World Greats Test Championship - TIME TO ANNOUNCE SQUADS FOR SERIES 2 - FREDDIE, DRAVID & INZY injured!! PLUS Pakistan v India!!
- Thread starter Welwyn
- Start date
1st Test. Gadaffi Stadium, Lahore
On a pitch that looked set to aid quick bowling, Ashwin will have been desperate to unleash himself with Bedi and Jadeja in the fourth innings. Unfortunately for him, the coin landed the wrong way up and Imran was delighted to bat first.
Hanif and Anwar set about making it a great decision with a chanceless opening session to get them 92-0. By tea, there had only been one skied shot from Hanif off of Kapil Dev that had fallen safe. They brought up the double century partnership but both fell short of individual centuries to Ashwin. Getting a caught and bowled with one that lifted to Hanif and getting one to turn and get the edge of Anwar's bat. Younis Khan and Javed Miandad rebuilt to the new ball and Younis went on the attack when it arrived, bring up a rapid fifty before Miandad hit Bumrah straight to mid-off. One brought two again as Srinath got one to keep low and trap Younis lbw and Pakistan ended the first day at 303-4.
Babar Azam decided the best plan of dealing the with second new ball was to hit the seamers out of the attack with a rapid half-century of his own but made the mistake of trying to continue the assault against spin and picked out Bumrah at third man. With a platform of 365-5, the likes of Imran and Wasim can be exceedingly dangerous, but Bedi forced errors from the pair of them and when Jadeja added Mushtaq, it was suddenly 398-8. However, Fazal and Waqar were able to survive long enough for Yousuf to get to his century and by the time Bumrah had Waqar lbw, the last two partnerships had added 84!!
Gavaskar and Sehwag managed to see off the Wasim/Waqar combo before tea and built a fifty partnership that was broken by Gavaskar playing for non-existent turn and being bowled by Saqlain. But that was the only false stroke on an excellent evening for India.
Sehwag looked well set to score what, for him, would have been a very slow hundred on the third morning, when he was suddenly trapped lbw by Saqlain for 79. Imran responded by bringing himself on and he thought he had Sachin caught behind immediately and then he did get him two balls later with a terrific catch by Hanif. Despite scrapping under pressure, Jadeja eventually fell to Mushtaq for 7. Akram then started to get the old ball reversing round corners. He had Dhoni dropped by Hanif and then caught at slip, then got Kapil Dev caught behind with the new ball. India were now 204-6. The skipper fought hard before eventually falling to his opposite number for 13. India still needed 44 to avoid the follow on and despite Kohli being there on 42, Bedi/Srinath/Bumrah wasn't the greatest support network as we hit tea. Kohli got to fifty but eventually took one chance too many and fell to Wasim. By this point, the Gaddaffi stadium was bouncing but Younis Khan dropping Bumrah allowed India to pass the follow-on target and reach 289.
Hanif and Saeed had a tricky seven overs to survive with the light fading and neither managed it with both of them falling by the close.
Problem was that batting seemed a lot easier with the daylight of the fourth morning. Srinath did produce an unplayable ball to remove Younis Khan for 31 but by the time Bedi had Miandad for 31, the lead was already over 300 and by lunch Yousuf looked set with a 50 of his own. Bedi's first act after lunch was to rip one past Babar and bowl him and then his left-arm partner Jadeja got Imran caught behind cheaply and India had taken 3-22 after lunch. Bedi was looking unplayable but through a mixture of dropped catches and luck, Wasim and Saqlain managed to add 42 before Dhoni eventually held on to one. Wasim then took charge and added a fifty partnership and the biggest surprise was that Imran declared with him on 48.
If the aim was to make Wasim angry, it worked as it took him just two balls to send Gavaskar's stumps halfway to Rawalpindi. Sehwag's response was to play his natural game and try and put that 462 victory target under pressure. He had a half-century by close, problem was that Saqlain had removed Tendulkar and Kohli at the other end to leave them 98-3.
Thing was, if Sehwag could continue to play like that for a session and a half, 362 more on the last day wasn't crazy.
He lasted just four balls though, feathering Wasim through to Hanif. It did look at least like Dhoni would be the only further wicket to fall before lunch however, partially down to Hanif dropping Kapil Dev twice, but the all-rounder then made the mistake of edging to Babar instead and he took the catch. There was even time for Hanif to drop another opportunity to get rid of the Indian skipper before the break.
Jadeja looked like he was batting on a different pitch to everyone else, so there was stunned silence just after the interval when he edged Saqlain out of nowhere, only for Hanif to make it drop number four in about an hour of cricket. For half an hour, it looked crucial, but this pitch was looking like a minefield and a grubber from Wasim did for Ashwin. He then got Bedi for a duck and it was only a matter of time before the visitors were cleaned up.
2nd Test pitch @pillowprocter @CerealKiller
On a pitch that looked set to aid quick bowling, Ashwin will have been desperate to unleash himself with Bedi and Jadeja in the fourth innings. Unfortunately for him, the coin landed the wrong way up and Imran was delighted to bat first.
Hanif and Anwar set about making it a great decision with a chanceless opening session to get them 92-0. By tea, there had only been one skied shot from Hanif off of Kapil Dev that had fallen safe. They brought up the double century partnership but both fell short of individual centuries to Ashwin. Getting a caught and bowled with one that lifted to Hanif and getting one to turn and get the edge of Anwar's bat. Younis Khan and Javed Miandad rebuilt to the new ball and Younis went on the attack when it arrived, bring up a rapid fifty before Miandad hit Bumrah straight to mid-off. One brought two again as Srinath got one to keep low and trap Younis lbw and Pakistan ended the first day at 303-4.
