Pakistan on top of Australia after day one at Lord’s
Some fine swing bowling from Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif and a disastrous final session for Australia has left Pakistan in charge of the Test between the sides at Lord’s after day one.
It was Aamer who ensured his side claimed the all important wickets of Shane Watson and Ricky Ponting early in the piece, but Asif who broke the 120-run partnership between Michael Clarke and Simon Katich, dismissing the pair on either side of the tea break, just as Australia were starting to take control of the match.
Their dismissals were the catalyst for Pakistan to assert their authority on the innings as Australia slumped to 229-9 at the conclusion of the final session.
With a wet Lord’s outfield delaying the start of play in the first Test of the series by one-and-a-half hours, play finally commenced at midday in London as no less than four players made their Test debuts for their respective countries.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 awarded Umar Amin and Azhar Ali the chance to represent their nation in the five-day format.
Sent in to bat by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Watson-c96326 – who had been in career-best form against Pakistan during the Australian summer – found a means to get himself dismissed in two different ways off the same Aamer delivery, with the umpire already raising his finger for lbw by the time the ball trickled onto his stumps and dislodged the bails, to be officially out bowled for just four runs.
While Aamer and Asif continued to trouble the Australian batsmen in an abridged first session of the day, and in conditions that were always going to favour the bowling side, Ponting’s side survived the remainder of the hour-long opening session without further loss, as Katich collected a characteristically watchful 11 runs from 40 balls (after surviving an lbw appeal on two) and Ponting himself headed to lunch with 14 runs to his name.
When play recommenced Ponting soon became the second highest run scorer in Test match history, surpassing former http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 batsman Brian Lara as he worked Aamer for a single at midwicket.
It was a rare personal milestone for the Australia skipper at Lord’s, a ground where he’s yet to even record a half-century, and by the end of Aamer’s over than hadn’t changed, with the teenage speedster making the breakthrough as Amin, handed the baptism of fire in the field at short leg, reacted well to take the catch and send Ponting on his way for 26.
As Ponting had promised pre-match, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120 made his way into the middle at No. 4 in a switch with Michael Hussey in the batting order, the Australia vice-captain awarded the promotion as a result of his strong Test form over the past 12 months.
The 29-year-old soon proved he was up to the task as he launched the counter-attack, applying the pressure with some confident and classy shot-making as Pakistan sought to find a way to break the partnership between the playmaker and the more defensive Katich.
It was the rock-solid opener, however, who crept to his half-century, bringing up the milestone with the fifth four of his innings, before enjoying some loose bowling by Afridi as the Pakistan captain re-introduced himself into the attack for two expensive overs late in the session to head to tea unbeaten on 77.
After engineering Australia’s recovery, however, Clarke was brought undone by Asif on the last ball of the session, as he was trapped in front by a swinging delivery which, had the umpire Decision Review System been in operation, may not have elicited the same result.
When play resumed for the final session of the day, it was Asif who ensured the contest swung back in his side’s favour as he moved the ball away from Katich and enticed the left-hander to edge it through to the keeper in the second over after the break, to end his resistance on 80, and then for his encore swinging the ball back into Marcus North’s off stump three balls later to ensure this particular left-hander didn’t get the chance to trouble the scoreboard.
With two new batsmen at the crease in Hussey and debutant Paine, Pakistan set about stifling the opposition’s flow of runs, with the latter reaching the drinks break having scratched seven runs from 44 deliveries, and on the first legitimate delivery after drinks had been taken, edged an Umar Gul delivery through to the waiting gloves of Kamran Akmal and send fellow debutant Smith to the crease to face the first deliveries of his Test career.
All seven of them, as the 21-year-old headed back to the pavilion for one as fellow leg-spinner http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Danish-Kaneria-c1314 trapped him in front, although hot-spot replays indicate Smith got the finest of edges on the ball before it crashed into his pads, and when the bowler struck again to dismiss Mitchell Johnson for three at the end of his next over (which ended as a wicket-maiden), Australia were on the ropes at 213-8.
Ben Hilfenhaus soon came and went but Hussey, who finished the day unbeaten on 39, ensured Australia will bat on when play recommences on the second day tomorrow.
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