Offical thread - after match disscussion day 1 [8/03/05]

[Amjid Javed]

match summary

Lunch: Pakistan 91/3 (Inzamam-ul-Haq 25*, Yousuf Youhana 2*)

Tea: Pakistan 191/6 in 51 overs (Asim Kamal 33*, Kamran Akmal 0*)

closeakistan 312 (86.4 ov)

thoughts on days play? plans for tmoz?

[MIG]

Well - for recent Pakistani standards, an outstanding performance....

However, fast outfield and Indian batting as it stands - only a miracle can save us ....

And thats the optimistic view....

[Amjid Javed]

pakistan need to bowl well early on and take their catches. 300 was a minimum score and pakistan are still in the game. pakistan need 2 bowl well.

well done asim kamal,taufeeq and inzi. also well done balaji.

[pakistani pride]

think its ok ! our bowlers can work with that.

You need to takke wickets with the new ball and if we do that the pressure will be right back on them !

[tahaqureshi]

if india aren't 150/4 atleast, then we're screwed

[pakistani pride]

like amjid said 300 is a minimum score on this wicket . We are still in the game and our bowlers will have to bowl the ********* out under 350 !

[Officer Barbrady]

We need to bowl well with the new ball - swing with control, take our catches and try very hard to restrict them around 350.

There is hope...Gambir is very new to international cricket, Sehwag is a little suspect against swing bowling, Laxman takes a while to settle while Tendulkar hasn't played in months. Ganguly isn't amongst the best in the world.

Having said that it will take a very very good effort in the field tomorrow.

[Amjid Javed]

pakistan have to gain a lead or not allow india more than a 50 run lead.

batting last will be hard!

[Fawad]

I think they'll be some movement early on 2mrw morning so it's upto the bowlers to captalise on that just like Pathan, Balaji and Zaheer did.


Go RANA!

[Flirta-P]

2moro we need sewags dravids wikets badly once u get them out the rest of the team crumble also i dnt mind tandoori gettin a 100 cus wen he does india usually lose. So go tendulker!!!!

[Saj]

312 is a dissappointing first innings total in my opinion. We had on paper a lenghty batting lineup with Razzaq coming in at number 7 and we should have got 350 plus.

Too often as is the case, players get in and then give it away, Taufeeq, Razzaq and Akmal being prime examples of players who today should have gone on and scored "big".

However all is not lost, the new ball spells of Sami and Rana will of course be crucial. No early wickets and it could be 2 long days in the field for our boys.

[KA$H]

personally i can see a LOOONG day in the feild over the next 2 days

i dont think our bowlers have the discipline - and i think the indian batting line can be as classy as the aussies

[MIG]

Originally Posted by Marooned We need to bowl well with the new ball - swing with control, take our catches and try very hard to restrict them around 350. There is hope...Gambir is very new to international cricket, Sehwag is a little suspect against swing bowling, Laxman takes a while to settle while Tendulkar hasn't played in months. Ganguly isn't amongst the best in the world. Having said that it will take a very very good effort in the field tomorrow.

Quick write an email to BW...... :-D

[Schiller]

inzi should have scored big too

[OZGOD]

Still in the game, definitely - but I think Pakistan needs to take some wickets with the new ball, otherwise they might be facing a total of 500+. Rana and Sami will have to bowl some really hostile spells tomorrow. If they can take two or three wickets in the first session then they'll make back all the ground that was lost today. First session tomorrow will be the key - and getting Sehwag early. I reckon he's the big wicket, more so than Tendulkar or Dravid. If he gets a move on he can take the game away from your blokes.

It's only Day 1 - far too early to make pronouncements on defeat or victory. The Test match isn't over until one side has taken 20 wickets.

[MIG]

Well add another 20 from each of the 3 under 10 batsman and we could have been closer to 400.... Thats the diff between good and bad teams...

[Saj]

hasanahmad Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 93 am

------------------------------------------------------------

They are using the australian approach. the batsmen will attack even if they lose wickets. thats what the australians do as well. i hope they continue doing it when bowling as well

KA$H Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 10:32 am

------------------------------------------------------------

frankly we are not australia - so if that was the tactic, then the think tank needs a reality check

(havin seen the mornin session i dont think thats teh case tho)

Waqar's inswinging yorker Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 103 am

------------------------------------------------------------

i agree with hasan - attacking is good but u shouldnt go overboard - still have to mix it up - kamal/inzigood examples on scoring pretty uickly but not playing overly aggressive
_________________


badxhah Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 107 am

------------------------------------------------------------

yea but the aussies changed that tactic when they won last yr becuz the attack tactic in 2000 against india backfired,

[Rudi hater]

I think at the begining of the day if I was given 380 I would have taken it, Pakistan lost the initiative after Inzi's dismissal. They did well to get to 300 mark which is about 60-70 runs short. However, Pakistan can restrict India to 350 if they bowl according to plan for me Rana and Kaneria will be key with Sami's pace. we are in for great contest Inzi will have to put pressure to buy Indian wickets. We will see how things develop tomorrow morning.