Babar Azam decided the best plan of dealing the with second new ball was to hit the seamers out of the attack with a rapid half-century of his own but made the mistake of trying to continue the assault against spin and picked out Bumrah at third man. With a platform of 365-5, the likes of Imran and Wasim can be exceedingly dangerous, but Bedi forced errors from the pair of them and when Jadeja added Mushtaq, it was suddenly 398-8. However, Fazal and Waqar were able to survive long enough for Yousuf to get to his century and by the time Bumrah had Waqar lbw, the last two partnerships had added 84!!
Gavaskar and Sehwag managed to see off the Wasim/Waqar combo before tea and built a fifty partnership that was broken by Gavaskar playing for non-existent turn and being bowled by Saqlain. But that was the only false stroke on an excellent evening for India.
Sehwag looked well set to score what, for him, would have been a very slow hundred on the third morning, when he was suddenly trapped lbw by Saqlain for 79. Imran responded by bringing himself on and he thought he had Sachin caught behind immediately and then he did get him two balls later with a terrific catch by Hanif. Despite scrapping under pressure, Jadeja eventually fell to Mushtaq for 7. Akram then started to get the old ball reversing round corners. He had Dhoni dropped by Hanif and then caught at slip, then got Kapil Dev caught behind with the new ball. India were now 204-6. The skipper fought hard before eventually falling to his opposite number for 13. India still needed 44 to avoid the follow on and despite Kohli being there on 42, Bedi/Srinath/Bumrah wasn't the greatest support network as we hit tea. Kohli got to fifty but eventually took one chance too many and fell to Wasim. By this point, the Gaddaffi stadium was bouncing but Younis Khan dropping Bumrah allowed India to pass the follow-on target and reach 289.
Hanif and Saeed had a tricky seven overs to survive with the light fading and neither managed it with both of them falling by the close.
Problem was that batting seemed a lot easier with the daylight of the fourth morning. Srinath did produce an unplayable ball to remove Younis Khan for 31 but by the time Bedi had Miandad for 31, the lead was already over 300 and by lunch Yousuf looked set with a 50 of his own. Bedi's first act after lunch was to rip one past Babar and bowl him and then his left-arm partner Jadeja got Imran caught behind cheaply and India had taken 3-22 after lunch. Bedi was looking unplayable but through a mixture of dropped catches and luck, Wasim and Saqlain managed to add 42 before Dhoni eventually held on to one. Wasim then took charge and added a fifty partnership and the biggest surprise was that Imran declared with him on 48.
If the aim was to make Wasim angry, it worked as it took him just two balls to send Gavaskar's stumps halfway to Rawalpindi. Sehwag's response was to play his natural game and try and put that 462 victory target under pressure. He had a half-century by close, problem was that Saqlain had removed Tendulkar and Kohli at the other end to leave them 98-3.
Thing was, if Sehwag could continue to play like that for a session and a half, 362 more on the last day wasn't crazy.
He lasted just four balls though, feathering Wasim through to Hanif. It did look at least like Dhoni would be the only further wicket to fall before lunch however, partially down to Hanif dropping Kapil Dev twice, but the all-rounder then made the mistake of edging to Babar instead and he took the catch. There was even time for Hanif to drop another opportunity to get rid of the Indian skipper before the break.
Jadeja looked like he was batting on a different pitch to everyone else, so there was stunned silence just after the interval when he edged Saqlain out of nowhere, only for Hanif to make it drop number four in about an hour of cricket. For half an hour, it looked crucial, but this pitch was looking like a minefield and a grubber from Wasim did for Ashwin. He then got Bedi for a duck and it was only a matter of time before the visitors were cleaned up.
2nd Test pitch @pillowprocter @CerealKiller
pillowprocter
Panel of Selectors
Sunil Gavaskar
Virinder Sehwag
Sachin Tendulkar
Virat Kohli
VVS Laxman
Ravinder Jadeja
MS Dhoni
Ravi Ashwin
Bishan Bedi
Javagal Srinath
Mohammad Shami
I'm dropping Bumrah, and... Kapil Dev. Both have been absolutely subpar across the 4 tests we have played. Shami and Laxman come in
Virinder Sehwag
Sachin Tendulkar
Virat Kohli
VVS Laxman
Ravinder Jadeja
MS Dhoni
Ravi Ashwin
Bishan Bedi
Javagal Srinath
Mohammad Shami
I'm dropping Bumrah, and... Kapil Dev. Both have been absolutely subpar across the 4 tests we have played. Shami and Laxman come in
CerealKiller
Staff Member
Hanif is dropping a lot of catches, and i was thinking of bringing in Rizwan for Younis, but the latter saved himself with a fifty. We will bring in Iqbal Qasim for Fazal Mahmood.
Never seen anything like it on Cricket Captain, he is genuinely keeping like I would at the minute!!
2nd Test. Eden Park, Auckland
It's not often Brendon McCullum gets an 11-ball duck but after losing the toss, that is what Donald and Pollock managed to create after losing the toss. They were joined by Steyn and Rabada in keeping Williamson becalmed, which paid off fully when he went after a rare short ball from Steyn and pulled him straight to Dudley Nourse. Fleming came in looking like a man that was continuing his unbeaten century at the Basin Reserve and NZ reached lunch at 63-2. Sutcliffe and Fleming got to contrasting fifties before Donald produced a great one-two punch in bowling Sutcliffe and getting a leading edge off the vice-captain to Kallis. Rabada then induced Taylor's edge to reduce the hosts to 128-5 before a short-pitched barrage to Cairns before tea allowed the all-rounder to reach the break with 25 off 22 balls. Despite Smith binning off the ploy, Cairns continued to play in a similar vein before being pinned in front trying to turn Tayfield to leg and things got even better for the visitors soon after. Kallis was brought on to rest the main quicks and Smith couldn't contain his laughter when he bowled Vettori round his legs. Immediately bringing Donald back on, he got Wagner fending at short-leg with a rip-snorter, but Bond managed to support Hadlee to get them to the new ball, before falling to Steyn.
