Ajmal has England in a spin
Source: Agencies |
January 18, 2012, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
PAKISTAN offspinner Saeed Ajmal mesmerized England's batting lineup yesterday, taking career-best figures of 7-55 before his team's openers reached 42-0 at stumps on the first day of the first test match in Dubai.
Ajmal won five lbw decisions as top-ranked England, which won the toss and elected to bat first, was bowled out for 192. Matt Prior played a gritty knock of unbeaten 70 to rescue England from a precarious 94-7.
Captain Andrew Strauss (19), Ian Bell (0) and Kevin Pietersen (2) departed within five of Ajmal's deliveries before lunch.
Ajmal had promised to unveil a mystery delivery but that wasn't required on the opening day of the three-test series.
Before lunch, Strauss and Alastair Cook watchfully played out new ball bowlers Umar Gul and Aizaz Cheema before Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq called up his spinners in only the sixth over of the innings.
Mohammad Hafeez responded in his very first over when Cook tried to cut the offspinner's third delivery and was caught behind by Adnan Akmal.
Akmal took another brilliant acrobatic catch down the leg side off fast bowler Aizaz Cheema's short delivery which got a thick edge of Jonathan Trott's (17) bat.
But it was the introduction of Ajmal in the last hour that hurried the England collapse.
It is the first clash between the two teams since a controversial 2010 series when three Pakistan players were charged and jailed in England for conspiring and cheating.
Ajmal won five lbw decisions as top-ranked England, which won the toss and elected to bat first, was bowled out for 192. Matt Prior played a gritty knock of unbeaten 70 to rescue England from a precarious 94-7.
Captain Andrew Strauss (19), Ian Bell (0) and Kevin Pietersen (2) departed within five of Ajmal's deliveries before lunch.
Ajmal had promised to unveil a mystery delivery but that wasn't required on the opening day of the three-test series.
Before lunch, Strauss and Alastair Cook watchfully played out new ball bowlers Umar Gul and Aizaz Cheema before Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq called up his spinners in only the sixth over of the innings.
Mohammad Hafeez responded in his very first over when Cook tried to cut the offspinner's third delivery and was caught behind by Adnan Akmal.
Akmal took another brilliant acrobatic catch down the leg side off fast bowler Aizaz Cheema's short delivery which got a thick edge of Jonathan Trott's (17) bat.
But it was the introduction of Ajmal in the last hour that hurried the England collapse.
It is the first clash between the two teams since a controversial 2010 series when three Pakistan players were charged and jailed in England for conspiring and cheating.
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