Umpiring, Rudi was as usual crap and Hair was fantastic.

[Officer Barbrady]

Originally Posted by MenInGreen Well add another 20 from each of the 3 under 10 batsman and we could have been closer to 400.... Thats the diff between good and bad teams...

The good teams score because a couple go on and make big hundreds. There is always a player or two who will get out under 10. In our case Inzi and Taufeeq needed to go on.

[Gasherbrum]

closer to the 400 mark would have been really good. but with early wickets and 3 out of our top 5 batsmen contributing next to nothing, i'll take what we have.

the key for balaji was bowling nice and straight, on the stumps. three of his wickets were bowled. if sami can peg away on that off-middle stump line, with this low bounce we might be able to make some inroads.

[Schiller]

balaji was cutting the ball too a bit gasher
that was the key

[Officer Barbrady]

And hitting the seam consistently.

[Schiller]

si si

[Officer Barbrady]

what?

[Schiller]

hein?

[Gasherbrum]

por favor?

[Officer Barbrady]

??

[Gasherbrum]

the only spanish i know is Penelope Cruz.

[MIG]

Oi kee akhiya ?

[arsal_pakfan]

A disappointing performance in truest sense!

many were expecting our batsmen to show some sort of patience with the bat atleast perform a level above with the bat compared to what they did against Aussies in difficult batting conditions!

we scored 300+ scores twice against the best bowling attack of Australia in Australia so here we should have scored 400+ atleast!

the biggest disappointments for today were Butt,Yoyo and specially Razzaq!..he was given a chance more so coz of his batting and he easily let that oppurtunity go away from him to cement a place in the Test side!..Inzi,Taufeeq and Kamal should have also scored big hundreds but they threw away their wickets at decent scores, though I feel Inzi was unlucky as he looked not out to me due to that long stride he took outside the crease!

i m expecting Indian batsmen to dominate our bowlers for next 2 days easily!!..i wont be surprised if it will be the opposite of Lahore Test last year!..we bowled the Indians out on a green surface within the 1st day for 287 and then made a big score of 470+ and won the match afterwards!

as MIG said only a miracle can save us now!

[MIG]

Good analysis by Prem Panicker.....

From Rediff:


Kamal provides the spine for Pakistan
http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2005/mar/08prem.htm
Prem Panicker | March 08, 2005 18:28 IST



If you can keep your head while all about you are losing theirs, your name's Asim Kamal -- that has got to be the nutshell version of the story of day one of the first Test between India and Pakistan at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali.

Pakistan's top order did its best to justify Sourav Ganguly's decision to insert after winning the toss – and if the young Kamal, who appears to have a yen for the Indian bowling (three fifties thus against the arch rivals), hadn't provided the spine for a succession of resuscitating partnerships, Pakistan would have been in deep trouble.

As it stands, Pakistan lost its last wicket almost on the stroke of stumps, to end its first innings on 312 -- and Lakshmipathy Balaji, a last minute inclusion in the side, hit his straps with the first five-wicket haul of his career.

There was some green on the track; Mohali does tend to give the seamers something to work with in the early stages of each day -- but on balance, the wicket wasn't demoniac in terms of either pace, or bounce.

A Pakistan report card, made by an impartial teacher, would thus read: Lacks application and concentration, can do much better.

The Indian think tank bought big time into the legend of Mohali's pace and went in with three seamers (damned if I can remember the last time we did that in a home Test, come to think of it), opting to rest Harbhajan Singh and bring in Balaji to back up Zaheer Khan and Irfan Pathan.

The ploy worked -- if you consider the evidence of three wickets prised out in the first session, another three in the second (and traditionally, batsmen-friendly) session, and the final four in the extended final session.

Consider the nature of the dismissals, though, and you have to say that well as the Indians bowled, the Pakistani batsmen contributed largely to their own demise.

The stylish Salman Butt went first -- Pathan's delivery was fullish and swinging in, but the left-hander contributed to his dismissal by standing motionless and driving without being in position for the shot; he ended up playing around the ball and having his stumps disarrayed (11/1 Pak, in the 7th over).

