Saturday, January 28, 2012

Pakistan humiliate England to take series

The 31-year-old twice took two wickets in successive overs to chase tooth of England after being set a 145-run target on the fourth day tired Abu Dhabi Stadium field, bowling them for 72 - their lowest against Pakistan in all tests.

Rehman is overshadowed efforts of Monty Panesar 6-62 in his first Test for 30 months that ended Pakistan's second innings at 214 in the morning.

This is the defeat of England, the first series after being unbeaten in their previous nine, since its loss to the West Indies in early 2009 - a sequence that saw the rise to world number one ranking test in August of the year the past.

Pakistan won the first race in Dubai by ten wickets. The third test will also be played in Dubai from February 3.

Rehman was ably assisted by off-spinner Saeed Ajmal (3.22) and Mohammad Hafeez (1-11) in a match that saw spinners dominated from the first day.

England lost their first four batsmen in the space of just 37 balls after a cautious start in a difficult field.

England captain Andrew Strauss topscored with 32 before becoming one of Rehman victims during their course of five wicket maiden.

In the penultimate over before tea, caught Kevin Pietersen Rehman (a) two balls and then rolled Eoin Morgan (nothing) to raise the hopes of an improbable victory for Pakistan.

Sensing they could only disrupt their rivals through early wickets, Pakistan opened the bowling with off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez who responded well to pick up Alastair Cook (seven) out of his own bowling after England had edged carefully to 21 by more than 15.

Bell, promoted to number three after Jonathan Trott was ill, was all at sea against the master spinner Saeed Ajmal and his attempt to push went through his legs to hit the stumps. He made only three.

Pietersen, who has been woefully out of shape to do only 16 races in the series, got one more before he and Rehman caught in it also had the most out of the way Morgan rolled dent England hopes of a victory.

Rehman then responded by Trott (a) and Stuart Broad (nothing) in the same 7-68 to leave England.

Ajmal dismissed Graeme Swann (nothing) and Matt Prior (18) to complete his 100 test wickets in his match 19 before Anderson was caught by Rehman to give Pakistan a sensational victory. (See box statistics)

England previous lowest against Pakistan was 130 - made on two occasions at The Oval in 1954 and Lahore in 1987.

Earlier, Pakistan lost their last six wickets with the addition of 89 runs after resuming 125-4, all hope stuck in Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq.

Panesar took three wickets to end their five-course tests in the eighth wicket.

Azhar Ali (68) and Asad Shafiq (43) added 88 for the fifth wicket before Panesar struck.

But the decision of England to take the second new ball after he was due to dividends paid rich as dangerman Ali Anderson withdrew with a sharp increase delivery which caught the edge and was caught behind by Prior.

Ali hit eight boundaries during his 195 ball knock.

Broad then had Adnan Akmal (13) caught by Strauss in a hard slide on how ambitious the next Pakistan shrunk.

Rehman (10) and Ajmal (17) added an invaluable 36 for the eighth wicket before Panesar ended the innings with the last two wickets.

No comments:

Post a Comment