Don't cry Bangladesh -You have broken teeths of our enemies

I think Bangladesh should learn from Pakistan when we lost match near from the edge.When we lost the final of t20 World cup 2007 also which is from our arch rival India.Many people got shocked, might be many cried but our team didn't lose their heart and in the result we won t20 World cup 2009.If anyone has a knowledge about old matches than he must remember World Cup 1987 when Pakistan lost semi final match from Australia in sub continent just near from Victory but again world knows better "Who won the cup 1992!!". If as a Muslim nation Bangladesh believe on Allah than they should trust him for having a second chance.
Bangladesh nation called them "Tigers". They must remember the fact that "Tiger never cry , a Tiger always tore his opponent & always fight rather than cry over split milk".
Bangladesh played superb cricket through out the tournament & In my opinion they played well as compare to Pakistan.Bangladesh defeated two finalist teams of World cup 2011.As a brother nation Bangladesh helped Pakistan to snatch the CROWN OF ASIAN CHAMPION from their arch rival India.Because of Bangladesh, We have not given enough pride or chance to "Someone" (India) to decorate the crown on KING'S head.Bengali as our younger & Muslim brothers proved the reality of Muslims in Asia.The two best cricket teams in Asia now are Pakistan & Bangladesh.

On other but controversial hand.If we had lost the final from Bangladesh, than some anti Pakistani forces in Bangladesh which never accept Pakistan & who helped India in cutting our left hand in 1971 could be happy because the night when Pakistan became "ASIAN TIGER IN CRICKET" after some hours there were 23 March (PAKISTAN DAY). The day when we presented our resolution in Lahore which I think should be important for Bengali too.Because after which Bangladesh (old East Pakistan) came into existence so than after which some years Bangladesh formed.If we didn't presented resolution than its petty clear that Bangladeshi People could be not sovereign state.If we lost match on Pakistan Day than anti Pakistan forces could said something against creation & importance of Pakistan.
I know some Bengali people in Bangladesh who since creation of Bangladesh have not accepted Bangladesh yet and called themselves as  Pakistani were very happy yesterday.


In the end I want to say one thing that if Bangladesh was with us than today they can called themselves  Asian Champion.But they with their performance has cleared it on INDIA that however he can try his all effort to break our parts from body but he should remember one thing that our each part can break his teeth even with more power.


PAKISTAN ZINDABAD!!

LOVE YOU TEAM PAKISTAN

PROUD TO BE AN ASIAN TIGER ON "PAKISTAN DAY"

Read more »

Bangladesh beat India after Sachin's 100th

2
inShare

The must-anticipated 100th international century by Sachin Tendulkar went in vain as India lost to Bangladesh by five wickets in their Asia Cup encounter on Friday.
Tendulkar's hundred (114), which came in 147 deliveries, took the Indian score to 289 and it looked a daunting total till a series of blitz by Shakib Al Hasan (49 off 31), Nasir Hossain (54 off 58) and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (46 off 25) blew away the Indian challenge. Tamim Iqbal's knock of 70 and his 113-run partnership with Jahurul Islam (53 off 68) for the third wicket laid a solid foundation for Bangladesh.

After his 64 against Pakistan, Shakib once again shone with the bat, taking charge of the Bangladesh chase when things were looking difficult for the hosts. Just like Shakib, Hossain, too, was extremely impressive, taking the attack to the Indian bowlers from the beginning.
Opening the innings for Bangladesh, Tamim hit his second consecutive half-century. Praveen Kumar gave India an early breakthrough, picking up the wicket of Nazimmudin (5 off 15). But Jahurul, playing his 8th match, mixed aggression with caution. He got to his maiden fifty, before being caught at mid-wicket by Rohit Sharma off Ravindra Jadeja.
Hossain picked up where Jahurul left, clobbering the Indian bowlers from the outset. The wicket of Tamim although gave India a chance to claw their way back, an onslaught by Shakib took the game away from them. His partnership of 68 off just 48 balls with Hossain turned the game in Bangladesh favour.
Huge blows (3 fours, 3 sixes) by skipper Rahim towards the end of the innings sealed the victory for the home side. Indian bowlers went for plenty in death overs, leaking 36 runs off the last 14 balls.
Earlier, Sachin reached the much-awaited 100th century. A sigh of relief was palpable on the face of the veteran batsman who kissed the India emblem on his helmet after waving his bat towards his teammates.
He and Virat Kohli, who came together after the dismissal of Gautam Gambhir (11), shared 147 runs for the second wicket before Kohli was bowled by Abdur Razzak for 66. Suresh Raina was sent ahead of Rohit and the left-hander wasted no time in displaying his array of attacking strokes. His 51 off 38 balls gave the much-needed impetus to the Indian innings, which seemed to have lost momentum as Tendulkar neared the milestone. Rohit was run out while stealing a two at death.
Skipper Dhoni remained unbeaten on 21, along with Jadeja who contributed with 4. Mashrafe Mortaza, who picked up the wickets of Raina and Tendulkar in consecutive deliveries, was the best bowler for Bangladesh.
India will play archrival Pakistan, who have already reached the final, in a must-win game on Sunday.

Read more »

At last Sachin made his Century of 100s

So the time which were waiting for almost a year came to end.Sachin made his century of 100s against Bangladesh in Asia Cup 2012.For this milestone he got failure lot of times in a year, falling in nervous 90 s lots of time.
Tendulkar has played 651 International matches and he did his 100 of centuries in his career's 651th International match.He has played 463 ODI , 188 test matches & 1 t20 match.He scored his last 100 on 12 March 2012.He also made a record of most no. of  4s by hitting 2000 4s.Sachin Tendulkar scored 49 centuries in ODIs and 51 in test matches.Out of his 100 centuries he scored 42 in home.He scored most centuries against AUSTRALIA by scoring 20 centuries.
Against his arch rival Pakistan he failed to score 100 many times, most of times he fall into nervous 90s.He has scored just 7 centuries against Pakistan, playing 86 matches.Shahid Khan Afridi said before 2011 World Cup semi final that he will not allow Tendulkar easily to score 100 & he proved his statement and stopped him before 90.

Here are all Tendulkar's 100 records.

