Australia 9/229 (Katich 80, Asif 3/53)
Pakistan’s first home series in England is being sponsored by the MCC under the banner “the spirit of cricket”. For a series between Pakistan and Australia it seems like an ironic marketing campaign. It didn’t take too long for an incident that tested the branding. When Ponting was caught – a spectacular short leg reflex catch by debutant Umar Amin – Aamer followed through all the way to a shocked Ponting who saw him at the last minute and gave him the spirit of his elbow. It was all fairly harmless, both men might get called in to explain, but it was the second time Aamer has accidentally collided with a batsman on this tour. Last time it was Michael Clarke, who being rather less aggressive than Ponting saw no reason pop the elbow.
Pakistan won the toss and decided to bowl. Shahid Afridi would like people to believe that was the attacking move because of the overhead gloom and rain in the air, but some of it must have been because Pakistan’s batting line up looks so amazingly pathetic on paper. Instead his bowling line up which looks far better on paper, but should be watched in real life, was amazing. Early on the ball was swinging, cutting and singing for Amir – or Aamer depending on which scorecard you were reading – and Asif. Watson looked less like an opening batsman than a tourist who was getting pick pocketed while his hands were in his pockets. He was out LBW and bowled on the one ball he decided not to play.
Katich was far more dogged and gritty, but he was lucky early on when struck straight in front and only Ian Gould seemed to think it was not out. Coming in to bat with the curmudgeonly Katich was Michael Clarke in his new position at number 4. Not sure if there was a ceremony –with paddles? – but he has leap frogged Michael Hussey who never really looked like a number four despite doing the job so well a few years back. Clarke completely took over the innings from the moment he walked out, scoring at ease, making a mockery of Afridi’s ball chasing captaincy. He raced out into the 20s at better than a run a ball – way quicker than he bats in T20 cricket – and then let Katich do the bulk of the scoring as he settled in for a long innings. He may have been batting in a new position, but he still went out just before the break as he often does.
Once Clarke went out it seemed that Australia’s ability to play swing, flimsy as it was with Katich and Clarke, completely abandoned them. With Danish Kaneria – out on bail for spot fixing allegations in county cricket – plugging up one end with efficient leg spin, Asif, Gul and Aamer kept attacking at the other. Marcus North looked way too nervous for someone in his 16th test. Paine literally scratched the surface for a long time without ever looking set. Smith was unlucky. Johnson couldn’t have looked less like an all rounder if he held the other end of the bat. Hilfenhaus looked like he was batting way too high at 10.
One man stayed in, and he did so because of some sort of pathological hate for the Pakistani people. Well that is what Pakistanis assume, because Michael Hussey is not their favourite individual. They don’t understand why against other countries he has struggled for a couple of years, but against Pakistan he is the same Mecha-Hussey of a few years back. It wasn’t that he batted well; it was that he was there at all, not going out as Australia lost 6 wickets in the final session. Eventually play was called for bad light, but it could have easily just been called because Hussey wasn’t letting Bollinger face many balls.
It was a brilliant start to Pakistan’s test series, and including the two T20s Pakistan has won the first 3 days of this series. But you can’t help feel that this series starts tomorrow. Pakistan’s batting line up might only have to chase 229, but that could be a big target for them. Poor opening batsmen, two debutants, and then three dynamic and occasionally flaky middle order players. Pakistan have shown their best today, tomorrow could be fun, one way or the other.
Jarrod can be found at cricketwithballs.