When Younis Khan was made vice-captain, there was some criticism that he doesn't really deserve his place in the side for his batting alone.

Zaheer bowled him a quicker, fuller ball on line of leg, straightening on to leg and middle -- but again, Khan did himself no favors with a vague shuffle that put him in no position to meet ball with bat; the strike on the pads was good, and Pak had lost its second wicket in the 10th over (30/2).

Inzamam-ul Haq looked in sublime touch from the get-go; not so Taufeeq Umar, who scratched and pushed and prodded at the other end. The opener looked like he'd prefer a stint of hard labour to having to face Pathan and Zaheer -- but to his credit, he gritted it out in a 59-run partnership with his captain before wafting one too many times at a ball outside off, to touch it through to inner edge onto his stumps (89/3 in the 25th over).

The fall of Umar was unfortunately timed -- Pakistan had at that point looked to be recovering from the fall of two early wickets; had the pair survived through to lunch, the batting side would have felt in a far happier frame of mind. Losing Umar just ahead of the break meant that Pakistan went in to lunch three down, and a rearguard action ahead in the second session, when traditionally, conditions are best suited to batting.

Yousuf Youhana has this tendency to walk into his front foot shots -- that tendency did for him when, shortly after lunch, Pathan took him out with a delivery angled across the right hander leaving him.

Youhana poked at it with his bat on the walk, got the edge, and walked (104/4 in the 28th).

That brought Asim Kamal out to join his captain -- and for a while, it was all Inzamam. The Pakistan skipper is in sublime touch; in that mood, he plays the ball heart-stoppingly late, off either foot, and seems to have a few different shots for every delivery. With Kamal playing well within himself, Inzy eased his side past the 150 mark -- and then made the mistake of playing Kumble with pad in front of bat. He had just survived one appeal for line; Kumble merely straightened it on full length, Inzy came well forward and took it on the front pad, then looked puzzled when he was given out. No need to be, really -- the ball was skidding straight through, and apt to crash onto the top of middle stump if that big foot hadn't come in the way.

It was a pity, really, because Inzy was setting up a nice little contest with the Indian bowlers, when he became the latest to fall into Kumble's trap (156/5 in the 43rd over).

Abdul Razzaq wandered into the middle of what he thought was the closing stage of a one day game – and blazed away, clubbing Kumble for three fours in one over. That set it up for the competitive leggie to tease the right handed all rounder with six variations in the next over -- and just when we were settling down to an interesting contest, Balaji spoilt the party.

The right arm seamer had been bowling at a fair clip; a quick one from him outside off saw Razzaq flashing with his feet nowhere in position for that parody of a drive. Outer edge, regulation take, and Razzaq was on his way for an impetuous 26 off 24 (191/6, in the 51st over).

From that point on, it was all Kamal. In company with Kamran Akmal, first, and then Mohammad Sami, the middle order batsman stitched together stands of 48 and 43 -- associations that beefed up the Pakistan score, halted the Indians in their track, and ensured that the home side didn't run away with the game.

Kamal was a revelation -- both for the fluency of his cuts and drives, and for the patience with which he bided his time, waiting for the bad ball to punish. For a youngster, he showed a good sense of playing with the tail, never looking to shield them, but constantly encouraging them to stick it out and keep the board ticking over.

Kumble's dismissal of Akmal was for me the highlight of the day.

Against a tight defense, the leggie hit a line on leg and middle, bowling quick and flat and forcing the batsman to use quick footwork to keep the ball out. Having primed his man and got him playing in a groove, almost on auto pilot, Kumble then produced a ball with greater loop, that hit the deck, spun, bounced that fraction more, and took the thick outer edge for Dravid to complete a clean take at slips -- a classic instance of the mind of the leggie triumphing over the little matter of a track that offered him nothing to work with.

From then on, it was all Balaji. Given the second new ball ahead of Zaheer, the lanky paceman from Chennai struck with a sequence of superb deliveries. Against Sami, he produced a ball from close to the stumps that held a line of just around off, squared the batsman up, moved away just enough to go past the bat, and clipped the side of off stump on its way through.

Next up, he bamboozled Kamal, by then stroking a series of drives with impeccable timing, with a delivery angled across him that brought the batsman forward, and seamed in enough to beat the defense and go through the gate. A ritual clean up of Naved ul Hassan -- fast, quick full delivery to beat the bat and hit the pad – gave the quick his fifth wicket, and career best figures of 5/76 in 20.4 overs.

