Afridi leads Pakistan's fight back in 3rd Test

Pakistan's fighting skills were at display at the National Stadium on Thursday when the home team came back from behind to draw level with Australia in the third and final cricket Test.

Pakistan, who are in a must-win situation after trailing 1-0 in the three-Test series, had their backs against the wall when the tourists reached 169 for two.

But debutant Shahid Afridi led a spirited Pakistan fight back by capturing three wickets in 10 balls to reduce the tourists to 179 for five.

Arshad Khan, the off-spinner, later picked up the prized scalp of Michael Slater as Australia finished the opening day's play at 207 for six.

Slater stroked a fighting 96 that came off 257 balls after 330 minutes stay at the wicket. His innings sparkled nine boundaries and two sixes off Arshad Khan.

But the day belonged to 18-year-old local hero Shahid Afridi who made a fantastic start to his Test career. Afridi, in his second spell, claimed the wickets of Waugh Twins and Darren Lehmann to finish with three for 37 from 15 overs.

It was chiefly because of Afridi that Pakistan were able to restrict Australia. The tourists appeared to be heading for a handsome first innings score after skipper Mark Taylor had made the right call on the spin of coin and elected to bat on a wicket made to assist the spinners.

However, Afridi should be thankful to Inzamam-ul-Haq for bringing off a spectacular catch of Mark Waugh that triggered a mini-collapse. Haq caught the ball from behind his shoulders after a forceful Waugh square-cut had rebounded from Yousuf Yohanna's arm.

Two balls later, Afridi bowled his trade-mark faster one that left Steve Waugh stunned right in front of the wickets to leave David Orchard with an easy lbw decision.

Afridi, 10 balls later, accounted for Lehmann who played the ball onto his stumps make the festive crowd even more ecstatic.

Arshad Khan, little later, spoiled what would have been a good day for Australia by dismissing Slater. But the credit for this wicket must go to intelligent captaincy by Aamir Sohail who brought all his fielders for saving a single and left the boundaries unguarded.

Slater, who haplessly watched three batsmen succumb to Afridi from the other end, fell in the trap when he danced down the track to hit Arshad over the fielders. But he missed the line of the ball and Moin Khan smartly removed the bails.

``I am the most happy man today,'' declared Shahid Afridi, adding: ``It is one of the greatest days in my life. I can't believe that I have earned a Test cap. To capture three wickets in 13 balls is even more unbelievable.''

Afridi, who burst into international arena by hammering a record breaking 102 in Kenya two years ago, hoped that he would no longer be considered for one-day internationals only.

``It really hurt when I was called a one-day specialist. But I was confident that I would get a chance some day,'' he said.

Pakistan captain Aamir Sohail brushed aside claims that Shahid Afridi was only a one-day cricketer. ``You can't call him now, do you? The same was said about Sanath Jayasuriya and Krish Srikkant. But they turned out to be successful Test cricketers.

``It was just a matter of a breakthrough for him (Shahid Afridi). I am happy that he cashed on to it.''

Afridi was lucky when he was drafted into the side after Saeed Anwar got indisposed because of stomach upset.

``Good players do not waste an opportunity to perform. And that's exactly what he (Shahid Afridi) has done. Everyone is very happy for him because his performance has brought us right in the game,'' Sohail added.

Pakistan made four changes to their team which played a high scoring draw at Peshawar. They left out Azhar Mahmood while Mushtaq Ahmad and Mohammad Zahid were not considered for selection because of injuries. Anwar pulled out at the last minute.

That gave Shahid Afridi a Test cap along with 32-year-old Kuwait City-born Shakeel Ahmad from Rawalpindi to exhibit his potential at the highest form of the game. However, his performance was not as impressive as expected.

Wasim Akram, who missed the second Test because of influenza, also staged a comeback while Arshad Khan was preferred over a much experienced Saqlain Mushtaq.

Australia left out Ricky Ponting and Damien Fleming and included Darren Lehmann and off-spinner Gavin Robertson.

Arshad Khan, who went wicketless in his only Test 12 months ago against the West Indies at Peshawar, made the first breakthrough when he dismissed Mark Taylor on his fifth ball of the first over for his first Test wicket.