1) 119* vs ENG-Manchester-14 August 1990-Draw-Test
2) 148* vs AUS-Sydney-6 January 1992-Draw-Test
3) 114 vs AUS-Perth-3 February 1992-Lost-Test
4) 111 vs SA-Johannesburg-28 November 1992-Draw-Test
5) 165 vs ENG-Chennai-12 February 1993-Won-Test
6) 104* vs SL-Colombo-31 July 1993-Won-Test
7) 142 vs SL-Lucknow-19 January 1994-Won-Test

8) 110 vs AUS-Colombo-September 9, 1994-Won-ODI
9) 115 vs NZ-Vadodara-October 28, 1994-Won-ODI
10) 105 vs WI-Jaipur-November 11, 1994-Won-ODI

11) 179 vs WI-Nagpur-2 December 1994-Draw-Test

12) 112* vs SL-Sharjah-April 9, 1995-Won-ODI
13) 127* vs KEN-Cuttack-February 18, 1996-Won-ODI
14) 137 vs SL-New Delhi-March 2, 1996-Lost-ODI
15) 100 vs PAK-Singapore-April 5, 1996-Lost-ODI
16) 118 vs PAK-Sharjah-April 15, 1996-Won-ODI


17) 122 vs ENG-Birmingham-8 June 1996-Lost-Test
18) 177 vs ENG-Nottingham-5 July 1996-Draw-Test

19) 110# vs SL-Colombo-August 28, 1996-Lost-ODI
20) 114# vs SA-Mumbai-December 14, 1996-Won-ODI

21) 169# vs SA-Cape Town-4 January 1997-Lost-Test

21) 104# vs ZIM-Benoni-February 9, 1997-Won-ODI
23) 117# vs NZ-Bangalore-May 14, 1997-Won-ODI


24) 143# vs SL-Colombo-3 August 1997-Draw-Test
25) 139# vs SL-Colombo-11 August 1997-Draw-Test
26) 148# vs SL-Mumbai-4 December 1997-Draw-Test
27) 155* vs AUS-Chennai-9 March 1998-Test
28) 177 vs AUS-Bangalore-26 March 1998-Lost-Test

29) 100 vs AUS-Kanpur-April 7, 1998-Won-ODI
30) 143 vs AUS-Sharjah-April 22, 1998-Lost-ODI
31) 134 vs AUS-Sharjah-April 24, 1998-Won-ODI
32) 100* vs KEN-Kolkata-May 31, 1998-Won-ODI
33) 128 vs SL-Colombo-July 7, 1998-Won-ODI
34) 127* vs ZIM-Bulawayo-September 26, 1998-Won-ODI
35) 141 vs AUS-Dhaka-October 28, 1998-Won-ODI
36) 118* vs ZIM-Sharjah-November 8, 1998-Won-ODI
37) 124* vs ZIM-Sharjah-November 13, 1998-Won-ODI

38) 113 vs NZ-Wellington-29 December 1998-Lost-Test

39) 136 vs PAK-Chennai-31 January 1999-Lost-Test
40) 124* vs SL-Colombo-28 February 1999-Draw-Test

41) 140* vs KEN-Bristol-May 23, 1999-Won-ODI
42) 120# vs SL-Colombo-August 29, 1999-Won-ODI

43) 126*# vs NZ-Mohali-13 October 1999-Test
44) 217# vs NZ-Ahmedabad-30 October 1999-Draw-Test

45) 186*# vs NZ-Hyderabad-November 8, 1999-Won-ODI

46) 116# vs AUS-Melbourne-28 December 1999-Lost-Test

47) 122 vs SA-Vadodara-March 17, 2000-Won-ODI
48) 101 vs SL-Sharjah-October 20, 2000-Lost-ODI


49) 122 vs ZIM-New Delhi-21 November 2000-Won-Test
50) 201* vs ZIM-Nagpur-26 November 2000-Draw-Test

51) 146 vs ZIM-Jodhpur-December 8, 2000-Lost-ODI

52) 126 vs AUS-Chennai-20 March 2001-Won-Test

53) 139 vs AUS-Indore-March 31, 2001-Won-ODI
54) 127* vs WI-Harare-July 4, 2001-Won-ODI
55) 101 vs SA-Johannesburg-October 5, 2001-Lost-ODI
56) 146 vs KEN-Paarl-October 24, 2001-Won-ODI

57) 155 vs SA-Bloemfontein-3 November 2001-Lost-Test
58) 103 vs ENG-Ahmedabad-13 December 2001-Draw-Test
59) 176 vs ZIM-Nagpur-24 February 2002-Won-Test
60) 117 vs WI-Port of Spain-20 April 2002-Won-Test

61) 105* vs ENG-Chester-le-Street-July 4, 2002-N/R-ODI
62) 113 vs SL-Bristol-July 11, 2002-Won-ODI

63) 193 vs ENG-Leeds-23 August 2002-Won-Test
64) 176 vs WI-Kolkata-3 November 2002-Draw-Test

65) 152 vs NAMI-Pietermaritzburg-February 23, 2003-Won-ODI
66) 100 vs AUS-Gwalior-October 26, 2003-Won-ODI
67) 102 vs NZ-Hyderabad-November 15, 2003-Won-ODI

68) 241* vs AUS-Sydney-4 January 2004-Draw-Test

69) 141 vs PAK-Rawalpindi-March 16, 2004-Lost-ODI

70) 194* vs PAK-Multan-29 March 2004-Won-Test
71) 248* vs BAN-Dhaka-12 December 2004-Won-Test

72) 123 vs PAK-Ahmedabad-April 12, 2005-Lost-ODI

73) 109 vs SL-New Delhi-22 December 2005-Won-Test

74) 100 vs PAK-Peshawar-February 6, 2006-Lost-ODI
75) 141* vs WI-Kuala Lumpur-September 14, 2006-Lost-ODI
76) 100* vs WI-Vadodara-January 31, 2007-Won-ODI

77) 101 vs BAN-Chittagong-19 May 2007-Draw-Test
78) 122* vs BAN-Mirpur-26 May 2007-Won-Test
79) 154* vs AUS-Sydney-4 January 2008-Lost-Test
80) 153 vs AUS-Adelaide-25 January 2008-Draw-Test

81) 117* vs AUS-Sydney-March 2, 2008-Won-ODI

82) 109 vs AUS-Nagpur-6 November 2008-Won-Test
83) 103* vs ENG-Chennai-15 December 2008-Won-Test

84) 163* vs NZ-Christchurch-March 8, 2009-Won-ODI

85) 160 vs NZ-Hamilton-20 March 2009-Won-Test

86) 138 vs SL-Colombo-September 14, 2009-Won-ODI
87) 175 vs AUS-Hyderabad-November 5, 2009-Lost-ODI