Balaji was in fact the pick of the Indian bowlers -- easily the fastest of the three, he appears to have abandoned his ambling run up in favour of a sharper, more purposeful approach that is helping him generate top pace without the sort of last-stride effort he used to put in before.

Pathan had his moments, swinging the ball prodigiously in the first session, and throughout his spell producing the occasional unplayable delivery -- but he still seems a shadow of his best, and whether that is mere rust, or the lingering impact of recent injury, it's too early to tell.

Zaheer Khan was the most intelligent of the three. From ball one, he sussed out that since he wasn't likely to get much swing with his changed action, the best line was in that corridor around off, using the width of the crease to create angle and shape and constantly asking the batsman questions -- his figures of 1/70 in 17 don't quite do justice to a tight, disciplined effort.

Kumble was his usual self. Nothing in the pitch? No matter -- he bowled quick, and flat and wicket to wicket, using the leg break and even more, the googly, to surprise and unsettle.

It was a good display by the four Indian frontline bowlers thrown into the firing line by their captain -- but if they fulfilled Ganguly's wish and bowled the opposition out on day one, it was not without considerable help from the batsmen themselves.

India now is sitting pretty -- the track should be at its very best for batting over the next day or two, despite some juice early in the morning, and the home team with its long batting line-up and a none too imposing total facing it is ideally placed to cash in.

If they keep their heads while all about them…

[Officer Barbrady]

Originally Posted by arsal_pakfan many were expecting our batsmen to show some sort of patience with the bat atleast perform a level above with the bat compared to what they did against Aussies in difficult batting conditions! the biggest disappointments for today were Butt,Yoyo and specially Razzaq!..he was given a chance more so coz of his batting and he easily let that oppurtunity go away from him to cement a place in the Test side!..Inzi,Taufeeq and Kamal should have also scored big hundreds but they threw away their wickets at decent scores, though I feel Inzi was unlucky as he looked not out to me due to that long stride he took outside the crease!

I don't think patience was a major problem in this case. Butt, Inzi, Younis and Youhana didn't play rash strokes while Asim got out at a stage when he had little choice but to attack. Simply put, the swinging ball caused problems early on. Butt and Youhana were the ones with the worst shots.

[arsal_pakfan]

India now is sitting pretty -- the track should be at its very best for batting over the next day or two, despite some juice early in the morning, and the home team with its long batting line-up and a none too imposing total facing it is ideally placed to cash in.

thats what i said in my part aswell!..India will dominate our bowlers for next two days!...truly speaking if we dont pickup 3 or 4 wickets in the first 1 1/2 hour tomorrow then we better hope for other test matches of the series to be in Pak's favour!

[Gasherbrum]

anyone else think rana's constant (and well-intentioned) helmet rattling of kamal may have just disturbed his concentration a bit?

[zubair_786_7]

Will pakistan be able to bowl india out and not give them a big lead

[Awesome Anjum]

I also think that Razzak played a poor shot. I accept that he being aggressive, however, given our situation he should've showed some restraint.

[Gasherbrum]

india has to bat the better part of 2 days to really take the game away from us. with rain forecast for tomorrow, we might not get the full 5 days in. as it stands though, the match is fairly advanced on the 1st day. if our bowlers can get the ball going like the indian bowlers did, i think we would do well.

[Officer Barbrady]

Originally Posted by Awesome Anjum I also think that Razzak played a poor shot. I accept that he being aggressive, however, given our situation he should've showed some restraint.

Yes but you see I don't count him as a batsman....and thus he should be spared. :-D

If he gets in his defensive mode he doesn't score and a Kumble will get him sooner rather than later. If he attacks in his fashion in a test match it is likely to not have much of an effect on the game overall.

Difficult choice for him I would say.

[Awesome Anjum]

Agreed Marooned - I would go as far as saying that he should not be playing in this Match.

[Oxy]

India swung the ball from the 1st over-it contributed to our top order collapse.

Pak have to hit the spot from ball 1 in the morning.

Sami HAS to prove me wrong-that he is NOT the liability that he has shown to be for 2 years.

I want to be saaying..."Shoaib WHO???"

[MIG]

From Yahoo News:


Test century will come soon, says dejected Kamal
http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/050308/3/9je1.html
Tue 08 Mar, 1:15 PM


view photo
MOHALI, India (AFP) - Pakistan's saviour Asim Kamal was disappointed after missing out on a century in the first Test against India, but said the three-figure knock would come soon.