John Bracewell is an exceptional number 11 though and he managed to get to the close, then Hadlee to his fifty and the Kiwi's past 250 before Donald eventually snaffled him for 20, just shy of a fifty partnership.
Captain Smith would have been desperate for that partnership to have not turned momentum and he didn't help things by getting out cheaply to Shane Bond. Richards and Pollock looked like getting to lunch but Williamson chucked the ball to Wagner for the last over and the incoming left-armer managed to grab Pollock's edge and Bracewell made a great grab at second slip, inches off the ground. Wagner and Cairns continued to cause problems after lunch but Richards and Kallis survived the onslaught and built a decent partnership, until Williamson turned back to Wagner and managed to swing a 37-over old ball back through Richards gate and bowled him to make it 115-3. De Villiers then went cheaply, caught at short leg, mistiming an on-drive off Cairns, making it 131-4 at tea. Kallis built a partnership with Nourse that allowed him to make a fifty but got ended with the partnership on 49 by, guess who? Wagner again, before the day ended at 199-5
75 runs behind, the visitors knew it was hugely important to survive until the new ball but Nourse edged Bond within the first couple of overs and then Hadlee used the new ball to remove S. Pollock. Cairns dropped a return-sitter that would have removed an impressive Tayfield but he did manage to get Rabada just before lunch. That Tayfield drop proved crucial as the spinner produced an career-best knock of 89 to help them to a first innings lead of 43.
That deficit was down to one though when Donald beat McCullum for pace to remove him for 17. He produced a carbon copy to remove Williamson for 4 to put the hosts under pressure but once again Fleming came out making batting look significantly easier than anyone else and he had put on 51 with Sutcliffe by the close.
Smith's decision to open day four with Steyn paid immediate dividends when he bowled Sutcliffe within ten minutes but Taylor came in looking as comfortable as Fleming and they got through the tricky opening spell and then took Tayfield apart. Pollock returned to remove Taylor but the session was unquestionably a great one for New Zealand as they reached 199-4. However, Pollock produced a beauty straight after the break to get Fleming caught behind and then produced a brilliant old-ball spell which, despite countless appeals and plays and misses, didn't produce any further breakthrough. By this point Hadlee had 50 and Smith turned to Kallis to try and give Pollock enough rest to come back with the new cherry. The all-rounder immediately had Hadlee dropped by De Villiers but snaffled Cairns two balls later. He then took the new cherry and chose Rabada with Donald to give Pollock a little more rest but the skipper managed to drop Vettori off of Rabada and by tea, it was 296-6.
Donald got Vettori after the break and there was huge celebrations when the finger went up to remove Hadlee for 91, lbw to Pollock. The hosts lead was 269 and it was nine down by the end of the over as Pollock edged to Smith. South Africa were suddenly favourites, but that door was fundamentally slammed shut by another Bracewell cameo, who obviously wants to bat higher than 11, supported by Wagner for a fifty partnership and by the time Rabada had Bracewell bowled, the visitors needed 321 to win.
Smith and Richards managed to see out a four over spell from Hadlee and Bond so Day Five started with 310 more needed. The required number ticked under 300 when a beautiful Hadlee outswinger removed Richards. Graeme Pollocks response was to milk his first over off Hadlee for 18, including four consecutive on-driven boundaries!! He only added one more boundary before Bond found his outside edge to make it 53-2. First innings star Wagner hadn't even been tossed the ball yet and just after he was, Cairns got one to steeple on Kallis, who feathered a hook behind, at the other end and it was 78-3. Wagner was causing problems every over but Cairns was gleaning to rewards at the other end, Smith trying to attack him but cutting one way to close to him, edging onto his body and onto Ross Taylor at short-leg. He almost had Nourse twice and then, in a three over spell before lunch, Vettori was convinced he had De Villiers caught behind twice, before finally seeing the finger go up with his third appeal.
113-5 at lunch and Tayfield was back out having to produce with the bat once again. One he did in terrific deadbat style as alongside Nourse, they batted the enter penultimate session for just 35 runs. With hopes of a positive result fading, Bond produced a beauty, round the wicket, bounced in and forcing Tayfield to glove it off his chin only to see Fleming dive from wideish 1st slip to grab it at about 3rd. Nourse contiuned with Pollock though and with a little over half-hour left of fading light, Williamson called for the new ball as his last hope. Bond did pick up his third of the innings by snaffling Shaun Pollock but by that point the Proteas were home dry with the draw.
3rd Test Pitch: @Disharies @RUDI
It's not often Brendon McCullum gets an 11-ball duck but after losing the toss, that is what Donald and Pollock managed to create after losing the toss. They were joined by Steyn and Rabada in keeping Williamson becalmed, which paid off fully when he went after a rare short ball from Steyn and pulled him straight to Dudley Nourse. Fleming came in looking like a man that was continuing his unbeaten century at the Basin Reserve and NZ reached lunch at 63-2. Sutcliffe and Fleming got to contrasting fifties before Donald produced a great one-two punch in bowling Sutcliffe and getting a leading edge off the vice-captain to Kallis. Rabada then induced Taylor's edge to reduce the hosts to 128-5 before a short-pitched barrage to Cairns before tea allowed the all-rounder to reach the break with 25 off 22 balls. Despite Smith binning off the ploy, Cairns continued to play in a similar vein before being pinned in front trying to turn Tayfield to leg and things got even better for the visitors soon after. Kallis was brought on to rest the main quicks and Smith couldn't contain his laughter when he bowled Vettori round his legs. Immediately bringing Donald back on, he got Wagner fending at short-leg with a rip-snorter, but Bond managed to support Hadlee to get them to the new ball, before falling to Steyn.