88) 100* vs SL-Ahmedabad-20 November 2009-Draw-Test
89) 105* vs BAN-Chittagong-18 January 2010-Won-Test
90) 143 vs BAN-Mirpur-25 January 2010-Won-Test
91) 100 vs SA-Nagpur-9 February 2010-Lost-Test
92) 106 vs SA-Kolkata-15 February 2010-Won-Test

93) 200* vs SA-Gwalior-February 24, 2010-Won-ODI

94) 203 vs SL-Colombo-28 July 2010-Draw-Test
95) 214 vs AUS-Bangalore-11 October 2010-Won-Test
96) 111* vs SA-Centurion-19 December 2010-Lost-Test
97) 146 vs SA-Cape Town-4 January 2011-Draw-Test

98) 120 vs ENG-Bangalore-February 27, 2011-Tied-ODI
99) 111 vs SA-Nagpur-March 12, 2011-Lost-ODI

===========100========
100* vs BAN-Mirpur-16 March,2012- (ODI)


*denotes that he remained not out.
#denotes that he was the captain of the Indian team in that match.

Read more »

Pakistan Vs India semi final was fixed

Karachi - Routers, Pakistan Vs India Semi final of world cup 2011 was fixed.It was now declared by an Indian Bookie Vicky Seth talking with Times of India.It should be noted that SPORTS WORLD now CAPTAIN CORNER has broken this news as "Pakistan Vs India World Cup 2011 Semi Final was Fixed- Indian Bookies" on 31 March 2011 & also we published predictions about final match .All our predictions came true on the day of final.Also when we published the report after interviewing an Indian Bookie on Match fixing, some papers criticizes us.But recently a bookie Vicky Seth discloses this in interview with Times of India.


Mysterious catches drop by Pakistan's best fielders like Umar Akmal, Younis Khan & Misbah ul Haq who drop 3 catches of Sachin Tendulkar in a crutial match made everyone think on that point.Also Shahid Afridi's anger on Abdul Rehman Malik (Pakistan's Interior Minister) before semi final especially fans watched a rock hearted player like Afridi crying after sawing his team losing the match was also mysterious for all cricket lovers.Umar Akmal who hits a huge 6 by only one hand got out on straight bowl.All these things raised a big question mark on credibility about fairness of match.

Also we published prediction about final match as title "India Vs Srilanka final match of ICC World Cup 2011-Predictions" on 1 April 2011 after getting some secret information from our sources in India.All our predictions about final also came true and India won the title comfortably.As Afridi who might tried his best to won the semi final is confident that if they beat India in Semi final of world cup they can easily beat Srilanka

Read more »

Funny Indian media "India tv" attacks Dhoni on defeat against Srilanka

India tv is always famous for its funny reports on cricket.Indian media always criticizes their team in funny styles.They even took minor things and present it like a monster in the air.They also give too much hype to their team when it wins trophies like World cup but when Indian cricket team's performance falls, Indian media helps them in falling by hurtle their team from back with full force.

Read more »

Pakistan's GREENWASH not complete yet

The 3-0 mission accomplished in the most significant format
was monumentally, pleasantly surprising jubilance which no one could have
seriously thought about in terms of a series score-line along those lines, but
the job is not completed yet by any stretch of the imagination and there is
more dominance to follow and many more victories although they won’t quite be
as resounding as the test ones, but ODI cricket is Pakistan’s forte which they
take equally as seriously. Generally the ODI format in this part of the world
has higher viewership, crowd attendances and genuine excitement. Going by how
pessimistic some of the England supporters are about their team’s chances in
the one day internationals which start next week over winning even a single one
day international let alone draw or win the 4 match series, there is almost
every chance for Captain Misbah’s Team Pakistan to whitewash the visitors in
ALL formats and end up with a 10-0 score line once the whole tour concludes on
Monday 27th February in Abu Dhabi.

England have been woeful in sub continental conditions and
lost 5-0 in India last year whereas in the World Cup only managed 3 victories
in 7 encounters. They are below the men in green on the ICC ODI rankings by
some way. Last two ODI series they have played against the men in green away
from home have ended in defeats for them. Cook and Broad are inexperienced
captains and England is vulnerable to spin on the slow and low wickets.

For the hosts majority of the overs will be bowled by the
slower men who control the flow of runs, take wickets and are consistently
reliable performers. It’s a squeezing process to overcome for the batsmen and
each of the trio of spinners is different which never allows you to settle as a
batter. With anything even over 200 on the board batting first and Pakistan
will fancy their chances by turning to their spinners under lights, who get
through their overs quickly not allowing batsmen to think on their feet, build
pressure with dot deliveries, can come on early with the new ball to surprise
the top order and with varieties in repertoire can break partnerships and cause
panic in the dressing room at any moment. Lastly, they also have the skill,
experience and confidence of bowling in the batting power play and can be
extremely difficult to get hold of and subsequently trigger collapses courtesy
of Saeed Ajmal’s mesmerising mysteries.

The off spinners Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez are ranked at 1 and 2 on the ICC ODI bowling
rankings which just shows how impressively they have delivery in ODI colours
over the last year whereas the multi talented leg spinner Shahid Afridi was the
2nd leading ODI wicket taker last year with 45 scalps in 27 outings
including 4 5 wicket hauls with his canny flattish sharp drifting leg spinners,
sliders and top spinners. The talismanic leg spinning all rounder has kept him
busy by playing for the Melbourne Renegades down under while the national test
team were up against Bangladesh and England and had a decent time of it over
there from a personal point of view. How well England can negotiate and tackle
these gifted, accurate and unorthodox spinners will be the deciding factor in
the brief ODI series. The Men in Green are firm favourites, looking forward to
the contests and the tourists will be up against it. We shouldn’t be surprised
to see Pakistan win this series 4-0. It will be a challenging ride for Cook’s side and even harder than what they were
up against during the test series which they’ll want to put behind them as
quick as possible after suffering the humiliation of a clean sweep.

The visitors will be taking on their Lions squad for a warm up fixture on Friday who have just
beaten the Sri Lankan A team 3-2 in a 5 match unofficial ODI series whereas
Misbah and company they will be heading to Sharjah for a one day international
against Afghanistan on the same day where they will be looking to dominate and
perhaps experiment.

