Unlikely hero puts Pakistan in control

CRICKET ENGLAND v PAKISTAN – THIRD TEST, DAY TWO:ANOTHER UNLIKELY hero has put Pakistan in command of the Oval Test. On Wednesday it was Wahab Who?

We know his name now. Yesterday another 25-year-old from Lahore, unknown in Britain until this summer, played the decisive innings. Azhar Ali, in his fifth Test, nursed Pakistan to a first-innings lead of 75, with a cultured, mature innings of 92 not out.

When Andrew Strauss was dismissed in the first over from Mohammad Amir as England embarked upon their second innings with only 12 minutes of the day remaining, that lead had acquired sizeable proportions.

Alastair Cook, still yet to score, and the nightwatchman James Anderson gratefully left the field with the home side rocking on six for one. If ever there was a time for Cook to rediscover his form it is now.

Azhar Ali, the novice, and Mohammad Yousuf, the veteran, had provided the glue, which gave Strauss his first real headaches of this summer of Test cricket.

By all accounts Yousuf was not a success when in charge of Pakistan in Australia last winter. So he had to be banned for life. But there is no doubt Pakistan are an infinitely better side when he is back and concentrating solely on his batting. He provides ballast as well as a masterclass for those alongside him.

They used to say of Brian Lara West Indies could not play with him and that they could not play without him. Hopefully this will not be the case with Yousuf and Pakistan. Certainly he does not demand the spotlight like Lara used to do.

Yesterday Yousuf was content to be anonymous. Before lunch he looked to be having the net he needed to reacquaint himself with the demands of Test cricket. He watched the ball pass harmlessly by outside his off-stump; he waited for the English bowlers to drift into his pads. There was nothing much to marvel at – except that he did not look like getting out, which has rarely been the case with the Pakistan top order in this series.

After lunch the runs came more freely to Yousuf with deft glides on both sides of the wicket and easy cover-drives. Azhar looked on admiringly and started to emulate some of those strokes.

Azhar, all diligence, might have been taking notes. Like Yousuf he took no risks, keeping the ball on the turf, biding his time. He unveiled shots of class against the lesser deliveries, usually off the back foot through the covers, which suggested that he will be a Test player for a long time, notwithstanding the fluid nature of Pakistan’s selection policies. When Azhar was left with the tail he opened his shoulders appropriately but still with cool judgment.

England did not bowl badly on the most batsman-friendly surface of the summer. They were heavily dependent on Graeme Swann who, having been omitted from the longlist for the International Cricket Council’s player of the year, found himself installed as third favourite for that honour by the end of the day. He bowled well but not that well, bottling up the Vauxhall End for much of the day.

England had the ideal start to the day when Strauss’s hunch to begin with Steven Finn was rewarded with a wicket from his second ball. Yasir Hameed prodded tentatively to provide Matt Prior with a straightforward catch. Salman Butt is another left-handed opener under the cosh. He was badly dropped by Eoin Morgan at backward point on 4 but this rare aberration did not cost too much. On 17 Butt cut at Swann – in the first over of the off-spinner’s spell, of course – and Prior held a fine catch after a little juggle.

Meanwhile, the doughty nightwatchman, Riaz, gritted his teeth alongside Yousuf. He was always in line. He displayed a penchant for easing the ball down to third man with educated edges and his solitary scoring stroke against Swann was the sweep.

When Swann returned just before lunch that shot was his undoing – along with the fact Swann is so deadly at the start of a new spell. The off-spinner opted to bowl around the wicket. Riaz could not resist the sweep, he missed the ball and was lbw, just, after a review.

Now master and pupil combined in a 69-run partnership with the pitch sleeping and the batsmen skilfully playing everything on merit. Swann – unusually he was in the middle of a spell – provided a critical breakthrough. Switching to around the wicket he seduced even Yousuf, the expert in self-denial, into a drive, which presented a return catch that the bowler was never going to drop. Not a bad scalp for Swann’s 100th wicket in his 23rd Test.

If Yousuf and Azhar had delivered the glue, the Akmals threatened to provide the gloss. Umar, in particular, skittish, indiscreet but supremely gifted, raced to 38 thumping a straight six off Swann along the way. But with the new ball about to be taken he decided to steal a single in the 80th over. Quite reasonably he was sent back by Azhar and Morgan’s throw hit the stumps. What a waste.

Still Pakistan contrived their substantial lead thanks to a 38-run last-wicket partnership and a costly dropped catch by Strauss at first slip. The England captain must have been even more annoyed by the limp bat he offered to his fourth delivery, which was edged tamely to second slip.

Overnight:England 233 (M Prior 84no; W Riaz 5-63). Pakistan48-1.

PAKISTAN FIRST INNINGS

Y Hameed c Prior b Finn 36

W Riaz lbw b Swann 27

S Butt c Prior b Swann 17

M Yousuf cb Swann 56

A Ali not out 92

U Akmal run out 38

K Akmal c Morgan b Broad 10

M Aamer c Prior b Broad 6

S Ajmal b Anderson 0

M Asif c Anderson b Swann 8

Extras(lb4 w1 nb2) 7

Total(all out, 100.2 overs) 308

Fall of wickets:1-48, 2-48, 3-76, 4-110, 5-179, 6-236, 7-251, 8-269, 9-270.

Bowling:J Anderson 24-6-79-2; S Broad 26-4-75-2; S Finn 20-4-74-1; G Swann 27.2-9-68-4; P Collingwood 3-0-8-0.

ENGLAND SECOND INNINGS

A Strauss c Hameed b Aamer 4

A Cook not out 0

J Anderson not out 2

Extras0

Total(for 1 wkt, 3 ovs) 6

Fall of wicket:1-4. To Bat: J Trott, K Pietersen, P Collingwood, E Morgan, M Prior, G Swann, S Broad, S Finn.

Bowling:M Aamer 2-1-5-1; M Asif 1-0-1-0.