August 18, 2006	Friday	Rajab 22, 1427

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LONDON, Aug 17: There was plenty of gloom and drizzle at The Oval but Mohammad Asif shone like a star. Pakistan’s smiling, grimacing fast bowler roused his countrymen to rekindle the magic that had gone absent without leave.

That momentum was carried through into Pakistan’s reply with Imran Farhat striking an attacking half-century, as England first struggled with their line and then with their catching to leave Pakistan with a golden opportunity to win this Test.

Legs up to his armpits, wiry frame topped off by an unfashionable flop of hair, Asif enjoys drawing people into his beanpole world. Whether it is a lively debate with Inzamam-ul-Haq, his embattled leader, or Kamran Akmal, his embattled wicket-keeper, Asif is all facial expressions and gesticulating hands.

The run up is smooth and urgent, culminating in a pendulum-like delivery and metronome-like accuracy. His unbroken spell after lunch ripped the heart out of England's batting order, a line up that Pakistan had made look invincible before this Test.

By the time Asif, Pakistan's Glenn McGrath, had taken his fourth wicket of a world-class comeback England's quality had shrunk from invincible to invisible. Australia will presumably be enjoying England's misery, especially since they possess the real McGrath and not just his imitator.

First, the McGrath from Sheikhupura dismissed Andrew Strauss, who looked in fine touch. A late swinging delivery clipped the outside edge and produced an elegant diving catch from Kamran.

The next ball swung the other way and induced a drive and an exquisitely fine edge from England's danger man Kevin Pietersen. Darrell Hair, on a better day for umpires, raised his finger before Pietersen had time to point to his thigh. Paul Collingwood soon became Asif's third victim, leg before to an inswinger. In eleven deliveries Asif had taken three wickets for four runs. It was the kind of performance once taken for granted from Pakistani fast bowlers.

At the other end, Umar Gul bowled with precision to clean up England's tail in taking four wickets of his own. He will be on a hat-trick when he bowls his first ball in England's second innings.

In concert with Shahid Nazir, who proved that Headingley was no fluke, Pakistan's pacemen kept the pressure on England, bowling an excellent line that proved deadly once combined with conventional and reverse swing. Crucially, the four balls that Mohammad Sami and Abdul Razzaq offer up compulsively were a collector’s item.

Inzamam will be grateful for this performance. Under pressure to revive his side, Pakistan's skipper made the smart decision to bowl first, although Strauss would have batted first anyway. He juggled his bowlers well and had the thrill of seeing Danish Kaneria pick up a wicket as soon as he was brought on. This was certainly Inzamam's best day of the series — a day that arrived like an answered prayer to secure his hold on the captaincy.

Kamran’s prayers were answered too — mostly. Three catches will rebuild his confidence. He did receive some advice last week from Neil Burns, former gloveman for Essex and Leicestershire and confidant of Bob Woolmer.

Burns advised Kamran that in England the ball often moves late as it approaches the keeper. The reasons are twofold, one of which is simply the extra movement in this climate. The second is that English squares are built up above the level of the outfield which means that the ball hangs in the air for longer.

The answer, says Burns, who rates Kamran highly, is to watch the ball all the way into the gloves, a basic tenet of keeping but one that may cease to be habit on the wickets of Asia.

Kamran, to his credit, spent much of the day studiously watching each ball into his hands — except for his only major blemish, a missed stumping chance off Kaneria.

Yet even that failure or Younis Khan’s wicket were not enough to dampen Pakistan's spirits as they finished in command. The McGrath of Sheikhupura had already made sure of that.