Taylor, who scored a superlative 334 not out and 92 at Peshawar, mistimed a pull shot and was caught by Inzamam-ul-Haq at mid-wicket.

Pakistan were made to wait for nearly two hours for their second success when Shoaib Akhtar bowled a furious in-swinging yorker to left-handed Justin Langer to trap him in front of the wickets.

But Slater continued to play in his usual unorthodox style. Despite being hit twice on the temple by Wasim Akram who fired a barrage of short-pitched deliveries on him, Slater remained firm until the rush of blood took a toll on him.

Akram, who was very nippy and quick in the first session, was under-bowled for reasons best known to the skipper. In the entire day's proceedings, he turned down only 11 overs.

Day 2: McGrath puts Australia on top

By Samiul Hasan

Aamir Sohail holds on to Pakistan's batting citadel

KARACHI, Oct 23: Skipper Aamir Sohail was holding on to Pakistan's batting citadel after Australian paceman Glenn McGrath produced some brilliant stuff on a spinner's track in the third and decisive cricket Test on Friday.

Sohail was fighting a lone battle when he was unconquered on 83 as Pakistan finished the second day's play at 170 for six. The home team had earlier dismissed the tourists for 280 at lunch with Shahid Afridi celebrating his debut with a five-wicket haul.

Pakistan, who trail 1-0 in the three-Test series, are still 110 runs in arrears with four wickets standing.

The 28-year-old McGrath from New South Wales inflicted severe dent on Pakistan's hopes of maintaining their 44-year-old unbeaten record here by finishing with four for 41 from 15 overs.

McGrath had left Pakistan precariously placed at 54 for four at tea by claiming three wickets in a space of 26 balls in an outstanding 10-over spell from the University Road End.

He later returned for his second five-over spell from the Pavilion End in which he dismissed Pakistan's rescue-man Moin Khan (20) who had added 47 runs in 53 minutes with Aamir Sohail for the sixth wicket.

After Moin's departure, Sohail found another dependable partner in Wasim Akram with whom he has so far put on 54 runs for the unbroken seventh wicket. Akram was batting on 19 from 54 balls with the aid of four hits to the fence.

Sohail, batting with a chest infection and temperature, was leading by example after having scored his runs from 155 balls in 226 minutes of occupancy of the crease. His gutsy, confident and high-class innings is laced with 11 scorching boundaries and a huge six off Stuart MacGill.

Sohail's 14th half century in 44th Test came from 112 balls with seven boundaries and a six.

``The job is not finished yet. I am hoping to get as close to Australian score as possible,'' the 32-year-old Sohail said.

``Wasim (Akram) is batting well and I am sure if we continued the way we batted in the last 60 minutes, we can even take the first innings lead,'' Sohail added.

``Batting is not easy but we are professionals who are expected to perform in any situation,'' he stated.

Interestingly, Sohail's fourth and last Test century came on this venue when he had scored 160 in Pakistan's 10-wicket victory over the West Indies. He is now 17 runs short of his fifth career hundred.

Sohail was tempted with a series of short-pitched balls by Glenn McGrath but he didn't fall in the trap.

McGrath has got Sohail two times in three innings this series, interestingly, both the times while hooking.

``In the first Test, he didn't want to hook at all. At Peshawar, he was hooking at everything. This Test he started off and had a go early in the innings. But overall, he had been quite patient,'' McGrath said.

But if Sohail didn't fall pray to intelligent bowling by McGrath, four top order Pakistan batsmen couldn't resist their temptations against the Australian quickie and played horrendous shots at a time when caution, patience and proper shot selection was the need of hour.

Shahid Afridi thought he was playing one-day cricket when he attempted a forceful drive away from the body to be caught smartly by Mark Taylor in the first slip. Ijaz Ahmad played one of the most reckless shots of the match when he was caught hooking without being able to get into the line of the ball.

Inzamamul Haq gently pushed the ball into the hands of Darren Lehmann at short-extra-cover.

Moin Khan's weakness against short-pitched bowling was exploited by McGrath who had him well caught by Michael Slater at square-leg with the sun right into his eyes.

``I just tried to give in all. I bowled at a good line and length with a few bouncers trying to get them up on a track which is not very bouncy. It (strategy) turned out quite well,'' McGrath, who has taken his tally of wickets to 177 in 40 Tests, said.