John Bracewell is an exceptional number 11 though and he managed to get to the close, then Hadlee to his fifty and the Kiwi's past 250 before Donald eventually snaffled him for 20, just shy of a fifty partnership.
Captain Smith would have been desperate for that partnership to have not turned momentum and he didn't help things by getting out cheaply to Shane Bond. Richards and Pollock looked like getting to lunch but Williamson chucked the ball to Wagner for the last over and the incoming left-armer managed to grab Pollock's edge and Bracewell made a great grab at second slip, inches off the ground. Wagner and Cairns continued to cause problems after lunch but Richards and Kallis survived the onslaught and built a decent partnership, until Williamson turned back to Wagner and managed to swing a 37-over old ball back through Richards gate and bowled him to make it 115-3. De Villiers then went cheaply, caught at short leg, mistiming an on-drive off Cairns, making it 131-4 at tea. Kallis built a partnership with Nourse that allowed him to make a fifty but got ended with the partnership on 49 by, guess who? Wagner again, before the day ended at 199-5
75 runs behind, the visitors knew it was hugely important to survive until the new ball but Nourse edged Bond within the first couple of overs and then Hadlee used the new ball to remove S. Pollock. Cairns dropped a return-sitter that would have removed an impressive Tayfield but he did manage to get Rabada just before lunch. That Tayfield drop proved crucial as the spinner produced an career-best knock of 89 to help them to a first innings lead of 43.
That deficit was down to one though when Donald beat McCullum for pace to remove him for 17. He produced a carbon copy to remove Williamson for 4 to put the hosts under pressure but once again Fleming came out making batting look significantly easier than anyone else and he had put on 51 with Sutcliffe by the close.
Smith's decision to open day four with Steyn paid immediate dividends when he bowled Sutcliffe within ten minutes but Taylor came in looking as comfortable as Fleming and they got through the tricky opening spell and then took Tayfield apart. Pollock returned to remove Taylor but the session was unquestionably a great one for New Zealand as they reached 199-4. However, Pollock produced a beauty straight after the break to get Fleming caught behind and then produced a brilliant old-ball spell which, despite countless appeals and plays and misses, didn't produce any further breakthrough. By this point Hadlee had 50 and Smith turned to Kallis to try and give Pollock enough rest to come back with the new cherry. The all-rounder immediately had Hadlee dropped by De Villiers but snaffled Cairns two balls later. He then took the new cherry and chose Rabada with Donald to give Pollock a little more rest but the skipper managed to drop Vettori off of Rabada and by tea, it was 296-6.
Donald got Vettori after the break and there was huge celebrations when the finger went up to remove Hadlee for 91, lbw to Pollock. The hosts lead was 269 and it was nine down by the end of the over as Pollock edged to Smith. South Africa were suddenly favourites, but that door was fundamentally slammed shut by another Bracewell cameo, who obviously wants to bat higher than 11, supported by Wagner for a fifty partnership and by the time Rabada had Bracewell bowled, the visitors needed 321 to win.
Smith and Richards managed to see out a four over spell from Hadlee and Bond so Day Five started with 310 more needed. The required number ticked under 300 when a beautiful Hadlee outswinger removed Richards. Graeme Pollocks response was to milk his first over off Hadlee for 18, including four consecutive on-driven boundaries!! He only added one more boundary before Bond found his outside edge to make it 53-2. First innings star Wagner hadn't even been tossed the ball yet and just after he was, Cairns got one to steeple on Kallis, who feathered a hook behind, at the other end and it was 78-3. Wagner was causing problems every over but Cairns was gleaning to rewards at the other end, Smith trying to attack him but cutting one way to close to him, edging onto his body and onto Ross Taylor at short-leg. He almost had Nourse twice and then, in a three over spell before lunch, Vettori was convinced he had De Villiers caught behind twice, before finally seeing the finger go up with his third appeal.
113-5 at lunch and Tayfield was back out having to produce with the bat once again. One he did in terrific deadbat style as alongside Nourse, they batted the enter penultimate session for just 35 runs. With hopes of a positive result fading, Bond produced a beauty, round the wicket, bounced in and forcing Tayfield to glove it off his chin only to see Fleming dive from wideish 1st slip to grab it at about 3rd. Nourse contiuned with Pollock though and with a little over half-hour left of fading light, Williamson called for the new ball as his last hope. Bond did pick up his third of the innings by snaffling Shaun Pollock but by that point the Proteas were home dry with the draw.
3rd Test Pitch: @Disharies @RUDI
Hanif Mohammad
Saeed Anwar
Shoaib Mohammad
Zaheer Abbas
Javed Miandad
Younis Khan
Mohammad Yousuf
Inzamam-ul-Haq
Babar Azam
Mohammad Rizwan
Imran Khan
Mushtaq Mohammad
Wasim Akram
Waqar Younis
Shoaib Akhtar
Fazal Mahmood
Saqlain Mushtaq
Yasir Shah
Sorry mate, Iqbal isn't in the squad, can bring Yasir Shah in if you want. @CerealKiller
CerealKiller
Staff Member
My bad. Let’s go with Yasir, yes.
2nd Test. Multan Cricket Stadium.
