Fiery Shoaib Akhtar strikes back

Published

LAHORE, Oct 28: Fine centuries by Misbahul Haq and Faisal Iqbal and an entertaining knock by Bazid Khan helped Rest of Pakistan (RoP) score 401 in the first innings on third day of four-day trial match at the Qadhafi Stadium on Friday.

Having conceded 73 runs first innings lead, RoP however, hit back to reduce Pakistan XI to 16-3 with speedster Shoaib Akhtar taking all three wickets that fell in the second innings.

Shoaib at his fiery best, first removed Shahid Afridi for a duck in the second over.

Afridi, who opened the innings looked unsettled against fiery Shoaib and had been beaten thrice before he snicked and wicketkeeper Zulqarnain took a fine catch.

Asim Kamal, whose place in the team is in danger, failed for the second time.

Shoaib sent back Asim for seven when Imran Farhat caught him in the slips.

Shoaib also dismissed Kamran Akmal adjudged lbw for a duck.

Misbah played a captain’s 113 before he retired.

He cracked 14 boundaries and three towering sixes during a marathon stay of 296 minutes in which he negotiated 219 balls.

Faisal, who had scored a century in the second trial match in Karachi, scored 106 after resuming at 85.

Faisal cracked 17 boundaries during his stay of 273 minutes in which he faced 161 balls.

Both Misbah and Faisal joined hands at a precarious position of 47-3, but steadied the innings with a fourth-wicket partnership of 202.

After Faisal’s departure, who was clean bowled by leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, Misbah and Bazid Khan put on 81 runs in the fifth-wicket.

Bazid, who was forced to leave the crease on Thursday after struck by Mohammad Sami, came back to score 77, including 11 boundaries off 102 balls.

Medium-pacer Mohammad Asif got rid of Bazid and then mopped up the tail to finish with four wickets for 46.

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN XI (1st innings, 474 for seven decl) Shoaib Malik 177, Younis Khan 107, Muhammad Yousaf 98; Mushtaq Ahmed 4-173).

REST of PAKISTAN (1st innings, overnight 193-3).

Taufeeq Umar c Asim b Afridi 21

Imran Farhat c Kamran b Sami 0

Bazid Khan c Danish b Asif 77

Misbahul Haq retired out 113

Hasan Raza lbw Afridi 2

Faisal Iqbal b Danish 106

Mansoor Amjad c Younis b Asif 4

Zulqarnain Haider lbw Asif 14

Shoaib Akhtar c Shoaib b Danish 21

Umar Gul c Kamran b Asif 0

Mushtaq Ahmed not out 12

EXTRAS (B-8, LB-16, W-1, NB-6) 31

TOTAL (for nine wkts, 99.3 overs) 401

FALL OF WKTS: 1-10, 2-45, 3-47, 4-249, 5-330, 6-360, 7-375, 8- 389, 9-401.

BOWLING: Shabbir Ahmed 11-1-39-0; Muhammad Sami 10-2-29-1; Shahid Afridi 18-1-62-2; Rana Navedul Hasan 11-2-55-0; Danish Kaneria 28.3-1- 112-2; Abdul Razzaq .4-0-0-0; Younis Khan .2-0-4-0; Muhammad Asif 14-4-46-4; Shoaib Malik 3-0-11-0; Arshad Khan 3-0-19-0.

PAKISTAN XI (2nd innings):

Salman Butt batting 4

Shahid Afridi c Zulqarnain b S Akhtar 0

Asim Kamal c I Farhat b S Akhtar 7

Kamran Akmal lbw S Akhtar 0

Muhammad Asif batting 1

EXTRAS (LB-4) 4

TOTAL (for three wkts, 11 overs) 16

FALL OF WKTS: 1-4, 2-15, 3-15.

BOWLING. Shoaib Akhtar 6-3-6-3; Umar Gul 5-3-6-0.

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