England need answer against spinner, and quick
ENGLAND need a quick solution to their frailties against offspinner Saeed Ajmal when they face Pakistan in the second Test at the Abu Dhabi Stadium starting tomorrow.
Andrew Strauss’s men, who are in danger of losing their first Test series after being unbeaten in the last nine, were mauled by the 34-year-old spinner in the first match in Dubai, where they lost by 10 wickets inside three days.
Ajmal took a career-best 7/55 to demolish England for 192 in the first innings, before half-centuries from Mohammad Hafeez, Taufiq Umar, Adnan Akmal and Misbahul-haq gave Pakistan a lead of 146. Paceman Umar Gul, who took four early wickets, then combined with Ajmal and left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman to wreck England a second time for 160 before the openers knocked off the 15 runs needed to go one up in the threeTest series.
England can take solace from the fact that Abu Dhabi’s pitch offers very slow turn and both the Tests played here ended in draws, the latest in October last year when Pakistan let off Sri Lanka by dropping seven catches in the second innings.
Nevertheless, Ajmal will again be a big threat but the England skipper was confident his players could fight back. “I don’t think it is a huge challenge, there will be a huge feeling that we haven’t given a good account of ourselves and that will be a good motivation for us to come back stronger,” said Strauss, whose England side last lost a Test series in 2009, in the West Indies.
The double capitulation in Dubai prompted questions about the tourists’ approach to Ajmal, and Strauss admitted his batsmen had made mistakes against him.
“I think a couple of us contributed and allowed him to put even more pressure on the batsmen coming in the first innings. The ball wasn’t turning a huge amount,” he said of the Dubai pitch where England’s Graeme Swann managed 4/107.
England, the No 1 ranked side in the world, have not lost two Tests in a row since 2008 and Strauss said they were determined to bounce back.
Left-arm spinner Monty Panesar missed out in Dubai, and England look likely to go with the same combination in Abu Dhabi of three pacemen and lone spinner Swann.
Pakistan may consider replacing batsman Asad Shafiq with the more aggressive Umar Akmal.
Misbah, Pakistan’s captain, played down a row over Ajmal’s bowling action, triggered by former England paceman Bob Willis. Ajmal’s action was reported in 2009 before it was cleared.
“He is cleared by the International Cricket Council and he is now playing for almost four-five years in international cricket,” said Misbah, whose side are the “home” team in the series being played in the United Arab Emirates over security fears. “Everyone should just admit now he is a very good bowler and has certain variations which he is bowling.”
Misbah said his team would be ready for England’s backlash.
“When you are the No 1 team in the world there is something that makes you No 1 in the world, they have good quality cricketers and they are fighters and they can really come hard, but we are ready for that,” he said.
The third and final Test will be played in Dubai from February 37. The Tests will be followed by four one-day and three Twenty20 internationals.
Indian batsman Virender Sehwag rates the Australia pace attack as among the best he has faced in his 10-year Test career.
The 33-year-old opener, who has scored 8 098 runs in 95 tests since his debut in late 2001, is standing in as captain for the fourth Test.
Australia’s pace attack — Ben Hilfenhaus, Peter Siddle, Ryan Harris, James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc — have helped bowl India out twice in Tests in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series with three crushing wins.
With the hosts coming into the series after a home defeat to New Zealand — and the memory of the 3-1 Ashes defeat at the turn of last year still fresh — many were questioning whether it was a case of Australia’s bowling being good or India batting poorly.
“They are bowling in good areas, they are not giving up easy balls to hit boundaries. They are playing with your patience and all,” Sehwag told reporters on the eve of the final Test.
“I think that’s the best bowling attack I’ve ever seen, especially against Australia.
“Generally, when I played the fast men … I’d get a couple of balls I could hit for boundaries.
“But in this attack I hardly get any balls. So, I think, one of the best bowling attacks.”
The tourists’ world-class but ageing batting line-up — which features the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Sehwag — could not claim to have had a great series and not one Indian has managed to notch up a century.
“I feel bad because in the last 10 years we have done well overseas but in the last two series we have not lived up to expectations,” said Sehwag.
He was also a member of the team that lost 4-0 in England last year. SAPA-AFP, Reuters