Australia's tailenders capitalised on the platform established by Simon Katich's second consecutive 80-plus score of the match, as Pakistan were batted out of contention during a run-laden afternoon in the first Test at Lord's. By the time the No. 11 Doug Bollinger was bowled for 21 to bring about the tea break, Australia's lead was an imposing 439, meaning that Pakistan will need to compile a world-record run-chase for victory, or survive for seven sessions to escape from this match with a draw.
After resuming in drizzly conditions on 100 for 4, Katich ground along to 83 from 174 balls to thwart Pakistan's pursuit of quick wickets in the morning session, before Ben Hilfenhaus took advantage of a rare spell of afternoon sunshine to belt a career-best 56 not out, his maiden Test half-century. He added 74 for the ninth wicket with the debutant Tim Paine, before Bollinger joined the fun in an unfettered final fling that put an extra 52 runs on the total, and left Pakistan's morale at rock-bottom.
After a cascade of wickets on days one and two, the tempo of the contest settled down appreciably in the morning session, with Katich's steadying influence allowing Australia to build on their overnight lead of 205 with something approaching ease. Despite their late success on Wednesday evening, when four wickets fell in 10.1 overs, Pakistan quickly lost their patience during a chalk-and-cheese stand of 52 between Katich and the nightwatchman Mitchell Johnson, and thereafter they struggled to regain a toe-hold in the contest.
Mohammad Asif did come agonisingly close to a breakthrough with the eighth ball of the day, when Johnson padded up to an inswinger, only for umpire Rudi Koertzen to declare, correctly, that the delivery would have zipped over the top of middle stump. Emboldened by his narrow escape, however, Johnson responded with outright aggression, as he walloped Mohammad Aamer's next over for three fours in four balls, before greeting the legspin of Danish Kaneria with a powerful slog-sweep over wide mid-on.
Umar Gul, whose two wickets in two balls had ignited Pakistan's fightback on the second evening, went to tea with four to his name. However, he was a disappointment in his initial foray, as he struggled to find the right length in the damp conditions, and eventually resorted to offcutters to keep control of the run-rate, rather than probe for wickets. He did make the breakthrough after an hour's play, however, when Johnson lost sight of an attempted yorker and had his stumps splayed by a low full-toss for 30.
But Shahid Afridi by this stage was midway through a speculative five-over spell of legbreaks, and the lack of intensity suited the under-pressure Marcus North just fine, as he avoided his pair with a clip off the pads for two off Gul. He went to lunch on 20 not out, having signed off for the session with an ambitious swipe for four over mid-on off Kaneria, and at 188 for 5, a lead of 293, Pakistan's hopes of a first Test victory over Australia since 1995 were fading fast.
Not for the first time in the match, Pakistan sparked themselves back into contention minutes after the resumption, as Katich and North were extracted in the space of three deliveries, without addition. Katich, whose crabby style of accumulation had been ideally suited to the overcast conditions, eventually lost concentration as Gul seamed one off a thin edge through to the keeper. With the first ball of his next over, Asif tempted North into a near-identical indiscretion.
When Steven Smith fell to the second delivery of Kaneria's new spell, three key wickets had toppled for 20, and Australia's advantage didn't look quite so insuperable. But crucially for Pakistan's prospects, the match-long cloud cover chose that very moment to disperse, and from then on, none of their seamers was able to move the ball off the straight. Paine and Hilfenhaus responded with arguably the most trouble-free partnership of the day.
Both men posted their Test-best scores, as indeed did Bollinger, with Paine putting to one side the traumas of his 46-ball 7 in the first innings to cruise along to 47 from 85 deliveries. His one moment of discomfort came on 4, when Gul bent his back to nip a lifter into his nether regions, but it came as some surprise when he played around a full-length delivery from Afridi to be bowled on the brink of his maiden half-century.
Hilfenhaus, on the other hand, made no such mistake. His previous best had been an insubstantial 20, but he bettered that in boundaries alone, as he took the long handle to a conveyor belt of dispirited bowlers, not least Asif, whom he cracked over the covers for a nose-rubbing six. With Afridi's field placings reeking of surrender, Australia will fancy their chances of wrapping up this match with several sessions to spare.
Post a Comment