With pressure mounting on Ashwin's position as captain in the Indian press, he desperately needed a good start and winning the toss and batting first seemed perfect. They still needed to face Wasim and Waqar though and the latter removed Sehwag for a joke and just when it felt like Gavaskar had fought through it, Saqlain came on a managed to take his edge for a 58-ball 5. Sachin and Kohli had rebuilding to do and just when it looked like they were getting to lunch; Tendulkar managed to miss a straight one and it was 55-3. Laxman set about proving the decision to bring him into the side right by combining in an excellent century stand with Kohli after lunch but tea was called when Kohli misjudged a hook and top-edged a Waqar bouncer straight into his face underneath the grill. When Jadeja walked out for the evening session with Laxman, it seemed safe that India were effectively 4 down with it later announced that Kohli was in concussion protocol as well as dealing with more obvious facial injuries. With the possibility of a Pakistan reverse attack, it was crucial that Jadeja stayed with the imperious looking Laxman. With the exception of one edge that Babar Azam dropped off Waqar, he managed it. Imran then took the new ball and immediately managed to catch Laxman's edge to have him caught behind for 90 but Dhoni managed to see out the close at 274-4.
That was officially basically 5 down when it was announced before play that Kohli would not be back for at least this test, turning an excellent first day for the visitors to just an above average one. Their position definitely went to excellent by lunch though. Jadeja brought up his second fifty in two tests early in the session and then went into destroy mode, adding 70 more by the interval, taking an extra liking to Saqlain, forced into bowling more thanks to some shoulder soreness that Yasir Shah woke up with. Pakistan needed some inspiration at 405-4(/5) and the skipper provided it himself, getting the centurion with the fourth ball after tea and Ashwin cheaply shortly afterwards. With Bedi in at 9, Dhoni suddenly needed to go from a support role to being the aggressor, he added 20 more before edging Wasim behind and there was little more to add before India were all out for 443.
Saeed Anwar sensed the momentum change, with an hour left in the day, and plundered 44 at almost a run-a-ball as they hosts reached the close at 54-0.
Creating just one chance in the entire morning session was not in the script for Ravi Ashwin, even more so when Dhoni put in down after Anwar under-edged a hook off a Srinath bouncer that didn't get up. The only thing India were doing well was at least slowing them down, mainly because Ashwin refused to bowl himself after being marmalised the previous evening. After trying everything else, he eventually brought himself on and it was him that got the breakthrough by bowling Anwar round his legs. With Hanif in pure-Boycott mode, Younis Khan came in to try and provide impetus and by lunch it was 224-1. India's last real chance of turning the tide came from the new ball but it did hardly anything except allow Hanif to score at a slightly quicker rate, reaching his century and continuing on until the 102nd over, when he eventually edged Jadeja behind to make it 336-2. Younis Khan then completed the task of the entire top three getting hundreds before departing to Jadeja for 112. No-one could have predicted the collapse that precipitated as Jadeja and Ashwin took over; Yousuf last just two balls and then the skipper ripped one past Babar Azam; Ashwin had Miandad caught behind for a painful 24 and then Imran looked plain perplexed when he was bowled by Jadeja, before the left-armer completed his five-fer by removing Saqlain for a duck; a period of 6 for 20 that had India suddenly thinking about a first innings lead. Wasim did manage to slog a brisky 22 before becoming Jadeja's sixth victim and Bedi finally picked up a wicket by cleaning up Yasir Shah and India had a nine run lead.
Suddenly, we were looking at what was basically a two-day, one-innings game. Albeit one with India missing a concussed Kohli. That, allied with Akram bowling Sehwag cheaply through the gate early on, lead to Gavaskar and Tendulkar batting in a 'make the game safe before winning it' style. They survived until lunch but Imran brought Wasim back on and he produced a carbon-copy of the ball that removed Sehwag, this time thundering into Tendulkar's pads and whilst the score was 95-2, it was basically 104-3. Laxman came out looking like a man with a first innings 90 and Imran was forced to call upon an obviously struggling Yasir Shah. It worked too, bowling Laxman out of nowhere just before tea. Gavaskar has reached 98 by that point, with a lead of 200. Jadeja decided to try and play exactly like he'd finished the first innings but missed a straight one from Saqlain after adding a quickfire 17. Dhoni continued a a similarly attacking style before playing one shot too many and falling to Saqlain too, meaning the under fire captain joined Gavaskar in the middle with the lead at 269 and one wicket away from the three man tail. He thrived under the pressure, even hitting a six as they added 44 by the close to make the lead 313.
Ashwin went on the attack to get to a half-century then next morning and when Gavaskar brought up the 350 and his 150 with consecutive boundaries, that was enough for Ashwin as he called them in with a lead of 354 and just over two and a half sessions to take ten wickets to level the series.
Shami and Srinath were brilliant for an hour and shared the openers and there was silence around the stadium when Bedi was tossed the ball for the last over before lunch and produced a beauty to get rid of Miandad and reduce them to 32-3. If you thought that was quiet, you could positively hear a pin drop when the stubborn Younis Khan was caught bat-pad with Bedi's first delivery after the interval.
Ashwin decided to partner Bedi with his fellow left-armer rather than himself and that paid dividends in his fourth over, when Sehwag took a beauty to remove Yousuf. Dhoni then got into the act with a magnificent piece of work to stump Babar Azam and Wasim Akram was joining his captain and fellow all-rounder with three and a half hours to bat. He last just two ball as Bedi had him lbw. Saqlain went for a duck and when Bedi completed his five-fer getting Younis Shah for another duck, it was 57-9. Two balls later, it was another duck; Bedi had figures of 6-11; Imran Khan had a face like thunder at the other end and the series was 1-1.