Only 2 of 8 KP writers had The Asian Side definitely claiming the series in the preview which was published on the 3rd of
January titled: “England will be put through a tough Pakistan test”and that too
by only a 1 match margin with a 1-0 scoreline. 1 of our writers hesitatingly
sat on the fence at 1-0 either way, 2 said 1-1 including myself, 2 said 0-0
whereas one thought England would bag the series 1-0. Few of us expected
Pakistan to win the series, compete and draw respectably perhaps yes, but
winning it was not what we expected in all honesty. None of us said we would
win the series by a 2 match margin, but it turned out to be by a 3 match
margin. In the preview I also mentioned that 2 results was pushing it and 3
results was close to impossible, but as it stands the Greens have won all 3
tests with all 3 tests having results. We expected docile tracks, high scoring
draws and uneventful action, but it was nothing but fast paced test cricket with
wickets falling in clusters and tests continuously progressing forward towards
an outcome with every session and none of the 3 tests went into day 5 believe
it or not. 110 wickets fell in 11 days with over 3 wickets falling per session.


There were several reasons for this –

a) Highquality bowling, both teams bowled exceptionally and it was refreshing to see
some top class spin bowling in particular from both of the sides because as
Nasser mentioned we had seen some ordinary, average, mediocre spinners for some
time in world cricket, but here we had talented finger spinners from both sides
and a mystery bowler from Pakistan in the form of Ajmal who injected fear in
batsmen and posed some serious questions

b) DRS and batsmen being paranoid as a result of getting struck on the pad with a
record number of LBWs falling for a 3 match series in this tour

c) Out of form batsmen who were short of runs and confidence

d) England’s batsmen struggling to adapt to the slow paced nature of scoring rates in this
part of the world and lacking patience and application to play long old
fashioned dogged test match innings

e) Ajmal’spre series talk really playing in theminds of England’s batters

f) England’s preparation not being up to scratch while Pakistan were playing the Sri Lankans
and Bangladeshis as I incidentally said in my preview for why they had a slight
advantage over England coming into this series


g) England Not being able to lift themselves after losing 5 wickets in the opening session
of the series of their top 5 batsmen without 60 on the board at the lunch
interval with Ajmal bagging 3 wickets in his first 10 deliveries he sent down.
Starting a series well is so often so important for what goes to happen at the
end of it all


h) Underestimating the Pakistan team after the spot fixing scandal and how far they had come under
Misbah ul Haq and talking of underestimating they also did so for the Pakistani
bowler Rehman and Gul whereas they were taken a bit by suprirse by Hafeez who
got 5 left handers dismissed at just 16 as all the talk was surrounding Saeed
Ajmal

Combined Series 11

1) Mohammad Hafeez
2) Alastair Cook
3) Azhar Ali
4) Younis Khan
5) Misbah ul Haq (C)
6) Asad Shafiq
7) Matt Prior (WK)
8) Stuart Broad
9) Abdur Rehman
10) Saeed Ajmal
11) James Anderson

Pakistan’s ODI Squad

Batsmen

Misbah ul Haq (C)
Younis Khan
Azhar Ali
Asad Shafiq
Imran Farhat
Shoaib Malik (added on the request of Misbah ul Haq)

Wicket Keepers

Umar Akmal

Adnan Akmal

All Rounders

Mohammad Hafeez
Shahid Afridi
Hammad Azam

Fast Bowlers

Umar Gul
Wahab Riaz
Aizaz Cheema
Junaid Khan

Specialist Spinners

Saeed Ajmal
Abdur Rehman


Sessions WON

Pak 21
Eng 12

1st test: 6-3 Pak
2nd test: 6-6

3rd test: 9-3 Pak


Pakistan's cricket captain Misbah-ul Haq gestures as he holds the trophy after victory in the third and final Test match between Pakistan and England - AFP

Pakistan's cricket captain Misbah-ul Haq gestures as he holds
the trophy after victory in the third and final Test match between Pakistan and
England - AFP

Read more »

Graeme Swann rubbishes Andy Flower's claim England lost to Pakistan due to taking too long a winter break

Graeme Swann refuses to accept England coach Andy Flower's claim that the whitewash defeat to Pakistan was in large part due to the fact the side arrived in the UAE underprepared after taking an extended two month winter break.

In a spin: Graeme Swann says England's failure against spin rather than complacency or being underprepared cost England against Pakistan  Photo: ACTION IMAGES

Read more »

Rankings: Azhar placed alongside Tendulkar

Azhar (R), who scored 157 in the third Test, was rewarded with a leap of 12 places and now has 749 points. PHOTO: AFP

After a match-winning century, Azhar Ali has not only claimed a career-best place in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Player Rankings for Test batsmen but also shares the 10th position with India’s maestro Sachin Tendulkar.

According to information provided by the ICC, Azhar, who scored 157 in the third Test, was rewarded with a leap of 12 places and now has 749 points. Younus Khan’s ton helped him make a leap of five places which puts him back in the fifth position. However, captain Misbahul Haq lost four places to slide to 17th.

In the ICC Rankings for Test bowlers, left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman has maintained an upward movement and gained two spots to be placed seventh. Saeed Ajmal also narrowed the gap with leader Dale Steyn and is placed second with a difference of 61 ratings points. Fast-bowler Umar Gul also gained a place and is now in 15th position.

Read more »

England needs to learn from humiliation: Strauss

"We are disappointed that we have not coped better to the challenges that came our way," Strauss said. (Reuters Photo)

DUBAI: England captain Andrew Strauss has called on his underperforming batsmen to learn from its struggles on the spin-friendly pitches in the humiliating series loss to Pakistan with Test tours to Sri Lanka and India looming.

Pakistan clinched its first whitewash against England with a clinical 71-run win in the third and final Test on Monday, having won the first match by 10 wickets and the second by 72 runs in a series in which a fifth day's play was never required.

"We are disappointed that we have not coped better to the challenges that came our way," Strauss said. "This is a good eye-opener for us and good wake-up call that things are not easy in this part of the world."

The subcontinental-like pitches in the United Arab Emirates took spin from the first day, and England will need to improve before its trip to Sri Lanka next month and its tour of India later this year.

England hasn't won for a decade in India, Pakistan or Sri Lanka, mainly because of its batsmen's inability to conquer slow, turning tracks on which the ball doesn't come on to the bat.

"English sides generally have not played well in these sort of conditions in the past," Strauss said. "We need to break that tradition and we are not going to do that by doing the same things."

Strauss hit 150 runs in six innings, featuring in one of only three half-centuries scored by England's top six batsmen in the series.

