Pakistan’s Mohammad Asif took five wickets as England collapsed to 354 all out on the second day of the first Test at Trent Bridge yesterday.
England resumed on 331 for four, but lost their last six wickets for just 17 runs, with Asif taking four for eight in 13 balls — all leg before wicket — on his way to impressive innings figures of five for 77 in 29 overs, but there was still time for Pakistan to lose captain and in-form batsman Salman Butt, caught behind for 1 off swing specialist James Anderson.
Pakistan were 16 for one at lunch, with Imran Farhat 9 not out and Azhar Ali unbeaten on 6.
PHOTO: AFP
Were it not for a fifth-wicket stand of 219 between maiden century maker Eoin Morgan (130) and Paul Collingwood (82), England’s innings would have been in a desperate state.
England resumed with left-hander Morgan 125 not out and Collingwood unbeaten on 81, but the pair scored just six more runs between them as Asif got the ball to swing in overcast conditions similar to those in which Pakistan bowled Australia out for just 88 in the first innings of their recent three-wicket second Test win at Headingley.
Morgan twice edged teenage fast bowler Mohammad Aamer short of the slips yesterday. The former Ireland batsman had only added four when a nick off the 18-year-old left-armer carried, but first slip Imran Farhat dropped the catch.
Pakistan did separate England’s fifth-wicket pair, however, when Asif dismissed Collingwood, who only added a single to his overnight score.
Collingwood, in the first Test in England where the Decision Review System (DRS) was in use, called for a referral, but replays upheld New Zealand umpire Tony Hill’s original leg before wicket verdict.
Collingwood could take some pride from his latest rescue mission, as he and Morgan surpassed England’s previous fifth-wicket record against Pakistan of 192 shared by Trevor Bailey and Denis Compton at Trent Bridge back in 1954.
However, Collingwood’s challenge meant both sides had used up their two permitted unsuccessful appeals, with DRS now no longer a factor in the innings.
Consequently, Morgan had no choice but to accept being out leg before wicket for 130 to Asif’s excellent inswinger as a near five-hour innings of 216 balls, featuring a six and 19 fours, came to an end.
Matt Prior was run out needlessly, before Asif had Graeme Swann and Anderson plumb leg before wicket in successive balls. Steven Finn survived the hat-trick ball, before Stuart Broad was last man out, bowled by Umar Gul.
SRI LANKA v INDIA
AFP, COLOMBO
Rivals India and Sri Lanka blasted the featherbed wicket that proved a bowlers’ graveyard after the second Test ended in a high-scoring draw yesterday.
“This one was very unsporting, there was nothing in it for the bowlers,” said Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, whose team posted 707 in reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings score of 642-4.
India’s score was just 19 runs short of their Test record of 726-9 declared against the same opposition at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, India, last year.
Sri Lanka made 129-3 in their second knock before play was called off an hour early with skipper Kumar Sangakkara on 42 and Thilan Samaraweera on 10.
The match was a poor advertisement for Test cricket in which 1,478 runs were scored for the loss of just 17 wickets on a flat pitch that offered no assistance to the bowlers.
There were five three-figure knocks over the five days, two of them double-centuries by Sangakkara and Sachin Tendulkar, besides a 99 from Indian opener Virender Sehwag.
“If there is nothing for fast bowlers in a wicket, it should at least help the spinners,” Dhoni said. “This one was just for batsmen, while the bowlers got spanked all around the park. I am glad we took the lead because when the opposition bats first and puts up more than 600 runs on the board, there is always pressure on the team batting second, but we played well and built partnerships, so there are a lot of positives to take away from the Test.”
India’s innings was marked by Sachin Tendulkar’s 203, his fifth double-century, while debutant Suresh Raina made 120 and Dhoni hit 76.
Sangakkara admitted it was “hard work” for the bowlers over the five days, but praised his team’s all-round performance in the match.
“We batted and bowled well, maybe we need to buck up on the fielding,” said the Sri Lankan captain, who was named man of the match for his 219.
Sri Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss said such dead wickets were unlikely to ever produce positive results in Tests.
“We need pitches which are good for batting and have something for the bowlers too,” Bayliss said.
Sri Lanka now head for the final Test at the P. Sara Oval on Tuesday enjoying a 1-0 lead in the series.
A 2-0 series scoreline would lift Sangakkara’s men to the top of the official Test rankings, relegating current leaders India to second spot. India will remain No. 1 if they win or draw the Test.
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