Australia took two wickets in the 17 overs possible before lunch on the second day of the second and final Test at Headingley yesterday, but Pakistan still extended their lead to 130.
Pakistan were 218 for five at lunch after they had bowled Australia out for just 88 on Wednesday.
Shoaib Malik was 17 not out and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal 10 not out, but Pakistan should have lost their sixth wicket on 216 when Kamran Akmal, on 10, drove wildly against Doug Bollinger only for Michael Hussey at gully to drop the seemingly straightforward chance off the left-arm quick.
Pakistan, after rain delayed the scheduled start by 45 minutes, resumed on their overnight score of 148 for three.
An eventful first over demonstrated the pros and cons of Umar Akmal’s dashing approach.
He square cut Mitchell Johnson’s fourth ball to the point boundary in majestic fashion but, two balls later, skied the left-arm quick to mid-off.
Fortunately for the batsman, umpire Ian Gould had called no-ball, but Johnson did not have long to wait for Umar Akmal’s wicket. Pitching the ball up in his third over, Johnson had Umar Akmal caught behind by Paine for 21.
Then, a ball after Umar Amin cover-drove Ben Hilfenhaus for a textbook four, the left-hander was out for 25 in bizarre fashion.
Amin, ducking a short delivery from Hilfenhaus, left his bat up in the air and the ball took the back of the blade before lobbing gently to Marcus North at square-leg.
Meanwhile, back in Australia skipper Ricky Ponting’s decision to bat first with disastrous results was roundly condemned by the press.
Reaction was expectedly skewed against Ponting’s choice to bat after winning the toss on a seaming Leeds pitch.
The Australian Associated Press (AAP) said Ponting would live to regret his decision to bat first.
“It was Australia’s fifth batting collapse in six Tests on English soil and the performance provided further evidence of the side’s inability to cope with the swinging ball in this country,” AAP’s Tom Wald said.
The Daily Telegraph said Australia endured one of their darkest days in Test cricket history.
“Ponting came under pressure for his decision to bat first in seaming conditions, like he did in Sydney in January when Australia was bowled out for 127 in its first innings before conjuring its great escape act,” the paper’s Ben Dorries wrote.
The Australian said Pakistan paceman Umar Gul voiced the thoughts of many people when he described Ponting’s choice to bat as “a shocking decision.”
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