England's batsmen had no answer to the brilliance of offspinner Saeed Ajmal and left-arm tweaker Abdur Rehman, who combined for 43 wickets in the series.

Ajmal had claimed he would unveil a mystery delivery in the series, but in the end it wasn't required with his "doosra" - a delivery disguised as an offbreak that actually turns away from the right-handed batsman - doing the damage.

"I haven't been involved in any series where so many of our batsmen have had a hard time as much as this one," Strauss said. "We have all got some questions to answer individually, some soul searching and thoughts to put into how we can do things better.

"Pakistan bowlers are quite unique," he added. "They are different type of spinners. They made life difficult for us and when we did get in front of them in the tests, they were able to wrest the initiative back in their favor."

England had won six straight test series _ including a 4-0 whitewash of India _ and then took a five-month break before arriving in the UAE to take on a Pakistan team which had drawn with South Africa in 2010 and defeated Sri Lanka in October.

The team had an ideal chance to level the series in the second Test when requiring only 145 runs to win, but Rehman and Ajmal combined to skittle out England's batsmen for just 72.

While hinting there may be changes for the Sri Lanka tour, Strauss is happy with the players he has been leading.

"Look, nobody has the right to play for England forever," Strauss said. "I think it's important for us to take some time to let the dust settle, start thinking about what went wrong individually.

"I still believe that, by and large, the best players in England are here in Dubai."

Read more »

Pakistan vs England - England 'Greenwashed'

Pakistan completed ‘Greenwash’ of England by thrashing them on the fourth day at Dubai in the third Test. No side since 1907 has won after making fewer than 100 in the first innings of a Test - a feat last achieved by England against South Africa at Headingley 105 years ago.

Match Report – Day4, 3^rd Test, Dubai, February 3-6(7), 2012

Pakistan’s start of the fourth day was shocking. Two chances went begging - Adnan Akmal's fumble behind the stumps to catch Strauss and Umar Gul's failure to catch Cook, on 28, at deep backward square.
Pakistan struck through the dismissal of Andrew Strauss who fell in the sixth over of the morning, lbw on the back foot to Rehman. Strauss reviewed it but the on-field umpire’s decision remained firm. Jonathan Trott and Alastair Cook threatened to build a stand but Ajmal removed Trott.
Trott, while sweeping Saeed Ajmal's doosra from outside off, top-edged to deep square-leg fielder Abdur Rehman, who flung the ball into the turf to vent disappointment of earlier drops.  Meanwhile, in the morning session, Cook became the second youngest person, at 27 years and 43 days, to reach 6,000 Test runs. Only Sachin Tendulkar has reached the landmark at a younger age.
Kevin Pietersen joined Cook and was looking dangerous as he flexed his muscles and started to attack. Saeed Ajmal produced an orthodox off-spinner on a good length in the 61^st over’s last ball which bowled Pietersen through that gate curtailing Pietersen’s brief stay at the crease.
An over later, Saeed Ajmal removed Alastair Cook. Cook, while playing a ball towards leg, gave an edge which was caught at slip by a flying Younis Khan. Morgan and Bell then provided resistance but that wasn’t enough to stop an energetic Pakistan.
Umer Gul produced a half-tracker outside off-stump which Bell lobbed tamely to cover point where Asad Shafiq ran to his right to take a sitter. Then Gul removed Morgan who faintly edged towards Adnan Akmal.
After tea, Stuart Broad, while trying to play a big shot against Gul, gave a catch to Taufeeq Umer in the deep. Graeme Swann, then, drove a Gul delivery but was caught at point by Asad Shafiq who took a smart catch low down. 
Matt Prior and James Anderson frustrated the Pakistanis with their brief stay but Ajmal removed Anderson who was caught by Younis Khan at slip. Then Rehman removed Panesar to complete the Greenwash!

Summarised Scores:
Pakistan 99 and 365 beat England 141 and 252 (Prior 49*, Gul 4-61) by 71 runs
Hero of the Day: Umer Gul
Disappointment of the Day: Kevin Pietersen  
Flop of the Day: Ian Bell
Man of the Match: Azhar Ali
Man of the Series: Saeed Ajmal

Read more »

England in danger of losing world No 1 status after miserable Pakistan whitewash

England's lead at the top of the ICC's Test rankings has been cut to a solitary point following their series whitewash against Pakistan.
On 125 points going into the three-match series in the United Arab Emirates, England slipped to 118 and now hold just a one-point margin over second-placed South Africa, who can now usurp Andy Flower's men ahead of the April 1 end-of-season awards and claim the £110,000.

Bad day at the office: England lost the three-match series against Pakistan

To do that, the Proteas would have to win their series against New Zealand next month 3-0.
Pakistan, meanwhile, move within striking distance of the top four in the world after leaping from 99 points to 108, just three behind India and Australia.
They also now hold a 10-point margin over sixth-placed Sri Lanka, their next Test opponents in May and June.

Read more »

Pakistan whitewash England with third Test win

 

DUBAI: Pakistan's bowlers sealed an emphatic 71-run win in the third and final Test against England on Monday; inflicting a 3-0 series whitewash humiliation in the process.

Set a daunting 324-run target, England were bowled out for 252 with paceman Umar Gul taking 4-61 and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal (4-67) to help Pakistan achieve a first-ever Test clean sweep against their opponents.

With the ball turning again it was always a difficult task for England's batsmen, who have been unable to play the Pakistani spinners throughout the series, on a weary fourth day pitch at Dubai Stadium.

Pakistan won the first Test by ten wickets and the second by 72 runs in Abu Dhabi.

Pakistan have also become the first team to win a Test after being bowled out for under 100 since 1907 when England, shot out for 76, beat South Africa at Leeds.

It was England's seventh series whitewash, their first at the hands of Pakistan. Pakistan have now recorded five series whitewashes, their last coming in a 3-0 win over Bangladesh in 2003.

England's last series whitewash came in 2007 when they were routed by Australia 5-0.

So dominating have been Pakistanis spinners that Ajmal finished the series with 24 and Rehman with 19.

England, 89-2 at lunch, were still in with a chance with Alastair Cook (49) and Kevin Pietersen (18) batting well but they lost four wickets in the space of 84 runs. They went to tea at 173-6.

Pietersen, who struggled for runs in the series, hit Abdul Rehman for a boundary and then hoisted him for a six to post England's 100. But Ajmal struck from the other end.

The off-spinner produced a beautiful delivery to bowl Pietersen through the gate for 18. He had a mere 67 runs for the series during which he was out to spinners on five occasions.

