da bwin： Hobart, Nov 18: Pakistan’s batting was made to look a joyless,labouring task on the opening day of the second Test By having bowledPakistan out for 222
A Jalil19-Nov-1999Hobart, Nov 18: Pakistan’s batting was made to look a joyless,labouring task on the opening day of the second Test By having bowledPakistan out for 222. Australia captain Steve Waugh’s decision to putthe opposition in was totally vindicated.It’s been a woeful tale of Pakistan’s batting (Mohammad Wasim’sinnings excepted) here on Bellerive’s pitch which, despite beingtraditionally batsman friendly, had retained some moisture and showedplenty of life earlier in Pakistan’s innings.It was a good toss to win as both captains would liked to have bowledfirst. Australia had the luck of winning the toss, for the secondtime in two Tests and today it certainly gave them the advantage. Buthaving said that, the fall of Pakistan’s early wickets, before lunch,with the exception of Saeed Anwar’s were less to the credit of thebowling than to the batsman’s errors.Anwar received a brute of a ball from Glenn McGrath’ It lifted fromnot short of a length and took the shoulder of the bat. But IjazAhmed, having got themselves into form with a century earlier in theweek against South Australia, after a poor first Test, made a halfhearted attempt to cut a ball from McGrath which was far too close tohim to attempt the shot and Pakistan were 2 for 18 , a similarsituation as in Brisbane.McGrath was by far the pick of the bowlers during the first session ofplay and his spell of nine overs he had conceded merely six runs andpicked up two wickets. In the process he had also passed a personalmilestone of 250 Test wickets. Only four other Australians have takenmore Test wickets than him.Hopes of a revival came with Wasim’s quick scoring stand withInzamamul Haq. Their 50 partnership spanned over just 48 minutesduring which Wasim played beautifully.He went after Shane Warne who was promptly taken off, conceding asmany as 26 runs in four overs. Half of those runs came from one overwith Wasim helping himself effortlessly to three boundaries. But justwhen the partnership was developing, Inzamam chased one well outsideoff stump and dragged the ball on to his stumps. An utterlyunnecessary shot, when consolidation of the innings was of primeimportance. Pakistan had given away another wicket when therequirement was for disciplined batting.There were only two partnerships of any consequence in the Pakistaninnings, both featuring Mohammad Wasim. After Inzamam, Yousuf Youhanahelped him to put on 49 for the fourth wicket stand during which Wasimscored freely, flicking delicately behind square and stepping out todrive to long-on and long-off.It was difficult to drive on this slow wicket and that is where Wasimdid so well.Youhana too played attractive strokes. He has been in suchexcellent form on this tour. But just as he seemed to be set foranother fine innings.Mark Waugh, with the safest pair of hands in the Australian side,snapped him up low at slip. Meanwhile Wasim, on 49 was droppedoverhead at mid-on by McGrath, which gave him a single as well astaking him to his half century.The loss of Youhana’s wicket checked Pakistan’s relativerecovery. Australia’s captain Steve Waugh, speaking at the end of theday’s play, said that “that was the turning point in the Pakistaninnings”.He went on to say. “It is not easy to score runs on this sort ofwicket. We will have to work hard on it in our innings. If we get agood first innings lead we can win this Test”.Before Pakistan’s innings folded a bit of rear-guard action came fromWasim Akram and Azhar Mahmood. The latter batted for an hour and ahalf and the captain a little longer to prolong the innings and addvaluable runs but unless Pakistan’s bowlers can deliver what they arecapable of on a good day, the total looks most inadequate.Australia’s opening batsmen began their innings tentatively, survivinga spate of close calls for leg before wicket. If Pakistan’s formidablebowlers are to live up to their reputation then, in view of theimportance of this Test match, they will have to display their truecapabilities tomorrow