"I can't describe how disappointed I am," Kamal, 28, told reporters on Tuesday after his stubborn 91 under pressure on the opening day of the match on a seamer-friendly track.

Advertisement
The left-hander led Pakistan's fightback after the tourists had been struggling at 104-4. The visitors were eventually all out for 312 in their first innings, thanks to Kamal.

"It's part of the game, but I am happy that I lived up to the task," said Kamal, who was dismissed for 99 on his Test debut against South Africa at Lahore in October 2003.

The Karachi native also came close to scoring a century this year when he made 89 against Australia in Sydney.

"I never felt pressure in the nineties but you may call it bad luck," he said, adding pressure had always spurred him on.

"When I walked in our score was 104-4, so (captain) Inzamam-ul-Haq told me to stay at the wicket and wait for the loose delivery and I did exactly that."

Kamal described the pitch as "sporting" and hoped it would support both bowlers and

[MIG]

More from Yahoo News:


Unsung Kamal leads Pakistan's fightback with brave 91 against India
http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/050308/3/9jdg.html
Tue 08 Mar, 16 PM


MOHALI, India (AFP) - Little-known Asim Kamal and Inzamam-ul-Haq saved Pakistan from a batting embarrassment with gutsy half-centuries under pressure in the first Test against India.

Pakistan were tottering at 30-2 and then 191-6 after being sent to bat on a seamer-friendly track, but left-handed Kamal (91) and skipper Inzamam (57) came to their team's rescue with responsible knocks.

Advertisement
Pakistan were all out for 312 in their first innings just before the scheduled close on the opening day. India will bat on Wednesday.

Kamal, who scored 99 on his Test debut against South Africa at Lahore two years ago, missed out on a century again when he was bowled by seamer Laxmipathi Balaji.

Balaji, out of Test cricket for nearly a year due to injury, made an impressive comeback with 5-76, his maiden five-wicket haul in six Tests.

India had seized the initiative in the first two sessions when they grabbed six wickets on a lively pitch, with fast bowlers Irfan Pathan and Balaji claiming two scalps apiece.



view photo
Kamal then launched a vigorous counter-attack to restore Pakistan's fortunes, smashing 14 fours in his fifth half-century in seven Tests.

The 28-year-old rallied his team with two useful stands, adding 52 for the fifth wicket with his captain and 48 for the seventh with Kamran Akmal (15).



view photo
Kamal offered one difficult chance on 79 when he drove leg-spinner Anil Kumble, but Venkatsai Laxman failed to latch on to the ball in the cover region.

Barring this lapse, Kamal batted with confidence against both pace and spin to hold the innings together.

Kamal was not the only batsman to apply himself well on a grassy pitch which had both pace and movement as Inzamam was the first to keep India's pace-oriented attack at bay with his fluent 37th half-century.

India had to rely on veteran Kumble to end Inzamam's flourish but failed to make short work of Pakistan's lower-order batting led by Kamal.

Kumble, the lone spinner in the side, trapped Inzamam leg-before and then accounted for Akmal to finish with 2-76.

Pakistan's early batting woes began against pace as Pathan and Balaji made the most of a seaming track to sustain their team's hopes of restricting the tourists to a modest total.

India skipper Sourav Ganguly's decision to put Pakistan in to bat produced the desired result as Pathan and Zaheer Khan shared the first two wickets to reduce the tourists to 30-2.

Balaji then removed well-set Taufeeq Umar (44), who inside-edged a delivery on to his stumps just before lunch.

Pakistan lost one more big wicket after the break when reliable Yousuf Youhana (6) fell to a soft dismissal, edging an away-going delivery from Pathan straight to wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik.

Playing their first Test series in India since 1999, Pakistan were off to a shaky start as Salman Butt and Younis Khan fell cheaply.

Pathan struck in his fourth over when he dismissed Butt (five), who was bowled off-stump playing across the line. Younis (nine) also did not last long, trapped leg-before by Zaheer with the one that nipped back.

Inzamam then steadied the innings with a 59-run stand for the third wicket with Umar.