In his next over, Ajmal produced another sharp turning delivery which caught the edge of Cook's bat and was smartly held by a diving Younis Khan in the lone slip.

Ian Bell (10) and Eoin Morgan (31) added 37 for the fifth wicket but again failed to produce a big score in the series as Gul dismissed them in the space of just three runs.

Pakistan took the second new ball at 196-6 and the first ball saw Gul dismissing Stuart Broad (18) and then Graeme Swann on one.

Matt Prior remained not out at 49 when Monty Panesar was dismissed by Rehman for nine.

England had looked for big partnerships after resuming at 36-0 but that never transpired.

Pakistan could have wrapped the match earlier had they not dropped two crucial catches, the first off Strauss on 26 when wicket-keeper Adnan Akmal grassed a simple chance off Gul.

But that didn't hurt Pakistan as Rehman trapped England captain in the very next over. Strauss challenged the decision by Australian umpire Steve Davis but his review failed.

Gul then let off Cook at 24 when he failed to hold a top-edge sweep off Rehman.

Cook had also benefited from a dropped catch on Saturday when Taufiq Umar let him off in the third slip off a miscued drive off Gul when he was four.

Ajmal then broke a dangerous looking 37-run stand between Cook and Jonathan Trott (18) by forcing a top-edge sweep which was smartly snapped up by Rehman at square-leg.

The teams will now play four one-day and three Twenty20 internationals.

Read more »

Pakistan v England: Gul and Ajmal seal whitewash

England slumped to a 71-run defeat in the third Test in Dubai to suffer a series whitewash by Pakistan for the first time.

Set 324 to win, the England top order was undone by spin before Umar Gul (4-61) ripped through the middle order.
Alastair Cook (49) offered some resistance, only to succumb to off-spinner Saeed Ajmal (4-67).
Matt Prior showed late aggression and was unbeaten on 49 as England were bowled out for 252.

Read more »

Pakistan Whitewashes England 3-0 defeat England by 71 Runs

Dubai - humari news, Pakistan defeated England by 71 runs in 3rd test against England and whitewashed England 3-0 in the series.This is a new record that a team who bowled out 99 in first inning and than defeated his opposite team in the match.Afridi congrates Pakistan team talking with HUMARI NEWS.He said that Pakistan team is going on a right path and Pakistan will now aiming to white wash England in ODI too.Pakistan team creates a history after whitewashing England.England is ICC TEST no.1 side.Defeating England and with whitewash is not an easy job like eating a piece of cake.A team who defeated Australia & India is now defeated by ICC no.4 side PAKISTAN.Fans of Pakistan is now too much happy and glad with their teams performance against ICC no.1 test side England.

Note: Same post and also more about Pakistan team whitewash England available at  http://pakihungama.blogspot.com/2012/02/pakistan-whitewashes-england-3-0.html

Read more »

Pakistan required 1 more wicket to white wash England and creating a history

 Pakistan team requires only 1 wicket to create a history of 100 years that a team who all out in first inning defeats his opponent team.

The sunny disposition of Saeed Ajmal and the stiff-limbed tenacity of Abdur Rehman have tormented England throughout this Test series and there was the slimmest likelihood of escape at tea on the fourth day of the final Test in Dubai as Pakistan sought to inflict a whitewash upon England for the first time.

There was plentiful spin for Pakistan's spinners, leaping spin at times when the ball struck the rough, and England, still 151 runs short of victory with only four wickets remaining, looked bound for a 3-0 defeat in the series.

Ajmal, spinning the ball both ways, not extravagantly but often, dismissed Kevin Pietersen and Alastair Cook in the afternoon session, to add to Jonathan Trott before lunch. Rehman counted Andrew Strauss as his sole success as he bowled unchanged for two sessions, 30 overs sent down with unerring accuracy. He is the sort of spin bowler who looks slightly weary from the outset, but never noticeably tires after that.

Pietersen was bent upon playing enterprisingly. The first ball of the afternoon provided a reminder of his vulnerability when a bat-pad against Rehman flew high past short leg, but he had the fleeting satisfaction of striking him straight for six before Ajmal, from around the wicket, spun one through the gate and beamed at further bounty.

Cook put up statuesque resistance. Along the way he became the second youngest person, at 27 years and 43 days, to reach 6,000 Test runs. Only Sachin Tendulkar has reached the landmark at a younger age. His most attacking shot of the morning, a loft into the leg side against Rehman, caused the bowler to taunt him with applause. He lived on scraps, combating the turning ball with thoughtful defence and numerous works to the leg side and that proved his undoing as a leading edge was brilliantly held by Younis Khan, diving to his left at first slip.

The emphasis has been upon spin, but Umar Gul reminded England that the quicker bowlers should not be entirely discounted as he got the old ball to reverse swing as much as at any time in the series. Ian Bell's state of mind is such that a long hop is quite enough. He averaged more than 100 last summer, less than 10 in this series, and when Gul offered up a gift he mistimed it wide of point. The ball that dismissed Eoin Morgan, caught by the wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal, who embarked upon a merry dance, was of higher quality.

England, 36 runs banked the previous evening, needed a further 288 at the start of play. Strauss fell in the sixth over of the morning, lbw on the back foot to Rehman. That was lbw No. 42 in this three-Test series, one short of the all-time record for a series of any length. Strauss reviewed it, although it smacked of a captain's review and he would have been better to head smartly for the dressing room. But when it comes to captain's reviews Strauss cannot match Misbah-ul-Haq. Misbah has been lbw on five occasions in this series and he has taken a review every time. It must be a captain's prerogative.

Without lapses in the field, Pakistan could have been in a stronger position. They had dropped Cook the previous evening, a relatively simple chance to Taufeeq Umar at third slip and Gul's drop in the shadows of the stand at deep square gave him another reprieve as Pakistan lost the efficiency that has characterised their cricket throughout this series. Rehman made his frustration clear when he caught Trott at deep square as he flung the ball into the turf with feeling at the errors that had gone before.

Adnan's fumble behind the stumps to reprieve Strauss, although not costly as the England captain was out in the next over, was the worst miss of all. Adnan has had a good series behind the stumps and has the opportunity to be Pakistan's first-choice keeper for many years to come but his excitable chatter had reached a peak. As Pakistan press for victory, it is in danger of becoming counterproductive. Strauss' edge flew to him at comfortable height but he put it down. For a few minutes he was quiet and you could hear your ears ringing.

