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| Sunday, 6 October 2002 |
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Shoaib Akhtar 5 for 21 demolishes Australia for 127 by RANJAN ANANDAPPA In a sensational post lunch blitz, speedster Shoaib Akthar salvaged some pride for Pakistan via his thunderbolts, reducing Australia to 127 in their second innings in an amazing spell of fast bowling on the third day of their first cricket Test at the P. Saravanamutthu Stadium yesterday. Australia lost their last 10 wickets for 82 runs in 28.5 overs in 150 minutes with Akthar supported by Saqlain Mushtaq provided the shocks. The Aussies were 45 for 0 no loss at lunch, facing 11 overs but when play stopped for tea 150 minutes later, the Aussies were all out for 127. However, the Pakistanis are not out of the woods as the Aussies have gained a substantial overall lead of 315 runs based on their first innings lead of 188 runs. Australia, batting for the second time, with a match winning lead of 188 runs after dismissing Pakistan for 279 in reply to their first innings score of 467, found their batting in complete disarray against a fast bowler considered to be one of the fastest in business today. Shoaib Akthar found his wicket taking formula changing ends from the scoreboard end to the pavilion end and in four inspiring overs took five wickets for 12 runs to give him the final analysis of 8-2-21-5 wickets. Akthar first got rid of first innings centurion Ricky Ponting bowled off his bat when Australia was heading for another big score at 61 for no loss and in the next ball had Mark Waugh's stumps shattered off a express yorker. Steve Waugh coming in next successfully defied the hat-trick ball, but was trapped leg before in the fifth ball of the over. Adam Gilchrist too had his stumps disturbed and Australia had lost four wickets for 74 runs. Off spinner Saqlain Mushtaq gave Akthar ample support taking 4 for 46, but it was Akthar's initial spell that contrived the batting collapse. Pakistan's victory target is 316 runs with two full days and their batsmen will have a gigantic task in saving the match with Australia too having a menacing attack with fast bowlers Glen McGrath, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie and spinner Shane Warne. Pakistan began the day with 210 for 5 still needing 68 runs to avert the follow and their hopes squarely rested on the pair Faisal Iqbal unbeaten on 78 and Rashid Latif not out on 30. Iqbal was out in the second over of the day when Mark Waugh snapped up a good catch in the slips off a sharp turner from Shane Warne. Pakistan's last 5 wickets were taken by Warne who had the impressive figures of 7 for 94 off 24.3 overs. The Australian tried desperately to enforce the follow on, but Pakistan passed the follow on target of 268 with contributions coming from skipper Waqar Younis, Rashid Latif with a useful 66 facing 106 balls striking 10 fours. The Aussies were all out in one session and thirty minutes (150 minutes) at the stroke of the tea interval, but a steady drizzle accompanied by bad light prevented the resumption of the Pakistan innings when umpires Steve Bucknor and Srinivas Venkatraghavan called off play around 5.00 p.m. AUSTRALIA - 1ST INNINGS 467 (J. Langer 72, R. Ponting 141, M. Waugh 55, D. Martyn 67, A. Gilchrist 66, S. Akhtar 3-51, S. Mushtaq 4-136) PAKISTAN - 1ST INNINGS (overnight 210-5) Imran Nazir lbw b McGrath 0 Taufiq Umar c Ponting b Gillespie 0 Abdul Razzaq c Gilchrist b Warne 11 Younis Khan c Langer b Lee 58 Misbah-ul Haq c M. Waugh b Warne 17 Faisal Iqbal c M. Waugh b Warne 83 Rashid Latif c Martyn b Warne 66 Saqlain Mushtaq lbw b Warne 1 Waqar Younis lbw b Warne 14 Shoaib Akhtar c McGrath b Warne 5 Mohammad Sami not out 0 Extras (B-11, LB-10, NB-3) 24 TOTAL (all out in 65.3 overs) 279 FALL OF WICKETS: 1-2, 2-4, 3-45, 4-75, 5-116, 6-219, 7-239, 8-267, 9-274. BOWLING: McGrath 15-3-40-1, Gillespie 12-2-55-1, Lee 11-3-49-1, Warne 24.3-7-94-7, M. Waugh 3-0-20-0. AUSTRALIA - 2ND INNINGS J. Langer c Taufiq b Saqlain 25 M. Hayden c Taufiq b Saqlain 34 R. Ponting b Akhtar 7 M. Waugh b Akhtar 0 S. Waugh lbw b Akhtar 0 D. Martyn c Nazir b Saqlain 20 A. Gilchrist b Akhtar 5 S. Warne lbw b Akhtar 0 B. Lee c Misbah b Saqlain 12 J. Gillespie lbw b Sami 1 G. McGrath not out 5 Extras (LB-16, NB-2) 18 TOTAL (all out in 39.5 overs) 127 FALL OF WICKETS: 1-61, 2-74, 3-74, 4-74, 5-74, 6-85, 7-89, 8-107, 9-112. BOWLING: Waqar 8-1-23-0, Akhtar 8-2-21-5, Saqlain 15.5-0-46-4, Taufiq 2-0-8-0, Sami 6-0-13-1. PAKISTAN face a victory target of 316 runs UMPIRES: Steve Bucknor (WIs), Srinivas Venkataraghvan (Ind) MATCH REFEREE: Clive Lloyd (WIs). |
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