``I am very happy with the four wickets and will try to come tomorrow and clean up the Pakistan innings.

``The Pakistani wickets are as hard as the Indian strips. They are pretty hard on the balls specially the Kookaburra (balls) which we are using here. After 30 or 40 overs, the ball helps you get some reverse swing. We looked after the ball as well so that it can swing when it gets older,'' McGrath said.

``It (wicket) hasn't been as well prepared as the one at Peshawar. In my point of view, it is not the best wicket I have played on since I have been here,'' McGrath observed.

Salim Malik and Yousuf Yohanna though didn't fall to McGrath but their dismissals resulted from their own senseless shots.

Malik tried to square-cut a wide ball from Stuart MacGill to be caught by McGrath a point while Yohanna attempted a pre-meditated pull against Gavin Robertson to see his bails get dislodged.

Earlier, Shahid Afridi completed a dream debut when he captured five wickets to bowl Australia out for 280 after the tourists had started at 207 for six. He become the fifth Pakistani to claim five wickets or more on first appearance.

The 18-year-old local hero, who had three for 37 last evening, added the scalps of Gavin Robertson and Glenn McGrath to finish with five for 52 from 23.3 overs.

He now joins Arif Butt, Nazir Junior, Shahid Nazir and Mohammad Zahid who snapped up five wickets or more on their debuts. Butt had got six for 89 against Australia at Melbourne in 1964-65, Junior had taken seven for 99 against New Zealand at Karachi in 1969-70, Nazir had picked up five for 53 against Zimbabwe at Sheikhupura in 1996-97 and Zahid had claimed seven for 66 against New Zealand at Rawalpindi in 1996-97.

However, Afridi's brilliance was not enough to stop Ian Healy add 55 priceless runs for the ninth wicket with Stuart MacGill after Pakistan had reduced Australia to 211 for eight.

Healy scored a defiant 118-ball 47 before he became victim to a dubious caught behind decision off Arshad Khan by David Orchard. Television replays showed that the ball had not touched Healy's bat.

Healy, dropped when 26, struck five fours.

Arshad Khan, playing his second Test, finished with three wickets for 72 runs.

Day 3: Australia trudge along despite Sohail's 133

By Samiul Hasan

KARACHI, Oct 24: A captain's knock by Aamir Sohail failed to stop Australia from trudging along to a safer abode from where they could dictate terms to the hosts in the third and final cricket Test against Pakistan.

When the stumps were drawn for the third day on Saturday, Australia, 1-0 up in the three-Test series, were 130 for one - thanks to an unfinished 103-run second wicket partnership between Mark Taylor and Justin Langer.

Australia, who dismissed Pakistan for 252 in the post-lunch session after having scored 280 in their first innings, now enjoy an overall lead of 158 runs with nine wickets standing.

When the closure was applied, Taylor was batting on a chancy 64 while Langer was on a flawless 45.

Aamir Sohail, battling a severe chest infection and high temperature, played an innings of his life when he scored a magnificent 133. He faced 272 balls during his 346 minutes of batting. His innings sparkled 18 boundaries and a six.

It was Sohail's fifth career century in 44 Tests, second against Australia and successive one here after he had scored 160 against the West Indies last year.

Together with former captain Wasim Akram, Sohail injected a new life in Pakistan when the duo added 98 runs for the seventh wicket in 125 minutes to lift the score from 116 for six to 214 for seven.

But the departure of Akram and Australia's decision to take the second new ball, folded Pakistan's innings for the addition of another 38 runs.

When Australia batted for the second time, Michael Slater left early but Mark Taylor and Justin Langer warding off any further damage made 103 runs in 173 minutes.

Mark Taylor got no less than three lives in his innings which may turn out to be the cornerstone of Australia's first series win over Pakistan in 39 years.

When four, Wasim Akram's throw missed the stumps at the non-striker's end with Taylor stranded at the centre of the wicket. He then survived a very close bat-and-pad appeal though television replays suggested that the ball had brushed the glove before going into the hands of Yousuf Yohanna off Shakeel Ahmad.

Worse come worse, Taylor was dropped by Aamir Sohail off Arshad Khan when 57. With this drop catch, Pakistan's tally of missed catches rose to eight in the Test.

