Pakistan cricket riding a crest of a wave
 The
Pakistani cricketers sent their fans and the entire country into ecstasy
by beating England by 72 runs to win the Second Test in Abu Dhabi and
take an unassailable 2-nil lead in the Three Test series.
When England were set 145 for victory, it looked as though England
would waltz through the encounter led by Captain and opening batsman
Andrew Strauss, pocket a victory, level the series, and set up a
humdinger of a final Test.
Cricket is not called a funny game for nothing. It is also a game
coupled with the glorious uncertainties. It was awkward and out of
character to see the England batsmen caught in a flat spin and it was
glorious to watch the Pakistanis plucking victory from the jaws of
defeat.
For England who is the number one side in the world in Test cricket -
what the game is all about- the defeat and the realization that they
have lost the series would have been galling and inexplicable.
When England arrived in desert country, they had high hopes of adding
to their success and stature and going back with their cricketing pride
intact and their heads held high. But they did not bargain for a
resurgent Pakistani side cleverly led by veteran Misbah Ul Haq, who
completely outplayed and out spun the England batsmen and had them in a
state of total confusion and disarray.
Pakistan richly deserve their success. They are a team living through
a crisis. Due to the fragile security situation, no international team
wants to tour their country and indulge in sport, especially cricket
which is their number one game.
This impasse was after the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan
cricketers when they played a Test series there. It was a great escape
for the Lankans. Since then international cricket has not seen the light
of the day in Pakistan.
Yet the Pakistan cricketers and the Pakistan Cricket Board have shown
resilience and resolve and have kept the game alive with admirable
determination and success. This spirit is now reaping dividends.
Since Misbah took over the onerous job of leading, he has been able
to mould the team into a fighting unit that can take on the best in the
world and inflict on their opponents the wounds of defeat that could be
devastating. At the moment under skipper Misbah and coach Moshin Khan,
they are jelling beautifully with every member determined to give of
their best to redeem lost prestige and make their country proud and if
everything goes well to be the number one in world cricket.
Obviously the fines and jail terms slapped on their three cricketers
– Captain Salman Butt, Mohammed Aamer and Mohammed Asif for spot fixing
in England was a terrible blow but it also gave the Pakistanis a reason
to rally together and show that all is not lost. And they are coming
back into the fold in real style as we have now seen in the manner in
which they trounced—-thrashed I might add— mighty England beyond all
expectations.
Unable to accept defeat in the right spirit, England is running
around, especially with their former captain and fast bowler Bob Willis
attempting to find feeble excuses by querying the action of majestic off
spinner Saeed Ajmal.
But this time round in England’s defeat where their batting collapsed
like a pack of cards, it was left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman, aided by
Ajmal who stuck terror and mowed the England batting down. Rehman and
Ajmal who obtained vicious spin off the Abu Dhabi wicket returned the
fantastic figures of 10.1-4-25-6 and15-7-22-3.
It was top quality left-arm and right arm spin bowling, not seen for
a long time. Ajmal, although he did not produce the First Test magic,
made a mockery of the England batsmen who seemed clueless against his
well disguised doosra and were always playing the wrong line unable to
read the doosra.
For coach and former opening batsman Mohsin Khan from the time he
took over, his way has been paved with success. It would be interesting
to see how the Pakistanis go after the final Test when former Sri Lanka
coach Dav Whatmore takes over as coach.
Tendulkar misses out again
India’s cricketing demi-god Sachin Tendulkar missed out again. In two
series first against England and now Australia, Tendulkar walked out
into the middle looking to notch up that record breaking elusive 100th
100 in the game.
England sent him back not allowing him that century and now Australia
has followed suit. Australia promised not to allow him that century and
did so which reminds how the Aussies promised and deprived Muttiah
Muralitharan of getting the three wickets he needed for a record. The
Indian selectors have now included Tendulkar in the squad for the
triangular series which also features Australia, Sri Lanka and India
hoping that Tendulkar will oblige. But the record will be better
appreciated and celebrated if he could make it in India in front of his
adoring fans.
Hilarity at tennis final
Moving from the cricket field we had the good fortune of watching the
epic Australian Open final between Rafal Nadal and Novak Djokovic which
ended in a rewarding victory for Novak Djokovic 5-7-6-4,6-2,6-7( 5-7),
7-5. The two tennis giants battled out a five-setter for nearly six
hours which saw the final winning stroke played by Djokovic at nearly
1.30 a.m. Australian time.
Imagine a tennis match finishing at 1.30 a.m in Aussie land. What
evoked laughter and what was rib tickling was when both Nadal and
Djokovic wished the fans and the public ‘Good morning’
What was amazing to watch was that none of the players showed signs
of fatigue playing for a near gruelling six hours.
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