Adnan's cacophony of cries often rent the air for inexplicable reasons. As do parrots, Adnan vocalises for many reasons. He may be excitedly greeting the day or summoning his family at sunset. He may be screeching when he is excited or when he is merely trying it on. He may screech when he thinks things have got too quiet or when he thinks it is his duty to scream. He just likes screeching. At one point he burst out coughing as if in sore need of a lozenge and Trott looked at him in deadpan fashion.

Adnan is also incorrigibly optimistic about reviewing umpiring decisions. "Do it, do it, yes, yes, all good," you can sense him saying. Misbah has learned not to take his evidence into consideration and looks askance at him. But Pakistan challenged umpire Steve Davis' not-out ruling when Ajmal beat Cook on the sweep. Hawk-Eye showed that the ball pitched outside leg. There again, disturbingly, it seems that Hawk-Eye also cannot read Ajmal's doosra, probably because it is English.

Read more »

No Indo-Pak cricket is frustrating: Akhtar

Lahore: The continuing freeze on Indo-Pak bilateral cricket is "frustrating", says Shoaib Akhtar but the former pacer does not agree with PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf`s "politically incorrect" statement that the Indians are intimidated by the prospect of taking on an in-form Pakistan.

"Obviously it is frustrating the way the Indians have avoided playing us for some reason or the other all these years. But I think Zaka Ashraf`s statement was a bit too strong and he needed to be careful while giving comments because of his position as PCB Chairman," the former pacer said on a television show.

The fast bowler said he could understand the mindset of the PCB chief when he made the statement on relations with India.

"But it was a bit too strong. I think he meant that Pakistan in its current form could beat anyone. It is also a fact that since 1985 we have won more matches against India because we have produced some of the most exciting talent in international cricket," he said.

Akhtar, who retired during the 2011 World Cup, said it was unfortunate that Pakistan and India didn`t play against each other more often as it deprived the cricket followers in both countries of great contests.

PTI

Read more »

England need second-highest run chase in Test history for unlikely win over Pak

Azhar Ali scored a dogged 157 to push Pakistan's lead to 323 in the Dubai Test © Associated Press

England at last saw the back of Azhar Ali, but still need to pull off the second-highest run chase in their Test history to avoid a 3-0 whitewash against Pakistan.

Azhar's painstaking career-best 157 spanned six sessions and almost nine hours, before the number three was ninth out in Pakistan's 365 all out on the third evening at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

England were therefore left with more than six and a half sessions to make 324, on a wearing pitch which had already helped spinners Monty Panesar (five for 124) and Graeme Swann share eight wickets.

They made an acceptable start to their mission improbable, openers Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss reprising the roles played by their great antecedents Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe, the last and only other time England made so many to win - against Australia in Melbourne in 1929.

Cook and Strauss achieved a notable first for this series at least, when they surpassed their previous highest opening partnership of 27 on this disappointing tour - reaching 36 for none at the close.

They had a scrape each before stumps, Cook dropped by Taufeeq Umar off Umar Gul at third slip on four and Strauss rightly given not out on 14 - even after DRS - when he got his pad outside the line on impact against Mohammad Hafeez's off-spin.

Azhar's 442-ball vigil had been a triumph of unstinting concentration, shot selection and restraint - taking in a stand of 216 with Younus Khan (127), and containing just 10 fours and one six.

But Pakistan's last seven wickets then fell for only 34 runs in 21 overs, to give world number ones England a glimmer of hope that their batsmen might yet redeem themselves here.

Younus predicted yesterday that the tourists could still have a chance in this match, if their luck held. Equally, having watched Azhar's unflustered tour de force, it seemed they might collectively do worse than take their cue from him.

Azhar was in absolutely no hurry on the way to his second Test hundred and beyond, having previously reached exactly three figures on this same ground against Sri Lanka last year.

He eventually reached the milestone from the 319th ball he faced, with one of the most memorable shots of his long innings - a cut off Panesar for his fifth four.

He might have gone before his third-wicket partner Younus, for 84, but survived when Swann was just unable to hang on to a tough chance at second slip, very low to his left off the bowling of James Anderson.

Instead England's only breakthrough this morning came when Stuart Broad had Younus lbw on the front foot - DRS indicated the ball would have clipped the very top of middle-stump - after a five-hour stay which had helped to shut England out for 82 overs.

Younus was replaced by captain Misbah-ul-Haq, another batsman content to make the most of the ample time available in this well-progressed match.

He and Azhar duly added another 87, until Misbah fell lbw pushing forward to Panesar in late afternoon to kickstart the rush of wickets.

There was no DRS left for Asad Shafiq, sweeping at Panesar to become the 40th lbw victim of this head-scratching series, and Adnan Akmal was soon bowled for a duck by one that turned to beat his defence and hit off-stump.

Swann then scored his first successes, after 32 overs in vain.

Abdur Rehman and Saeed Ajmal were both caught at slip shortly before tea - and then Azhar fell bat-pad to the off-spinner, and Panesar completed the innings with yet another lbw to account for Gul.

Meanwhile, Tim Bresnan arrived in Dubai this afternoon in time to watch the final session here, having undergone fitness tests in Yorkshire on the elbow injury which ruled him out of the Test series.

England hope the seamer will be available for four one-day internationals and three Twenty20s against Pakistan, starting on February 13. (The mirror)

Read more »

Pakistan is going to whitewash England: Afridi

KARACHI: Pakistan's former captain and flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi feels the team is capable of handing out a 3-0 whitewash to world number one England given the way it dominated the first two Tests.

Pakistan enjoy an unassailable 2-0 lead over the English. "I think Pakistan will complete a clean sweep in the third Test. They can whitewash England," Afridi told reporters at a function to launch the autobiography of former chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed.

Afridi said Pakistan enjoyed a psychological hold over the English batsmen.

"I see this series as the best opportunity for Pakistan to win the series 3-0. As they keep on winning they are getting hungrier for success and that is always the first sign of a team turning into a top class side," he said.

"Another good thing is that all the players realise their responsibility and are contributing and supporting each other on the field."

The all-rounder, who will join the team for the one-day and Twenty20 matches against England from next week, said Pakistani players have made winning a habit.

"After winning the first two Tests, the morale and confidence in the team is very high," he added.

Afridi, who was captain of the one-day side until last May, said that the way Pakistan are improving, they could soon match the feats of other great teams.

"Pakistan has the potential to be as good as the Australians were at one time," he said.