Taylor's 178-ball innings is punctuated with six boundaries from 209 minutes of batting. After today's 64, the left-hander has taken his series aggregate to 509.

Justin Langer also had his share of luck when he was ruled not out despite being caught by Yohanna off Arshad Khan. South African umpire David Orchard raised his finger in the air but to indicate that he couldn't see the action clearly as the bowler had blocked his vision.

Langer's composed 45 had come from 123 balls after 173 minutes of batting. His innings include two boundaries and a six off Shakeel Ahmad.

As the situation stands at present, Pakistan appear to be fighting a lost battle unless Australia suffer a middle-order collapse on a wicket which surprisingly has not shown an real demons. On the first day, only six wickets fell while on the second day, 10 wickets including six from Pakistan went down. Today, only five batsmen were dismissed. A total of 662 runs have been scored for the loss of 21 wickets out of which eight have gone into the kitty of the seamers.

Pakistan's bowling was once again exposed as lacking in penetration in the absence of Waqar Younis and Mushtaq Ahmad. Shakeel Ahmad, who was given Test cap, turned out to be pretty ordinary though Arshad Khan did extract spin from the track and kept the tourists at bay, failed to get wickets.

Pakistan must also be regretting their decision of leaving out Saqlain Mushtaq who has taken 60 wickets in 15 Tests, including nine wickets when he played here last year.

``The match is not over yet. We need a couple of quick wickets early in the morning and we will catch them,'' a confident Aamir Sohail said.

``Mark (Taylor) and Justin (Langer) will be taking a fresh guard tomorrow morning and will have to again apply and concentrate. It's then when we can strike. It's a matter of nine balls but let's see if the bowlers can produce those nine wicket-taking balls,'' Sohail added.

``We dropped a couple of catches while a few fell short. The luck has not been on our side in this series. On Friday, Australia got wickets on bad balls but we are bowling good balls but still not getting wickets. It's just luck and nothing else.

``The batsmen did play some bad shots but didn't the Australians played similar shots? The only difference was that our batsmen got out but the Australians didn't,'' Sohail opined.

``Tomorrow is going to be a new day and I am looking forward to put three days of cricket behind me,'' he added.

Aamir Sohail, who resumed this morning at 83 in Pakistan's 170 for six, was dismissed on the second ball after lunch when Justin Langer brought off an athletic catch at square-leg off Colin Miller.

His innings was a lesson to his fellow stroke-makers who threw away their wickets in reckless fashion. Had a couple of top order batsmen given Sohail some helping hand, Pakistan might not have been as precariously placed as they are now.

Sohail only received any real support from Wasim Akram who kept his head down to play a very responsible innings of 35.

Pakistan's tormentor-in-chief Glenn McGrath added the scalp of Shakeel Ahmad to his overnight's four for 41 to finish with five for 66 from 25 overs.

It was the 10th time in 40 Tests that McGrath has taken five wickets or more in an innings.

Stuart MacGill, who broke the Sohail-Akram partnership by trapping the latter in front of the wickets, finished with three for 64.

Day 4: Australia set Pakistan a 419-run victory target

By Samiul Hasan

KARACHI, Oct 26: Pakistan were left to chase a next to impossible target of 419 runs by Australia in the third and decisive cricket Test to square the series with Monday being the last day of the match.

No team has ever managed to pull off this score in 122-year history of Test cricket. The highest winning score in the fourth innings was achieved by India when they had scored 406 to beat the West Indies by six wickets at Port-of-Spain in the 1975-76 series.

Pakistan have successfully reached 300 runs in the fourth innings only once when they scored 315 to beat Australia by one wicket at the same venue four years ago. This automatically proves that Pakistan are one of the worst chasers.

In addition to this, the maximum runs scored in a day in this series has been at Peshawar when Australia scored 375 for the loss of two wickets on the second day. That second Test track was tailor-made for the batsmen. Though this strip has no real demons, stroke-play is still difficult on it because of an invariable bounce and turn.

The maximum Pakistan can achieve from this game is to keep their 44-year-old and 32-Test unbeaten record at the National Stadium alive. Pakistan have won five of their last seven meetings with Australia here, including last four in succession.