Third Test pitch: @CerealKiller @pillowprocter (Kohli out for this one)
With pressure mounting on Ashwin's position as captain in the Indian press, he desperately needed a good start and winning the toss and batting first seemed perfect. They still needed to face Wasim and Waqar though and the latter removed Sehwag for a joke and just when it felt like Gavaskar had fought through it, Saqlain came on a managed to take his edge for a 58-ball 5. Sachin and Kohli had rebuilding to do and just when it looked like they were getting to lunch; Tendulkar managed to miss a straight one and it was 55-3. Laxman set about proving the decision to bring him into the side right by combining in an excellent century stand with Kohli after lunch but tea was called when Kohli misjudged a hook and top-edged a Waqar bouncer straight into his face underneath the grill. When Jadeja walked out for the evening session with Laxman, it seemed safe that India were effectively 4 down with it later announced that Kohli was in concussion protocol as well as dealing with more obvious facial injuries. With the possibility of a Pakistan reverse attack, it was crucial that Jadeja stayed with the imperious looking Laxman. With the exception of one edge that Babar Azam dropped off Waqar, he managed it. Imran then took the new ball and immediately managed to catch Laxman's edge to have him caught behind for 90 but Dhoni managed to see out the close at 274-4.
That was officially basically 5 down when it was announced before play that Kohli would not be back for at least this test, turning an excellent first day for the visitors to just an above average one. Their position definitely went to excellent by lunch though. Jadeja brought up his second fifty in two tests early in the session and then went into destroy mode, adding 70 more by the interval, taking an extra liking to Saqlain, forced into bowling more thanks to some shoulder soreness that Yasir Shah woke up with. Pakistan needed some inspiration at 405-4(/5) and the skipper provided it himself, getting the centurion with the fourth ball after tea and Ashwin cheaply shortly afterwards. With Bedi in at 9, Dhoni suddenly needed to go from a support role to being the aggressor, he added 20 more before edging Wasim behind and there was little more to add before India were all out for 443.
Saeed Anwar sensed the momentum change, with an hour left in the day, and plundered 44 at almost a run-a-ball as they hosts reached the close at 54-0.
Creating just one chance in the entire morning session was not in the script for Ravi Ashwin, even more so when Dhoni put in down after Anwar under-edged a hook off a Srinath bouncer that didn't get up. The only thing India were doing well was at least slowing them down, mainly because Ashwin refused to bowl himself after being marmalised the previous evening. After trying everything else, he eventually brought himself on and it was him that got the breakthrough by bowling Anwar round his legs. With Hanif in pure-Boycott mode, Younis Khan came in to try and provide impetus and by lunch it was 224-1. India's last real chance of turning the tide came from the new ball but it did hardly anything except allow Hanif to score at a slightly quicker rate, reaching his century and continuing on until the 102nd over, when he eventually edged Jadeja behind to make it 336-2. Younis Khan then completed the task of the entire top three getting hundreds before departing to Jadeja for 112. No-one could have predicted the collapse that precipitated as Jadeja and Ashwin took over; Yousuf last just two balls and then the skipper ripped one past Babar Azam; Ashwin had Miandad caught behind for a painful 24 and then Imran looked plain perplexed when he was bowled by Jadeja, before the left-armer completed his five-fer by removing Saqlain for a duck; a period of 6 for 20 that had India suddenly thinking about a first innings lead. Wasim did manage to slog a brisky 22 before becoming Jadeja's sixth victim and Bedi finally picked up a wicket by cleaning up Yasir Shah and India had a nine run lead.
Suddenly, we were looking at what was basically a two-day, one-innings game. Albeit one with India missing a concussed Kohli. That, allied with Akram bowling Sehwag cheaply through the gate early on, lead to Gavaskar and Tendulkar batting in a 'make the game safe before winning it' style. They survived until lunch but Imran brought Wasim back on and he produced a carbon-copy of the ball that removed Sehwag, this time thundering into Tendulkar's pads and whilst the score was 95-2, it was basically 104-3. Laxman came out looking like a man with a first innings 90 and Imran was forced to call upon an obviously struggling Yasir Shah. It worked too, bowling Laxman out of nowhere just before tea. Gavaskar has reached 98 by that point, with a lead of 200. Jadeja decided to try and play exactly like he'd finished the first innings but missed a straight one from Saqlain after adding a quickfire 17. Dhoni continued a a similarly attacking style before playing one shot too many and falling to Saqlain too, meaning the under fire captain joined Gavaskar in the middle with the lead at 269 and one wicket away from the three man tail. He thrived under the pressure, even hitting a six as they added 44 by the close to make the lead 313.
Ashwin went on the attack to get to a half-century then next morning and when Gavaskar brought up the 350 and his 150 with consecutive boundaries, that was enough for Ashwin as he called them in with a lead of 354 and just over two and a half sessions to take ten wickets to level the series.
Shami and Srinath were brilliant for an hour and shared the openers and there was silence around the stadium when Bedi was tossed the ball for the last over before lunch and produced a beauty to get rid of Miandad and reduce them to 32-3. If you thought that was quiet, you could positively hear a pin drop when the stubborn Younis Khan was caught bat-pad with Bedi's first delivery after the interval.
Ashwin decided to partner Bedi with his fellow left-armer rather than himself and that paid dividends in his fourth over, when Sehwag took a beauty to remove Yousuf. Dhoni then got into the act with a magnificent piece of work to stump Babar Azam and Wasim Akram was joining his captain and fellow all-rounder with three and a half hours to bat. He last just two ball as Bedi had him lbw. Saqlain went for a duck and when Bedi completed his five-fer getting Younis Shah for another duck, it was 57-9. Two balls later, it was another duck; Bedi had figures of 6-11; Imran Khan had a face like thunder at the other end and the series was 1-1.
Third Test pitch: @CerealKiller @pillowprocter (Kohli out for this one)
pillowprocter
Panel of Selectors
6 FOR 11! What a man. It's too bad about Kohli, we will replace him with Ganguly.
CerealKiller
Staff Member
Do you hate Dravid?
