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Pakistan dominate despite Amla?s century - DAWN.COM
ABU DHABI, Oct 14: Hashim Amla notched his 20th Test century but three wickets for 34-year-old debutant spinner Zulfiqar Babar allowed Pakistan to restrict South Africa to 245 for eight on the opening day of the first Test here on Monday.
Amla, ranked the worlds best batsman, provided another innovative display to hit 118 not out off 250 balls while most of his team-mates showed some ring rustiness after 10 months without Test cricket.
Slow left-armer Zulfiqar the second oldest debutant for Pakistan took three wickets in the final session after bowling 17 wicketless overs to turn the match back his sides way after Amla had led a South African fightback at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
The 7-foot-1-inch left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Irfan (2-42) had struck with the new ball and reduced South Africa to 43-3 after captain Graeme Smith won the toss and elected to bat.
Amla rescued the Proteas by adding 95 runs for the fifth wicket with J.P. Duminy (57) before Zulfiqar struck as the visitors lost five wickets in space of 23 runs.
But Amla exhibited superb technique and temperament against both spinners and fast bowlers after he arrived at the crease in only the third over of the day.
We would definitely be taking 245-3 or 4 at the end of the day, [but] stats show we tend to lose wickets up front and at the end of days play, unfortunately we fell to that, Duminy said. All we can do is to make sure we come tomorrow with a positive frame of mind and try to get as many runs as we can.
Amla raised his half century off 95 balls shortly after lunch with a pulled boundary to square leg off fast bowler Junaid Khan and brought up his 20th Test century off 201 balls by driving Zulfiqar to long off in the last session.
Just to see the power of concentration he [Amla] has, its phenomenal, Duminy said. The key now is for him to try and push on for us.
Duminy and Amla looked to have resurrected the innings with nearly a century stand before he swept Babar in the deep to trigger the collapse. Duminy hit six fours and a six and should have been caught behind on 56 but Adnan Akmal dropped a sitter off Saeed Ajmal.
Faf du Plessis was also beaten by the turn of Zulfiqar and got an edge to gully while Robin Petersen was bowled through the gap between bat and pad off the left-arm spinners delivery that spun sharply into the left-hander.
Weve got quality spinners, Irfan said. Although its not turning, our spinners are getting some turn out of it and hopefully we will get more in the second innings.
Amla and A.B. de Villiers also batted cautiously in the second session for a 61-run stand after Pakistan had reduced the Proteas to 66-3 at lunch.
Pakistan struck through an unusual run out in their only success of the session when de Villiers played a defensive stroke and the ball rolled to Younis Khan in the first slip. Younis threw the ball to alert wicket-keeper Adnan Akmal, who whipped the bails off in a flash with de Villiers not dragging his backfoot fully back into the crease.
South Africa made sure they didnt allow Saeed (1-57) much success as the off-spinners solitary wicket came late in the day when he had Vernon Philander leg before wicket.
Earlier, Irfan dismissed Alviro Petersen (3) and Smith (15) to have the South Africans reeling at 19-2. Petersen was caught at short leg and Smith returning to international cricket after ankle surgery in May was adjudged caught behind after Pakistan successfully called for a television referral against the South African captain to reverse on-field umpire Rod Tuckers original decision.
Adnan grabbed a well-judged catch when Kallis also returning to international cricket for the first time since playing in IPL in May got an inside edge off left-arm fast bowler Junaid Khan.
Pakistan also awarded a Test cap to left-handed opening batsman Shan Masood on his 24th birthday and Zulfiqar replaced injured spinner Abdul Rehman.Agencies
Scoreboard
SOUTH AFRICA (1st Innings):
A.N. Petersen c Shan b Irfan 3
G.C. Smith c Adnan b Irfan 15
H.M. Amla not out 118
J.H. Kallis c Adnan b Junaid 5
A.B. de Villiers run out 19
J.P. Duminy c Asad b Zulfiqar 57
F. du Plessis c Asad b Zulfiqar 1
R.J. Peterson b Zulfiqar 5
V.D. Philander lbw b Saeed 3
D.W. Steyn not out 13
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-4, NB-1) 6
TOTAL (for eight wkts, 90 overs) 245
FALL OF WKTS: 1-6, 2-19, 3-43, 4-104,
5-199, 6-205, 7-217, 8-222.