Australia, who lead the three-Test series 1-0 after winning the Rawalpindi Test by an innings and 99 runs, were bowled out for 390 three balls before stumps on the penultimate day.

They had resumed this morning at 130 for one.

A typically graceful and elegant century by Mark Waugh ensured that Australia batted throughout the day to virtually end the 39-year victory drought here. Waugh's brilliance also helped Australia add 260 runs for the loss of nine wickets to their overnight score. It speaks volumes of Pakistan bowlers' inability to keep the runs in-check and failure to take wickets.

Waugh stroked a flawless and chanceless 117, his 15th Test century in 81 Tests and second against Pakistan. Watching Waugh in full cry was a delight as he made stroke-play look so simple and easy.

His immaculate timing brought him nine boundaries and an effortless six off Shakeel Ahmad in a 232-ball innings spanned over eight minutes under four hours.

The stylish Waugh had reached his half century from 111 balls with five boundaries while his century came from 201 balls with eight boundaries and a six.

Waugh's 117 was also his best score against Pakistan, improving upon 116 he made at Sydney in the 1995-96 series.

The 33-year-old Waugh not only provided entertainment with his gorgeous drives, he made worth every penny of the spectators by his exquisite gap shots and wristy flicks.

The New South Wales batsman's innings finally ended when he was beaten in the air by left-arm spinner Shakeel Ahmad to leave Moin Khan with an easy stumping by his standards.

Waugh was involved in three half-century partnership after overnight batsmen Mark Taylor (68) and Justin Langer (51) had departed in the first session play's to leave Australia 203 for three at lunch.

With his twin brother Steve (28), Waugh added 56 runs for the fourth wicket in 79 minutes. He then dominated the fifth wicket stand of 76 runs with Darren Lehmann (26) in 114 minutes.

Waugh's seventh wicket partnership of 63 runs in 92 minutes with Gavin Robertson ended Pakistan's all hopes of staying in with an outside chance of levelling the series.

Pakistan had done well immediately after lunch when they picked up the wickets of Steve Waugh and Ian Healy in a space of 19 balls to leave Australia at 294 for six.

But Robertson frustrated Pakistan for almost two hours. When he finally departed the last man out, he had inflicted even more damage in terms of the 45 runs he had scored off 99 balls that included five fours and a six. Robertson spoiled what would have been highly impressive figures of Arshad Khan by hitting him for a six and three fours in an over.

After three bat-and-pad decisions in Australia's second innings went against Pakistan, lady luck refused to support the home team when Lehmann was given the benefit of doubt when he was six and the total being 226 for four. Lehmann was stumped by Moin off Arshad Khan but television replays failed to give a clear picture of the action which prompted television umpire Feroze Butt to adjudge him not out.

Had there been panavision fixed side-on cameras, the decision would have come in Pakistan's favour on thefirst replay.

Arshad Khan held most of the bowling responsibilities by sending down 56 overs and 97 in the match. He snapped up two wickets for 141 runs to finish the game with five for 213.

Debutant Shakeel Ahmad, wicketless in the first innings, continued to remain unimpressive despite finishing as pick of the Pakistani bowlers with four for 91 from 29.3 overs. The 32-year-old Kuwait City-born left-armer had come into the Test with high reputation after claiming 10 wickets in the four-dayer against Australia for 169 runs. But he will go without leaving a good impression.

Earlier, Mark Taylor and Justin Langer resumed Australia's second innings at 130 for one.

The Australian skipper was first to be dismissed when he played a Pakistan batsman-like reckless shot off Arshad Khan to be bowled. He could add only four runs to his overnight score of 64. After his final innings of the tour, Taylor, who celebrates his 34th birthday on Tuesday, took his series aggregate to 513 that included an unbeaten 334 and 92 at Peshawar.

Taylor and Langer shared in a 109-run second wicket partnership in 191 minutes.

Langer followed his skipper 26 runs later when Ijaz Ahmad's accurate throw beat him by more than two yards. Mark Waugh, after pushing the ball to square-leg, started off for a single to leave Langer with no chance whatsoever to reach the striker's end. Langer was equally responsible of his downfall as he had not responded to the call immediately.

