DEBUTANT ASIF HITS AUSSIE BATSMEN FOR A SIX
No country in the history of the game has produced more talented players than Pakistan — a country that hasn’t been allowed to host Test cricket since 2009.
Only one player — Mohammad Hafeez — from the current Pakistan team knows what it’s like playing a Test match in your own country.
But that hasn’t stopped them from producing moments of cricketing magic, especially in their ‘adopted’ home country — the UAE.
On Tuesday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the cricket world saw again how Pakistan could pull the rabbit out of the hat.
Who could have thought that a 33-year-old novice, who has played only 15 first class matches and who first made his name as a batsman, would produce a dream spell on a pitch where Yasir Shah and Nathan Lyon were made to look average?
Debutant Bilal Asif made history with six wickets — second on the list of most wickets in an innings by a Pakistani spinner on debut — to break the back of the Australian batting order, giving Pakistan a great opportunity to win their third straight Test against the Baggy Greens in the UAE. The Australians, who had lost both the matches in their previous two-Test series here in 2014, now need a miracle to avoid defeat, especially considering the way their inexperienced middle-order collapsed when the Dubai wicket began to offer moderate turn.
Chasing Pakistan’s huge first innings total of 482, Australia – 202 all out — made a fine start in the morning session, adding 107 runs to their overnight score of 30/0 only to fall like ninepins in the afternoon session. Their own spinners did make inroads after Pakistan — 45/3 at stumps in their second innings — decided against enforcing the follow on with first innings hero Hafeez, night-watchman Asif and Azhar Ali falling to left-arm spinner Jon Holland (2/9) and Lyon (1/23).
But with Pakistan already 325 runs ahead on a wicket that’s likely to offer more turn from the fourth day, even the most die-hard Aussie supporter would not be backing the team to pull off a great escape.
Australia’s prospects were bright in the morning, though, with Aaron Finch (62, 161 balls, 5 fours, 1 six) and Usman Khawaja (85, 175 balls, 8 fours) putting on a 142-run opening partnership. While Finch punished the bad balls with ease, Khawaja’s effort especially brought cheers to the Australian dressing room.
For a man whose previous highest score in Asia was 26, Khawaja was brave on Tuesday morning, even using the reverse sweep to find boundaries. But once the impressive Mohammad Abbas (4/29) dismissed Finch, the Asif show began.
In a dream spell, the tall spinner took four wickets in 22 balls as Australia collapsed in dramatic fashion. After Khawaja fell trying to play another sweep, the Australian middle-order – Shaun Marsh (7), Mitchell Marsh (12), Travis Head (0) and Marnus Labuschagne (0) — failed miserably against Asif’s flight, turn and bounce as Pakistani fielders around bat and pad took smart catches.
“The bounce Bilal was getting with the old ball was extraordinary. He bowled quality, and we are going to have to come up with some really good plans in the second innings,” admitted Finch later in the press conference. It remains to be seen if the Australians will be allowed to execute their plans by the latest weapon in Pakistan’s armoury.