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Yousuf, Younis
help Pak give a fitting reply to England's 515 – Day
2, 3rd Test at Headingley
Report |
August 05, 2006 (Link to
Scorecard)
The two Y's of the Pakistan team - Younis Khan
and Mohammad Yousuf took their side to a solid
202 for 2 at stumps on Day 2 of the Headingley
Test. Mohammad Yousuf has been the dominant
partner in the unbeaten 166-run stand for the
third wicket and he remains undefeated on 91.
The Pakistani team Vice-Captain, Younis Khan is
still there with him on 64. The tourists were
under lot of stress after seeing England finish
their first innings at a massive 515. Things
went well for England to begin with as they
removed the two new Pakistani openers early, but
they were left to witness plundering shots and
solid defensive play in the rest of the day from
the blades of Younis and Yousuf. England looked
like a bowler short on this track, but they
still have enough fire power to come out
recharged and attack Pakistan on the third day's
play.
The second day's play began with Kevin Pietersen
resuming his innings of 104 after having to
retire hurt due to cramps in his fore arms on
the first day. He and Bell had to battle through
the seaming conditions and once there wasn't
much of a threat in the bowling, the shots came
out at will, in particular from Kevin Pietersen.
Ian Bell got to his third consecutive hundred
before the drinks break and this century of his
came in 172 balls with the help of 11 fours.
After drinks, Pakistan were lucky to see the end
of Pietersen, which had come through a miscued
lofted shot off Sami to mid off. Pietersen added
31 runs to his overnight score and his innings
of 135 took just 169 deliveries with 20 fours
and two sixes. After another 7 overs, Danish
Kaneria finally looked upto the heavens as he
got his first wicket of the match, that of Ian
Bell, who was bowled trying to play a late cut
shot. Bell was dismissed with England at 445 for
8 and his score at 119. Steve Harmison came out
and produced some fireworks which included two
sixes coming through pull shots in Shahid
Nazir's bowling. Sajid Mahmood at the other end
surprised everyone with some good looking
strokes all along the ground and England went to
lunch at 488 for 8.
Pakistan cleaned up Harmison and Sajid Mahmood
soon after the lunch break with Kaneria and Umar
Gul taking those wickets to end England's
innings at 515 all out in 123 overs. Umar Gul
with a yorker that bowled Sajid Mahmood for 34
got his second five-wicket haul of his career.
Danish Kaneria toiled hard for 34 overs to take
just the two wickets and Sami got two as well,
but was very expensive going for more than 5.00
runs per over in his 26 overs. It was a new
opening combination from Pakistan in Taufeeq
Umar and Salman Butt and both showed the
patience that is required for an opening
batsman. Both left handers left the slanting
deliveries across their offstump on their own
and it looked like England had to produce some
brilliant deliveries to get the breakthroughs.
But that wasn't required with Taufeeq Umar
losing his concentration in the 13th over to go
after a wide outswinger from Hoggard to nick it
behind. Chris Read took a beautiful diving catch
in front of the first slip and Taufeeq was gone
for just 7 in his comeback game. Salman Butt
soon followed his partner back in the pavilion
after he was a victim of a poor call for a
single from Younis Khan. The Pakistan
Vice-Captain had pushed Harmison straight to
Pietersen at covers and called his partner for a
non existent single and poor Salman Butt
couldn't make it in time at the striker's end.
Salman Butt got out for a promising 20 and it
was a brilliant direct throw from Pietersen that
got the wicket.
After the fall of those two wickets, it was all
Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf from then
onwards and the two batsmen matched shot to
shot. Monty Panesar was bringing all the subtle
changes in pace and flight and he was the only
man to keep the two batsmen under a check. Sajid
Mahmood bowled briskly, sometimes even at 90mph
and got some steep bounce, but he often released
the pressure by bowling short and wide or
bowling full deliveries onto the pads. The pair
of Younis and Yousuf has been there for more
than 40 overs and their partnership is already a
big one and Pakistan team would hope that it
would continue for sometime in the morning
session of tomorrow's play. Both the right
handers have hit 10 fours each and Yousuf also
has a six in his innings, which had come from a
lofted on drive off Pietersen. Monty Panesar
looked like the best bowler for England,
bringing in the subtle changes in his flight and
pace; he is yet to pick up a wicket though
having bowled 14 overs. Pakistan look good at
stumps as they still have three specialist
batsmen to follow in Skipper Inzamam, Faisal
Iqbal and Kamran Akmal. The first hour of play
in the morning would be crucial as the English
bowlers can come out fresh and try to exploit
the possible overcast conditions. England have
to bowl with an old ball that is reverse
swinging, but its bowlers haven't made optimum
use of it. If they cannot get the wickets
quickly, then they will have to wait for the 2nd
new ball which is a long way from now and by
then Pakistan would have made decent progress.
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