wickets, only 103 runs behind England’s first innings total of 288 all out with six wickets intact.
Pakistan owe their ascendancy mainly to Mohammad Yousuf and his fourth wicket partnership with Inzamam and Hasan Raza which realised 112 runs after the hosts had lost their three top order batsmen for 68.
Yousuf was at his imperious best. He was unbeaten at 84 having smashed 14 fours and in the process treated England attack with disdain.
The classy batsman, however, had one moment of good luck when his score was 16.
Normally a safe pair of hands, Andrew Flintoff, who so far had a poor match, grassed a regulation second slip catch off Steve Harmison, the best of England bowlers.
Harmison who with his steep bounce troubled all the batsmen besides being instrumental in Inzamam’s retirement when he struck Pakistan skipper on the right forearm with a vicious delivery that lifted sharply.
Treatment from home team’s physio and the application of magic spray did not help and Inzamam had to return to the safe environs of the dressing room. His foreman was badly bruised.
Later he was taken to the hospital for scan of the injury. The scan showed no fracture and Inzamam is likely to bat on Thursday after the fall of the fifth wicket.
Inzamam’s retirement certainly dealt a blow to Pakistan’s cause as he was in best of nick. He and Yousuf made England bowlers look pedestrians. During their fourth wicket stand Pakistan’s two premier batsmen were always on top of England attack on a wicket offering little assistance either to seamers or spinners.
The unfortunate retirement of Inzamam (35), however, provided Michael Vaughan’s under pressure side a window of opportunity and Harmison was rewarded for his labours dismissing Hasan Raza who was caught by Flintoff at third slip.
Night-watchman, Shoaib Akhtar, who is yet to open his account, safely negotiated the last couple of overs in fading light, doing successfully what he was required to do.
Earlier, England’s tail failed to make any significant contribution as the visitors lost their remaining four wickets for 40 runs off 17 overs.
The tourists lost their last three wickets for eight runs with Mohammad Sami on a hat trick. Sami bowled debutant Liam Plunkett and then had Harmison caught behind off the next ball to be on a hat trick.
Paul Collingwood, who was unbeaten at 71 overnight, missed what could have been his maiden Test century by four runs. He became victim of nervous ninetees mistiming a hook off Shoaib Akhtar to Danish Kaneria on the long leg boundary to provide Rawalpindi Express the only wicket of the innings.
Collingwood struck 15 boundaries and faced 162 deliveries in a battling knock which gave England total some respectability.
Pakistan’s experiment with Shoaib Malik to partner Salman Butt to open the innings has so far not yielded desired results. The all-rounder went for a duck spooning a simple catch to midwicket off Matthew Hoggard.
Asim Kamal, in for Shahid Afridi, too missed the opportunity of regaining his place when he played across to a straight one from Matthew Hoggard and was trapped lbw for five to make Pakistan wobbly at 12 for two at lunch.
Salman (28) and Yousuf steadied the boat putting on 56 runs for the third wicket but the left-hander fell again caught behind chasing a wide one to give debutant Plunkett his first Test wicket.
On Tuesday Pakistan bowled 13 overs less and it was even worse on Wednesday as no less than 19 overs were lost owing to fading light, making a total two days’ loss of 32 overs.
If the present light situation prevails during the next three days there is going to be waste of one day’s play making it difficult to achieve victory for either side as it happened in Faisalabad.
Pakistan, needing only a draw to ensure series triumph, will be banking on Yousuf and Inzamam for gaining a sizeable first innings lead to put pressure on England.
The visitors on the other hand have no option but go all out for a win to at least share the series, as a draw will be no good in their effort to topple Australia as the world’s top Test playing nation.
Scoreboard
ENGLAND (1st Innings, overnight 248-6):
M.E. Trescothick c Kamran b S. Malik 50
M.P. Vaughan c Yousuf b S. Malik 58
I.R. Bell c Yousuf b S. Malik 4
P.D. Collingwood c Kaneria b S. Akhtar 96
K.P. Pietersen c Kamran b Rana Naved 34
A. Flintoff c S. Akhtar b Rana Naved 12
G.O. Jones b Kaneria 4
S.D. Udal c Asim b Kaneria 10
L.E. Plunkett b Sami 9
M.J. Hoggard not out 1
S.J. Harmison c Kamran b Sami 0
EXTRAS (LB-5, NB-5) 10
TOTAL (all out, 94 overs) 288
FALL OF WKTS: 1-101, 2-114, 3-115, 4-183, 5-201, 6-225, 7-249, 8-280, 9-288.
BOWLING: Shoaib Akhtar 22-6-45-1 (2nb); Rana Navedul Hasan 20-3-76-2; Mohammad Sami 18-2-57-2; Shoaib Malik 14-1-58-3 (2nb); Danish Kaneria 20-2-47-2.
PAKISTAN (1st Innings):
S. Malik c Plunkett b Hoggard 0
S. Butt c G. Jones b Plunkett 28
A. Kamal lbw b Hoggard 5
M. Yousuf not out 84
Inzamamul Haq retired hurt 35
H. Raza c Flintoff b Harmison 21
S. Akhtar not out 0
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-5, W-1, NB-5) 12
TOTAL (for four wkts, 52 overs) 185
FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-12, 3-68, 4-180.
TO BAT: Kamran Akmal, Rana Navedul Hasan, Mohammad Sami, Danish Kaneria.
BOWLING (to-date): Hoggard 8-2-22-2; Flintoff 14-5-34-0 (5nb, 1w); Harmison 17-2-56-1; Plunkett 8-0-37-1; Udal 3-0-19-0; Collingwood 2-0-11-0.
NOTE: Inzamam retired hurt at 148-3.
|
|