That was a pathetic collapse, the batters need to wake up.
Shoaib Akhtar comes in for Yasir Shah.
3rd Test. Seddon Park, Hamilton
After losing the toss, the decision from Graeme Smith to partner Pollock with Rabada paid off early when Rabada pinned McCullum in front for one and could well have been even better if he hadn't shelled Sutcliffe off Pollock. In fact, throughout a 61-run partnership with Williamson, Sutcliffe lived a charmed life. He was also dropped by Richards off of Donald and had several more edges find the gap between the slips and gully, before Rabada finally removed him by bowling him in a second spell, just before lunch. The post lunch session became a full on battle at one end between the batsman and Tayfield, one that looked like the hosts would emerge from unscathed until Williamson made a mistake at the end of his eighth over and picked out Dudley Nourse at mid-off. Smith then tossed the ball back to Rabada who picked up a third wicket in Ross Taylor to reduce NZ to 138-4 at tea. Fleming and Hadlee finally looked like getting on top of the old ball, building a partnership after tea and then another bowling change worked as Tayfield came on and had Fleming out caught behind. At 201-5, the new ball battle between the all-rounders in the middle/lower-order and the Pollock/Rabada pairing was going to be crucial. Pollock removed all three of them, whilst Rabada added Wagner for a duck and if it wasn't for De Villiers dropping a sitter gifted him from Bond off Rabada, South Africa would have completed the job on day one.
That cost them too. By the time Rabada completed a five-fer on the second morning, Bracewell had added 23 and rather than bowling them out for 224, it was 262.
That momentum kept going as Kallis found himself coming out to bat in the third over and almost saw them go three down in the fourth when Taylor put down Barry Richards at leg slip off Shane Bond. That would have been 5-3, but they did lose Richards just before lunch as he drove Chris Cairns straight to Bracewell at point. De Villiers came in at five and never looked comfortable; eventually cutting Vettori straight to slip. At 60-4, Dudley Nourse came in and dropped anchor, taking 65 balls to reach double figures in support of Kallis, who scrapped his way to a half-century and they got to tea at 114-4 before reaping the rewards after the break as they added 90 more against the old ball, without losing a wicket, in the evening session.
New Zealand could really do with the new ball making inroads but, unlike the first cherry, it did nothing. They weren't helped by Wagner still being off the field after feeling his groin and it was a shock when the partnership was ended at 201 by Kallis cutting Cairns straight to slip. The Kiwi's needed some inspiration and got it from Shane Bond, beating Tayfield and Nourse in quick succession to bowl them both and then Vettori broke the potentially dangerous Pollock/Rabada partnership by getting the all-rounder caught gully. Cairns bowled Rabada and when Steyn found slip off Vettori, 261-4 & 280-5 had become 313 all out.
Sutcliffe and McCullum needed a better start than in the first innings and they did more than just that as they rollicked along at almost 4 an over, wiping out the deficit and it felt like it was rudely interrupted when Shaun Pollock took two in two balls, removing McCullum for 38 (making his series average end at under 20, putting the opener experiment up for debate after an excellent opening series) and then Williamson, meaning Fleming had to face the hat-trick ball. However, Sutcliffe and Fleming had build a partnership of 62 by the close, with only Tayfield and Pollock even managing to keep the run-rate in check.
South Africa needed a fast start and got it with Donald removing Fleming but Sutcliffe was starting to look like Brian Lara, flaying the old ball to all parts in reaching a century and by lunch, his partnership with Taylor was worth 116. That made the lead 209 and still nine overs until the new ball. By the time it arrived, Sutcliffe had a daddy hundred, Taylor had 50 and it was 299-3. The partnership wasn't interested in slowing down and it wasn't any new ball movement that took the wicket of Ross Taylor, but him skying a lofted on-drive to Dale Steyn at mid-on. By tea, it was 385-4 and the only question was how aggressive Williamson was going to be in trying to win the series with his declaration. When Sutcliffe fell six short of a double hundred, trying to slog-sweep Tayfield, that was on the back of Hadlee getting out with a horrible shot and the lead was just 350. However Cairns and Vettori both produced useful knocks to allow them to declare at 447-9, a lead of 396, with 45 minutes to bowl at the end of day four.
Barry Richards started like a man that thought 397 was more than achievable and swatted four boundaries in the first nine balls of the innings but eventually took one chance too many and fell to Bond for a 14-ball 17. Hadlee then added a second wicket before the close by getting Graeme Pollock out for an 11-ball 1.
The last thing Graeme Smith wanted to see walking out on Day Five was overcast conditions over Seddon Park, but that's what he has as they set about trying to save the series draw. What he would have been happy with is first innings centurion Kallis setting about at his nuggety best and Neil Wagner prowling the outfield and Williamson not wanting to risk that injured groin. They saw off Bond and Hadlee and looked set fair. That was until Kallis went back to a full one from Vettori and was trapped in front and Smith played for turn off a straight one and they were suddenly four down. AB de Villiers and Nourse knew they had to play a significant knock but that ended just after lunch when Bond got one to lift on Nourse and McCullum snaffled the chance. Tayfield came out and with the clouds getting darker, the visitors suddenly sensed rain. The rain never came but the sixth wicket partnership lasted well over an hour but, with a quarter of an hour until tea, de Villiers cut Bracewell straight to Stephen Fleming and walked off in complete anguish.
Hadlee broke Tayfield's resistance after 79 balls just after the break and then got Rabada three balls later. This left Pollock, Steyn and Donald needing to survive well over an hour. Steyn produce the defensive innings of his career. Surviving the old-ball, the new-ball and even a desperate two over spell from a gutsy but clearly injured Wagner to last 74 balls and save the game.
