The Hindu : Sport : It's still anyone's game

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 17, 2006

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Sport

It's still anyone's game

Ted Corbett

LONDON: Andrew Strauss, captain on his home ground, led England's attempt to set up a winning position in the first Test against Pakistan at Lord's. By tea on the fourth day his 74 had given England a lead of 237 but there was no sign of wear in a good batting pitch.

Neither Danish Kaneria nor Shahid Afridi could get quick turn although both took important wickets as England scored 154 for four.

Strauss began his Test career on this ground — unexpectedly when Michael Vaughan was injured — and scored a century and a fifty. He has a reputation for turning fifties into hundreds but in the last eight months he has played too many cameo innings and got out just when it looked as if he might add to his eight Test hundreds.

Earlier there was a great chance for Shahid Afridi to play steadily for a while and then let fly. He has a Test average of 38 — six more than, just as one instance, Graeme Hick — and yet he played as if he had taken an overdose of adrenalin. I lost count of the air shots but 20 balls brought him 17 when 20 minutes spent exploring the pitch and the bowling would have served him better. His third four soared towards the pavilion and his next shot soared — as predictably as walking blindfold will bring an accident — into the hands of deep mid-off.

Umar Gul lasted two balls and Danish Kaneria five but it was enough to give Mohammad Yousuf his fourth Test double hundred as Pakistan made 445. He batted almost eight hours and hit 26 fours; believe me, since I saw Moisin Khan make the last double hundred for Pakistan at Lord's it was a fine innings. If Inzamam-ul-Haq had not been bowled playing that strange shot Pakistan might have had a big lead and been ready to win. Incidentally, Inzamam's 69 was his eighth 50 off England in successive innings, equalling a 25-year-old record set by Clive Lloyd.

Lazy shot

Marcus Trescothick was bowled off a lazy shot to a ball wide of off stump for 18 but at lunch England had added 51 to its first innings lead of 83. Alastair Cook was caught at mid on from a Umar Gul ball that stopped. Enter Pietersen with patience. He waited for 14 balls before attempting a big shot and then hit fours off successive balls. I never thought I would use Pietersen as an example of how to set up an innings but there was a lesson for Afridi.

Strauss raced to fifty but this time his innings was far from the cameo that he has played too often recently. He has scored one hundred and one fifty since the Ashes; not enough from a quality opening bat. He ensured that England jogged along at three and a half an over while Pietersen was quiet as Kaneria bowled round the wicket and Inzamam went on the defensive.

We were looking to Pietersen for excitement and a big increase in the scoring rate but after a couple of rasping drives straight and through the offside he was stumped taken yards down the pitch by his huge stride to Afridi's quicker ball. The usually reliable Paul Collingwood lasted only five balls before he was caught off Kaneria but Ian Bell, needing runs after his first innings century to keep his place when Andrew Flintoff returns, brought up 150 with a square cut off Afridi. It was still anyone's game.

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