Langer, whose 51 was his fourth Test half century and came off 161 balls with three fours and a six, was dropped a run earlier by Moin Khan off Wasim Akram. That drop catch rose the tally of blunders to nine.

Day 5: Pakistan lose first series to Australia in 39 years

By Samiul Hasan

KARACHI, Oct 26: A match-saving unbeaten century by Ijaz Ahmad pulled Pakistan from the jaws of defeat in the third cricket Test which ended in a draw on Monday. But his effort failed to prevent Australia from winning their first series here in 39 years.

Pakistan, who began their second innings on the fifth day and chased an impossible 419-run target, never achieved before in 122-year history of Test cricket, finished the day at 262 for five.

Australia, who won the first Test at Rawalpindi by an innings and 99 runs, had left Pakistan tottering at 78 for four at lunch before Ijaz showed his batting prowess by stroking a superlative 120.

Ijaz, along with rescue-man Moin Khan, added 153 runs for the fifth wicket in 186 minutes to deny Australia their second Test win of the tour and kept Pakistan's 44-year-old unbeaten record at the National Stadium intact.

Scores:

Australia: 280 and 390

Pakistan: 252 and 262-5

Australia's last Test win over Pakistan in Pakistan was in 1959-60 when Richie Benaud's team beat Fazal Mahmood's side 2-0. Since then, five Australian teams visited Pakistan under legends like Bobby Simpson, Greg Chappell, Kim Hughes, Allan Border and Mark Taylor himself. But none could end the dominance of the Pakistanis.

But it was Taylor, his country's most successful captain, whose professional, dedicated and highly competitive Australians ended the Pakistan stranglehold on home soil by dominating two out of the three Tests.

The series, which will go down in the annals of history as Mark Taylor's series after the batsman accumulated 513 runs in five innings including an unbeaten 334, strengthened Australia's claims of being undisputed Test world champions.

Pakistan suffered an amazing turn around in the home series. In the last series, they had white-washed the West Indies. But 12 months later, they find themselves a beaten side. Is this because of the change of captaincy?

A long debate will continue on the reasons of Pakistan's defeat, but the home team definitely lacked in unity, team spirit and cohesion. Physical fitness of the players left much to be desired. If anything was left, it was completed by some doubtful umpiring decisions against Pakistan by David Orchard.

Besides the other outside elements, three Fs - fielding, fitness and form - make major difference between the two sides.

Reverting to the day's play, Pakistan looked in dire straits when Colin Miller captured three wickets in 22 balls in the first hour of day's play to leave Pakistan struggling at three for 35. The problems for the home team compounded when Yousuf Yohanna's laborious innings ended a stroke before lunch.

But Ijaz Ahmad and Moin Khan got together in a rescue act by putting on 153 runs for the fifth wicket. When Moin Khan was brilliantly caught by Stuart MacGill at square-leg off Darren Lehmann at the score of 228, the two had taken Pakistan to safer shores.

Ijaz Ahmad blasted his 10th century in 48 Tests from 211 balls with 11 blistering boundaries. It was Ijaz's fifth century against Australia (third in succession) and as many in Pakistan.

Ijaz, who had also scored 155 at Peshawar in the previous Test, had faced 250 balls in 327 minutes of batting when play finally ended with seven overs of the mandatory 15 still remaining. His handsome innings was laced with 16 hits to the fence.

Moin Khan, the diminutive Pakistan wicketkeeper who has always scored runs in demanding situations, contributed a magnificent 75 that was studded with 10 boundaries from 149 balls. He had scored his ninth half century in 40 Tests from 92 balls with eight fours.

Ijaz Ahmad, who could score only five in the first innings when Pakistan had wanted a big score from him, was lucky to survive two chances. He was dropped by Mark Taylor when he was two with Pakistan being 34 for two. In the 60s, Ian Healy failed to stump the Pakistan batsman after he had lost his balance off a Stuart MacGill delivery.

Moin Khan also had his share of luck. Mark Waugh put him down off MacGill when 20 with the total being 120 for four.

Miller, the 34-year-old Tasmanian, finished with three for 82.

Stuart MacGill, who picked up the scalp of, Yousuf Yohanna finished with 15 wickets in the series. Glenn McGrath, who had bagged five wickets in Pakistan's first innings, ended up with a series haul of 12 wickets.