Read more »

The man of crises, the superman of Pakistan team - Younus Khan

After getting bundled out in the first innings for a paltry 99, Pakistan bounced back in the second with a commanding 180-run lead. The chief architect of this act Younis Khan, came into this game amid heavy scrutiny as he had failed to make a compelling impact on the series thus far.

Walking in with Pakistan hanging by the thread at 28 for 2, he got off the mark with an inside edge down to backward square. The enormity of the challenge he faced could be judged by the fact that it had been raining wickets since Day 1.

These were testing times for Pakistan. While all were busy making assumptions and predictions of a meagre total, Younis and Azhar silently resolved to take advantage of a pitch that was flattening out and take Pakistan to a secure position heading into Day 3.

It took Younis 20 balls to stroke his first boundary, an elegant straight drive presenting full face of the bat off Stuart Broad. Along with Azhar Ali, he showed true grit and determination in crafting an astounding revival in this innings.

Throughout his innings, he rarely gave the bowlers or DRS a chance to dislodge him. Younis presented the perfect technique of extricating yourself from frailties of the DRS system. Confidence was oozing from his stroke play as he punished anything short or wide from the bowlers. Younis was particularly good against spin bowlers, making use of his favorite sweep shot astutely.

Stauss’s applause for Younis Khan and Azhar Ali, as they marched off the ground clearly indicated a day bossed by the king who registered 20^th century under his belt with a strike rate of 58.97 in this innings.

In a broader perspective, Younis’s innings may well make Pakistan the first team since 1907, to win a test after being bundled out for less than a 100 runs in the first innings of a Test match. For now though, in a series which has failed to enchant the batsmen Younis Khan along with Azhar Ali has played a pivotal role in ascertaining Pakistan’s dominance over England.

Read more »

Younis' century puts Pakistan in control

Close Pakistan 99 and 222 for 2 (Younis 115*, Azhar 75*) lead England 141 (Strauss 56, Rehman 5-40) by 180 runs

	Younis Khan scored the first century of this series to put Pakistan in the driving seat in the third Test © Getty Images
Related Links Matches: England v Pakistan at Dubai (DSC) Series/Tournaments: England tour of United Arab Emirates Teams: England | Pakistan Gallery: Younis, Azhar seize control for Pakistan

The first hundred of this Test series was a long time in coming but it was well worth the wait. It went to Younis Khan. His enduring talent has again lifted Pakistan's expectations that they can achieve their first whitewash in a Test series against England.

When Younis came to the crease shortly before lunch on the second day, he was out of form, 22 wickets had fallen for 268 runs and batsmen on both sides were in mental turmoil over a record number of lbw decisions in a three-Test series. Not another wicket fell all day.

By the close, Younis had 115, his third-wicket stand with Azhar Ali was worth 194 in 72 overs and Pakistan's lead was 180. Some Pakistan fans held aloft a banner stating that Pakistan's target was to be the No. 1 Test side in the world. England can confirm it is an uncomfortable place to be.

Whenever mutterings are heard that his Test career is nearing an end, Younis comes up with something special. England tried to bowl straight, seeking to add to the 37 lbws in the series (the record in any length of series is 43) but the pitch was slow and the sound of ball against pad was conspicuous by its absence as Younis worked the ball serenely through the leg side.

It is only two months since Younis took an unbeaten double hundred off Bangladesh in Chittagong and his serenity flooded back. Both he and Azhar, whose restrained unbeaten 75 again identified him as a talent in the making, read the line confidently, their footwork was crisp and on the rare occasions Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann matched the turn found by Pakistan's left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman, they had the skill to adjust to the ball off the pitch.

England imagined they might have dismissed Azhar lbw, on 70, just before the close when Swann found turn around leg stump. Umpire Simon Taufel said no, England reviewed, more in hope than expectation, but to the consternation of the fielding side Hawk-Eye showed the ball going too high. Pakistan's lead was 168 and England had not got the break they desperately needed. Andrew Strauss, an England captain with no time to waste, even took the new ball two overs before the close.

Younis' second 50 took 60 balls and changed the complexion of the match. His gathering confidence was illustrated when he twice reverse-swept Swann as England's spinners resorted to bowling into the rough outside leg stump. Two short balls from Panesar helped him through the 90s. When he swept Panesar to reach his 20th Test hundred, two greats of India's past, Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, were moved to rise from their seats in the VIP area and applaud.

But the incident that will most trouble England was one of the rare balls Younis missed: a delivery from Panesar that pitched on middle, dislodged a piece of turf as it spun past the outside edge, and cracked Anderson on the left shoulder at first slip. This is a dry pitch and it can be expected to turn extravagantly as the match progresses.

It all possessed a different feel to the pre-lunch session. Six more wickets tumbled on the second morning, with England scraping a first-innings lead of 42 and then removing Pakistan's openers. Taufeeq Umar's technical frailties were again evident as James Anderson bowled one from wide on the crease to have him caught by Strauss at first slip. Mohammad Hafeez, after striking Panesar cleanly for a straight six, fell lbw to an over-ambitious sweep.

England's batting frailties are now so extreme that their average of 17.84 runs per wicket is currently lower than in any completed series since the 19th century, an era when the roller was probably pulled by a horse, if they could find a horse, and the art of groundsmanship extended to little more than pushing the stumps in.

England began the series fretting about the mysterious spin bowling of Saeed Ajmal but they are ending it baffled by the conventional approach of Rehman, who took five wickets for the second successive innings as Pakistan restricted England's first-innings lead. This canny left-arm spinner, enjoying unforeseen riches in his late-blooming career, had performed the sajda on the outfield in Abu Dhabi when he took five Test wickets in an innings for the first time. Once again he fell to his knees.

England, resuming on 104 for 6, lasted 12 overs. Anderson, the night-watchman, propped forward to the last ball of the first over and was bowled through the gate. It was the sort of respectable, turning delivery Rehman has produced on countless occasions and suddenly it looked unplayable.

Stuart Broad hinted at positive intent but he was lbw to Ajmal after Pakistan turned to DRS to overturn Steve Davis' not-out decision. Broad was straight back to the laptop, analysing his dismissal, seeking answers. Another centimetre and he would have been outside the line. Umpires would never give anybody out on such small margins; technology does.

Andrew Strauss' prolonged resistance ended at eight-down, to his most adventurous shot. He had extended his overnight 41 to 56 when he came down the pitch to hit Rehman over the legside and was stumped by Adnan Akmal.

Read more »