Pakistan 1st innings:

Salman Butt b Pathan 5
Taufeeq Umar b Balaji 44
Younis Khan lbw b Zaheer 9
Inzamam-ul-Haq lbw b Kumble 57
Yousuf Youhana c Karthik b Pathan 6
Asim Kamal b Balaji 91
Abdul Razzaq c Karthik b Balaji 26
Kamran Akmal c Dravid b Kumble 15
Mohammad Sami b Balaji 20
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan lbw b Balaji 11
Danish Kaneria not out 8
Extras (b11, lb5, nb3, w1) 20
Total 312

Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-30, 3-89, 4-104, 5-156, 6-191, 7-239, 8-282, 9-303

Bowling: Pathan 23-5-68-2
Zaheer 17-1-70-1
Balaji 20.4-5-76-5
Kumble 22-6-76-2
Ganguly 2-0- 3-0
Sehwag 2-1- 3-0
Overs: 86.4

Toss: India

Umpires: Rudi Koertzen (RSA) and Darrell Hair (AUS)

TV umpire: K. Hariharan (IND)

Match-referee: Chris Broad (ENG)

[Gasherbrum]

hard luck for asim, more will come if he keeps playing like he did today. surely the #6 spot is his own now?

[786malik]

Hopyfully it will be a stop start day tomorow with the rain forecast which can only work in our favour.

[Hash]

rain will make the outfield heavy....therefore harder to get boundaries.

Hopefully a bit of moisture and cloud in the air will help the ball swing more.


We need 3 wickets before lunch. If India are 80 odd for 3.....the momentum will be with us. Ofcoarse this is all dependent on how many overs are lost by the rain.

[myasirsh]

we r still in the game...bowlers need to bowl extremely well...well done kamal, Inzi...taufeeq did a good job tooo...

India have the edge but we are still in the game!

[GamBiTT]

Don't think Pakistani Fans should be dissappointed with Pak effort in the first innings!

A) India WON the toss and asked Pak to bat first in helpful conditions for the seamers. They lost this initiative when Pakistan crossed 250. Thanks to Asim and company. The advantage was India's to loose, and my assessment is that they lost the advantage they had by bowling first.

B) I watched pretty much every ball bowled in the test series in OZ. Granted the bounce was not there as OZ, but this pitch was GREEN and there certainly was considerable moisture in the air. Indian seamers were making the ball talk in the air and especially off the pitch. Was it the most intelligent bowling in these very helpful conditions, I am going to beg to differ. I think that they got a little carried away with the movement of the ball. Too many times the ball missed the bat due to the excessive movement. Not a single catch was taken in the expansive slip cordon (Credit goes to the batsmen here too, who chose more often than not to play with SOF hands. Had they kept a more wicket to wicket line, inviting the batsmen to drive, a bit lesser movement would have helped their cause I think. I bit more pace to erase some of the excessive movement would have also helped (Balaji's relatively lively pace was more effective).

C) I think and hope that Inshallah Pakistani bowlers will make better use of the helpful conditions in the air and off the pitch. This should certainly help Razzaq's mold of bowling (primarily seam movement). Rana and Sami too can generate more lively pace, that shall help them if they attack the wicket consistently.

D) I give the Pakistani batting lineup a B-. They could have easily folded and gotten out for a really low score. I think they fought well. What was essentially missing was continuing on with their effoerts after a stand. Taufeeq and Inzi really should have scored more. All praise to Asim Kamal. The real culprit here was certainly Youhana who got flustered by his rivalry with Pathan. Sad really! BW should have a sensible talk with him, as he needs to be counted in this series.

E) Pakistan needs to forget about the reputation of the Indian bowling lineup and bowl with purpose. If they make the ball move, Inshallah Indian batsmen will be found wanting! They need to set the match up Danish and the seamers (more reverse swing expected I think in the fourth innings) in the last innings. It will require a purposeful bowling effort and grit and application to take the game away from India! Hopefully our coach and captain can inspire our seamers to find the right corridor to bowl in.

[MIG]

Good post - and well said!

[Shayan]

Are Sony showing highlights??

[sajjad]

that taufeeq dismissal was vital

Pakistan need some early wickets to put some pressure on. otherwise the wicket will get VERY easy to bat on very soon!

[sajjad]

all we need is a devastating spell in the morning session. If india are 80-3 or 80-4. We have a very good chance of gettong a first innings lead and putting some real pressure on them. Itll be hard against the Indian lineup but it just takes a bit of luck and some good bowling and we could be there.
Allah mian...Pakistan ko jita de

The first test will matter a lot in terms of the rest of the series.
Pakistan Zindabad!

[tapss]

Interesting tussle and I dare say that India slightly had the better of it. Getting all-out on the first day of a test isnt a good sign for Pak though they did score at a healthy rate which helped them to a 300+ score.Excellent knocks by Kamal and Inzi. India did what they had to do.The pitch wasnt particularly helpful except for the first 45minutes..According to the curator,the 2 and 3rd days will be the best to bat on this beauty.That means that Pak bowlers have to take early wickets or else they are in for a long day. Sehwag will be a key.If Pak bowlers dont get him out in the first one hour,they will be in trouble. I would still bet on Ind winning if the match isnt marred too much by rain. But Pak definitely has a fighting chance to stun India if the somehow prevent them from taking a huge lead.Batting last will be tough and s Pak has an advantage there.Remains to be seen if they utilise it by bowling well.

