Ajmal’s ‘Doosra’ did the damage on the ‘Doosra’ day; let’s see how the ‘Teesra’ day goes

Thursday, January 26th, 2012 10:52:10 by Ahmed Babar

Pakistan finished the Day 1 with 256 runs for the loss of seven wickets as captain, Misbah-ul-Haq decided to bat after winning the toss. Misbah and Saeed Ajmal came out to start the proceedings for Pakistan during the second day of the Abu Dhabi Test.

Team Pakistan was hoping to get some 50 odd runs and push the total to around 300 minimum to challenge the opposition. English bowlers however had different plans.

Skipper managed to add one more run to the total as Pakistan’s tail collapsed, both Saeed Ajmal and Junaid Khan walked back to the dressing room without troubling the score board.

Nevertheless, Pakistan finished their innings with a fighting total of 257 runs on a difficult track. Misbah, Asad Shafiq and Muhammad Hafeez were the stars of Pakistan’s innings with their contributions of 84, 58 and 31 runs to the total.

AJ Strauss and AN Cook started the proceedings for the English side on Day 2. Muhammad Hafeez managed to send Strauss back to pavilion cheaply after Asad Shafiq took a stunning catch on the silly mid on which bring Trott on the ground.

Both Cook and Trott added 139 runs together and right when it seemed that the game was drifting away from Pakistan, Abdur Rehman, the crafty left arm off spinner produced a gem of a delivery. He managed to get through the defenses of Trott who played well
for his 74.

Rehman provided Pakistan with just the breakthrough they needed at a crucial stage. He was accompanied by Saeed Ajmal who bowled a stunner to send the well settled Cook back to the pavilion.

Ajmal bowled beautifully and English batsmen struggled against his ‘Doosra’. Next to go was Kevin Pieterson who was caught brilliantly by Hafeez in first slip as Ajmal took his second wicket.

With the English side 204-3, the damage was already done but Ajmal was not done yet as he came on to bowl the last over of the day.

He produced just the right delivery to clip the outside edge of Morgan’s bat as the bowl landed in the safe hands of Hafeez.

Team England, who at one stage was 198-2, lost three wickets for 9 runs only and finished the second with the total of 207-5 at the end of Day 2.

The home side still has a lead of 50 runs as they look towards their bowling department to get some early wickets during the third day.

Saeed Ajmal could play an important role during the Day 3 as the off spinner loves bowling at the depth, especially to the English batsmen.

Tags: , adults, AJ Strauss, AN Cook, Asad Shafiq, Contraband, cricket, Doosra, England, English, green tea, Junaid Khan, Justice Qazi Faez, Kevin Pieterson, newsfeed, political situation, tech savvy, Trott

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