@RUDI @Disharies
After losing the toss, the decision from Graeme Smith to partner Pollock with Rabada paid off early when Rabada pinned McCullum in front for one and could well have been even better if he hadn't shelled Sutcliffe off Pollock. In fact, throughout a 61-run partnership with Williamson, Sutcliffe lived a charmed life. He was also dropped by Richards off of Donald and had several more edges find the gap between the slips and gully, before Rabada finally removed him by bowling him in a second spell, just before lunch. The post lunch session became a full on battle at one end between the batsman and Tayfield, one that looked like the hosts would emerge from unscathed until Williamson made a mistake at the end of his eighth over and picked out Dudley Nourse at mid-off. Smith then tossed the ball back to Rabada who picked up a third wicket in Ross Taylor to reduce NZ to 138-4 at tea. Fleming and Hadlee finally looked like getting on top of the old ball, building a partnership after tea and then another bowling change worked as Tayfield came on and had Fleming out caught behind. At 201-5, the new ball battle between the all-rounders in the middle/lower-order and the Pollock/Rabada pairing was going to be crucial. Pollock removed all three of them, whilst Rabada added Wagner for a duck and if it wasn't for De Villiers dropping a sitter gifted him from Bond off Rabada, South Africa would have completed the job on day one.
That cost them too. By the time Rabada completed a five-fer on the second morning, Bracewell had added 23 and rather than bowling them out for 224, it was 262.
That momentum kept going as Kallis found himself coming out to bat in the third over and almost saw them go three down in the fourth when Taylor put down Barry Richards at leg slip off Shane Bond. That would have been 5-3, but they did lose Richards just before lunch as he drove Chris Cairns straight to Bracewell at point. De Villiers came in at five and never looked comfortable; eventually cutting Vettori straight to slip. At 60-4, Dudley Nourse came in and dropped anchor, taking 65 balls to reach double figures in support of Kallis, who scrapped his way to a half-century and they got to tea at 114-4 before reaping the rewards after the break as they added 90 more against the old ball, without losing a wicket, in the evening session.
New Zealand could really do with the new ball making inroads but, unlike the first cherry, it did nothing. They weren't helped by Wagner still being off the field after feeling his groin and it was a shock when the partnership was ended at 201 by Kallis cutting Cairns straight to slip. The Kiwi's needed some inspiration and got it from Shane Bond, beating Tayfield and Nourse in quick succession to bowl them both and then Vettori broke the potentially dangerous Pollock/Rabada partnership by getting the all-rounder caught gully. Cairns bowled Rabada and when Steyn found slip off Vettori, 261-4 & 280-5 had become 313 all out.
Sutcliffe and McCullum needed a better start than in the first innings and they did more than just that as they rollicked along at almost 4 an over, wiping out the deficit and it felt like it was rudely interrupted when Shaun Pollock took two in two balls, removing McCullum for 38 (making his series average end at under 20, putting the opener experiment up for debate after an excellent opening series) and then Williamson, meaning Fleming had to face the hat-trick ball. However, Sutcliffe and Fleming had build a partnership of 62 by the close, with only Tayfield and Pollock even managing to keep the run-rate in check.
South Africa needed a fast start and got it with Donald removing Fleming but Sutcliffe was starting to look like Brian Lara, flaying the old ball to all parts in reaching a century and by lunch, his partnership with Taylor was worth 116. That made the lead 209 and still nine overs until the new ball. By the time it arrived, Sutcliffe had a daddy hundred, Taylor had 50 and it was 299-3. The partnership wasn't interested in slowing down and it wasn't any new ball movement that took the wicket of Ross Taylor, but him skying a lofted on-drive to Dale Steyn at mid-on. By tea, it was 385-4 and the only question was how aggressive Williamson was going to be in trying to win the series with his declaration. When Sutcliffe fell six short of a double hundred, trying to slog-sweep Tayfield, that was on the back of Hadlee getting out with a horrible shot and the lead was just 350. However Cairns and Vettori both produced useful knocks to allow them to declare at 447-9, a lead of 396, with 45 minutes to bowl at the end of day four.
Barry Richards started like a man that thought 397 was more than achievable and swatted four boundaries in the first nine balls of the innings but eventually took one chance too many and fell to Bond for a 14-ball 17. Hadlee then added a second wicket before the close by getting Graeme Pollock out for an 11-ball 1.
The last thing Graeme Smith wanted to see walking out on Day Five was overcast conditions over Seddon Park, but that's what he has as they set about trying to save the series draw. What he would have been happy with is first innings centurion Kallis setting about at his nuggety best and Neil Wagner prowling the outfield and Williamson not wanting to risk that injured groin. They saw off Bond and Hadlee and looked set fair. That was until Kallis went back to a full one from Vettori and was trapped in front and Smith played for turn off a straight one and they were suddenly four down. AB de Villiers and Nourse knew they had to play a significant knock but that ended just after lunch when Bond got one to lift on Nourse and McCullum snaffled the chance. Tayfield came out and with the clouds getting darker, the visitors suddenly sensed rain. The rain never came but the sixth wicket partnership lasted well over an hour but, with a quarter of an hour until tea, de Villiers cut Bracewell straight to Stephen Fleming and walked off in complete anguish.
Hadlee broke Tayfield's resistance after 79 balls just after the break and then got Rabada three balls later. This left Pollock, Steyn and Donald needing to survive well over an hour. Steyn produce the defensive innings of his career. Surviving the old-ball, the new-ball and even a desperate two over spell from a gutsy but clearly injured Wagner to last 74 balls and save the game.
@RUDI @Disharies
pillowprocter
Panel of Selectors
Injured for this series