[Shayan]

highlights??

[Gasherbrum]

a certain thread titled "Pakistan V India - Day 1 Highlights" may be able to assist with obtaining Pakistan V India - Day 1 Highlights.
Thanks.

[Shayan]

Originally Posted by Gasherbrum a certain thread titled "Pakistan V India - Day 1 Highlights" may be able to assist with obtaining Pakistan V India - Day 1 Highlights. Thanks.

I meant highlights on Sony.

[Shayan]

never mind, got it, 11pm.

[Amjid Javed]

pakistan bowlers need to bowl in the corridor outside off stump and allow the ball to swing, to often the indian bowlers where guilty of trying 2 bowl magic balls pitched leg and hit off. pakistan will have to wear indians down and take their chances!

[Shayan]

Its gonna be tough AJ...... I just feel that the Indian batting is simply too good for us.

[AsimL8]

If recent test matches are an indicator, all this swing and seam movement will magically disappear when pak bowlers come on. It will be either too short or on the pads for runs galore.
India will be looking for 500+ the next two days and set up an innings victory.

[MIG]

Batting will only get easier for Pakistan from now in Series Imy Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 63 pm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Remember this is porbably the hardest conditions Pakistan will face in India with the ball seaming around, so its a good omen for the series also Pakistan lacked match practice. I am happy with 300. Hopefully it will rain today and the wicket will sweat .

[sajjad]

Originally Posted by AsimL8 If recent test matches are an indicator, all this swing and seam movement will magically disappear when pak bowlers come on. It will be either too short or on the pads for runs galore. India will be looking for 500+ the next two days and set up an innings victory.

i so agree with that
when we're batting the pitch does everything
but when our bowlers come on, theyr like pie throwers hehehe |-K

[MIG]

Analysis of Pak dismissals in the first Innings zorawar Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 4:56 pm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rating Pakistani Top Order batsmen's dismissals in the first Innings: Salman Butt b Pathan 5 Delivery: Excellent ball that swung late although everyone knows Pathan swings it in this direction often. Batsman's mistake: Ball should have been played straight and a bit late (as Inzi and Taufeeq did later) and not turned to leg. Butt committed too early to play it on leg. Taufeeq Umar b Balaji 44 Delivery: A pretty ordinary incutter to the left hander just short of length. Batsman's mistake: Tried to force a shot on-the-up thus resulting in the huge gap between bat and pad. He was playing the ball late and should have continued to do so on this delivery as well. A horrible shot to play 5 minutes before lunch. Younis Khan lbw b Khan 9 Delivery: Ball just marginally pitched on (or around) leg stump and continued straight instead of the usual away movement Zaheer gets. Batsman's mistake: Batsmen simply caught off guard by the change in line. Fell to the off too early in the stroke and failed to play the ball with head on top of it. *Inzamam-ul-Haq lbw b Kumble 57 Delivery: Usual Kumble straight one which looks like it will spin but does not. (I always think he should simply be played as a medium pacer) Batsman's mistake: The old school of thought (specially for Sub Continent batsmen) that " I am playing way forward so no one will give me LBW" is not valid anymore specially when reputable spinners such as Kumble or Warne are the bowlers (and Rudi the umpire). Putting pad in front of the bat is always asking for trouble against Kumble who hardly turns any ball. I bet you all remember Inzi getting out like this before on some occasions. Yousuf Youhana c Karthik b Pathan 6 Delivery: good length ball pitched on middle and continuing on the angle bowled with not too much movement. Batsman's mistake: WORST dismissal of the day. Youhana thought he was still playing VB series and guiding the ball through slips? Pathan seems to have the psychological edge over Youhana at the moment. Many a posts have been written on this shot and to Bob as well and it seemed Youhana and Inzi had curbed playing this shot even in ODIs at the end of VB series games. To play it early in the innings in a Test match was a disgrace to Youhana's calibre. Asim Kamal b Balaji 91 Delivery: Nice in cutter from Balaji with the new ball. Batsman's mistake: Asim played similar deliveries earlier in his innings defensively with head over the ball. Got a bit over-confident I think after a few sweet drives. A somewhat lazy shot after an excellent innings. He should have respected the new ball if not Balaji a bit more. All in all a decent performance by Pakistani batsmen with the match evenly poised at the end of the day. This could have turned into a match winning position very easily for Pakistan if a couple of bigger mistakes above were avoided ---------------- GO RANA !!!! Hitman Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 5:03 pm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Good analysis! _________________ Amjid Javed Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 5:27 pm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- very good analysis. AsimL8 Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 5:36 pm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes, very accurate analysis. GamBiTT Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 6:03 pm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Good analysis ! Psychologically, Pak players were a bit less flustered by playing India in India than in past. That to me was atleast a better sign. The key is that I think India expected to get Pakistan out much more cheaply, which did not happen. It will certainly play on Indian team's mindset before they go out to bat. Pakistan has to really tighten the screws now with disciplined bowling! _________________ ___________________ Every cricket ball should be played on its merit. If only it was easy to play every ball on its merit. Mercenary Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 6:08 pm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- great analysis!! _________________ Is IP Spotting the new Train Spotting??? zorawar Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 6:33 pm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I hope Youhana erases the memory of this pathetic dismissal and plays a match winning knock in the second innings.... this pitch is tailormade for his strokes... Also, I think Taufeeq is thinking too much at the moment... He should put his head down and play the shots on his instincts (his instinct is to play it safe unlike most Pak batsmen) and not on pre-determined thoughts

