ABU DHABI, (Reuters) – Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal took three late wickets to thrust his team back into contention at the close of the second day of the second test against England yesterday.
Ajmal, Pakistan’s match-winner in the first match of the three-test series, reduced England to 207 for five after his side had collapsed to 257 all out in their first innings.
After taking the final three Pakistan wickets for only one run, England took control with a second-wicket partnership of 139 between Alastair Cook (94) and Jonathan Trott (74). Ajmal then checked their progress in the final session.
“We set our stall out to bat for a long period of time and for 99 percent of the day we did it really well, obviously the last 20 minutes didn’t quite go to plan, but it was still a good day for England,” said Cook.
“I wouldn’t say it’s thrown it away, we’re only 50 behind.” Cook said he was unsure what lead England would need to achieve in the first innings as they face the unenviable task of batting last. “This ground has been really high scoring, but the wicket we’re playing on now is not a 600 wicket so it’s obviously been prepared slightly differently,” he added.
“Today it played better than it did yesterday. The wicket dried out a little bit more, I’m just not sure whether it will turn more as the game goes on.”
Cook’s knock steadied England after captain Andrew Strauss, who has reached 50 only once in his last 13 innings, had fallen to off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez for 11, pushing a thick inside edge on to his pad that looped up for Asad Shafiq to take an easy catch at short-leg.
Trott should have departed for 22, but escaped when Pakistan failed to ask for a review that would have confirmed he was lbw.
Pakistan, who play their home matches in the Gulf due to security problems in the country, finally dispatched Trott when the England right-hander was deceived by a delivery from left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman that spun past his outside edge and clipped the off stump.
Cook seemed poised to join compatriots Graham Gooch and Ken Barrington by completing his 20th test century but he was trapped lbw on 94 by Ajmal after 25 wicketless overs.
Ajmal then struck again as Kevin Pietersen once more struggled against spin.
He was soon out for 14 after clipping an inside edge on to his pad that looped up to Hafeez at slip. Eoin Morgan (3) followed, nicking a thin edge to Hafeez.
Scoreboard
England first innings
A. Strauss c Shafiq b Hafeez 11
A. Cook lbw b Ajmal 94
J. Trott b Rehman 74
I. Bell not out 4
K. Pietersen caught Hafeez b Ajmal 14
E. Morgan c Hafeez b Ajmal 3
Extras: (b-4, lb-2, nb-1) 7
Total: (for five wickets, 84.5 overs) 207
Fall of wicket: 1-27 2-166 3-198 4-203 5-207
To bat: M.Prior, S.Broad, G.Swann, J.Anderson, M.Panesar.
Bowling: Umar Gul 10-1-35-0, Junaid Khan 6-0-20-0,
Mohammad Hafeez 19-4-40-1, Saeed Ajmal 29.5-5-67-3, Abdur Rehman
20-7-39-1.
Pakistan first innings (overnight 256-7)
Mohammad Hafeez b Panesar 31
Taufeeq Umar b Swann 16
Azhar Ali b Broad 24
Younus Khan b Broad 24
Misbah-ul-Haq lbw b Broad 84
Asad Shafiq lbw b Swann 58
Adnan Akmal lbw b Broad 9
Abdur Rehman b Swann 0
Saeed Ajmal lbw b Anderson 0
Umar Gul not out 0
Junaid Khan c Swann b Anderson 0
Extras: (b-8, lb-1, nb-2) 11
Total: (all out; 96.4 overs) 257
Fall of wickets: 1-51 2-61 3-98 4-103 5-203 6-216 7-243
8-257 9-257
Bowling: Anderson 19.4-5-46-2 (nb-1), Broad 24-4-47-4
(nb-1), Panesar 33-9-91-1, Swann 18-2-52-3, Trott 2-0-12-0