[zorawar]

MIG on a merging rampage...

[Shayan]

:oD |-G |-G :oD :oD :oD :oD :oD

we should be giving a lot more credit to Inzi for his innings. yes kamal played an excellent knock, but the real turning point in the match was when inzi walked out and made the Indian bowling look nothing more than "laddoos".

he came out when Pak was in trouble and Pathan and Zaheer were bowling as well as they possibly could have. He stabilized the innings and took pressure off of Taufeeq. He displayed a lot of class out in the middle!

[badxhah]

Two vital things the morning spell when the ball is new anr some juice in the pitch and secomdly wid the old ball.
They Got to have that reverse swing goin for them no matter wat.

[Saj]

<< Rashid >> Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 10:04 pm

------------------------------------------------------------

everyone is talking about test cricket !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At college and work today, everyone was talking about Pakistan vs India, and the most shocking thing is that alot of them are not great cricket fans.

And there were about 3000 pakistani fans in the stadium, more than there were in Pakistan

[Saj]

pakistan_pride Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 72 pm

------------------------------------------------------------

This match thanks to Asim kamal is evenly poised. Pakistan really needs to look at the the positves of the day and keep going with a postive atitude. Now the batters showed what they have, bowlers need to do the same. Sami and rana need to look at zaheer khan pathan as examples. Don't do too much and just try to hit the deck in the opening spells. If Pakistan can restrict India below 400, it will a great achievement.

[the SHA]

"This should certainly help Razzaq's mold of bowling (primarily seam movement). "

Personally I think Razzaq is Pakistan's key bowler tomorrow.

Entrusted with quite some responsibility not only as 3rd seamer or Pak's most experienced bowler, but on this pitch there will be expectation to take wickets as well as keep things tight. Lets hope he stands up to the plate inshaAllah.

[Fessal]

Just seen highlights on Sony at 11pm for 2 hours including adverts and all.

[Fessal]

Assessing the day's play:

Pakistan wasted many oppurtunities to take command as all there batsman got starts and never really carried on apart from Asim Kamal's 91. I believe he should have started hitting out big time when Naveed was at the other end.

In the end Pak did ok to get 312 after one stage looking not to even get 200 plus. Still it is a below average score for a test and with India's strong batting and Pak's weak bowling we are likley to suffer in this test and the series.

Who knows but Pak's batting is meant to be stronger than their bowling.

[Fessal]

As for India:

Good bowling by all of them and especially Laxmapathi Balaji who had a great come back. I just think though that Indians over appeal. Anyway good for them to keep pak under 350 and bowl them out in a day and good marshalling of troops by Ganguly.

[Fessal]

Also Pak effectivley have 6 batsman and 3 bowlers because to me Razzaq isnt test standard or hasnt proved his worth yet in Test. He's not good enough to make a test team on either batting or bowling alone which is a must for test cricket.
At the moment I am also not counting Akmal as a batsman.

Younis Khan proved to be like a horse as usual. Galloping and trotting and yoyo is becoming one too.

[sajjad]

ANY NEWS ON WHETHER THE MATCH WILL START ON TIME

[Imy]

it wont start on time i can see rain drops on the tv screen and its very dark, Not good news for an indian player the pitch is sure to seam for a day more