TO BAT: M. Morkel.
BOWLING (to-date): Mohammad Irfan 16.2-3-42-2 (1nb); Junaid Khan 18.4-2-52-1; Zulfiqar Babar 27-2-89-3; Saeed Ajmal 28-6-57-1.
PAKISTAN: Khurram Manzoor, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Adnan Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Zulfiqar Babar, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan.
UMPIRES: R.J. Tucker and P.R. Reiffel (both Australia).
TV UMPIRE: I.J. Gould (England).
MATCH REFEREE: D.C. Boon (Australia).
ABU DHABI, Oct 14: Hashim Amla notched his 20th Test century but three wickets for 34-year-old debutant spinner Zulfiqar Babar allowed Pakistan to restrict South Africa to 245 for eight on the opening day of the first Test here on Monday.
Amla, ranked the worlds best batsman, provided another innovative display to hit 118 not out off 250 balls while most of his team-mates showed some ring rustiness after 10 months without Test cricket.
Slow left-armer Zulfiqar the second oldest debutant for Pakistan took three wickets in the final session after bowling 17 wicketless overs to turn the match back his sides way after Amla had led a South African fightback at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
The 7-foot-1-inch left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Irfan (2-42) had struck with the new ball and reduced South Africa to 43-3 after captain Graeme Smith won the toss and elected to bat.
Amla rescued the Proteas by adding 95 runs for the fifth wicket with J.P. Duminy (57) before Zulfiqar struck as the visitors lost five wickets in space of 23 runs.
But Amla exhibited superb technique and temperament against both spinners and fast bowlers after he arrived at the crease in only the third over of the day.
We would definitely be taking 245-3 or 4 at the end of the day, [but] stats show we tend to lose wickets up front and at the end of days play, unfortunately we fell to that, Duminy said. All we can do is to make sure we come tomorrow with a positive frame of mind and try to get as many runs as we can.
Amla raised his half century off 95 balls shortly after lunch with a pulled boundary to square leg off fast bowler Junaid Khan and brought up his 20th Test century off 201 balls by driving Zulfiqar to long off in the last session.
Just to see the power of concentration he [Amla] has, its phenomenal, Duminy said. The key now is for him to try and push on for us.
Duminy and Amla looked to have resurrected the innings with nearly a century stand before he swept Babar in the deep to trigger the collapse. Duminy hit six fours and a six and should have been caught behind on 56 but Adnan Akmal dropped a sitter off Saeed Ajmal.
Faf du Plessis was also beaten by the turn of Zulfiqar and got an edge to gully while Robin Petersen was bowled through the gap between bat and pad off the left-arm spinners delivery that spun sharply into the left-hander.
Weve got quality spinners, Irfan said. Although its not turning, our spinners are getting some turn out of it and hopefully we will get more in the second innings.
Amla and A.B. de Villiers also batted cautiously in the second session for a 61-run stand after Pakistan had reduced the Proteas to 66-3 at lunch.
Pakistan struck through an unusual run out in their only success of the session when de Villiers played a defensive stroke and the ball rolled to Younis Khan in the first slip. Younis threw the ball to alert wicket-keeper Adnan Akmal, who whipped the bails off in a flash with de Villiers not dragging his backfoot fully back into the crease.
South Africa made sure they didnt allow Saeed (1-57) much success as the off-spinners solitary wicket came late in the day when he had Vernon Philander leg before wicket.
Earlier, Irfan dismissed Alviro Petersen (3) and Smith (15) to have the South Africans reeling at 19-2. Petersen was caught at short leg and Smith returning to international cricket after ankle surgery in May was adjudged caught behind after Pakistan successfully called for a television referral against the South African captain to reverse on-field umpire Rod Tuckers original decision.
Adnan grabbed a well-judged catch when Kallis also returning to international cricket for the first time since playing in IPL in May got an inside edge off left-arm fast bowler Junaid Khan.
Pakistan also awarded a Test cap to left-handed opening batsman Shan Masood on his 24th birthday and Zulfiqar replaced injured spinner Abdul Rehman.Agencies
Scoreboard
SOUTH AFRICA (1st Innings):
A.N. Petersen c Shan b Irfan 3
G.C. Smith c Adnan b Irfan 15
H.M. Amla not out 118
J.H. Kallis c Adnan b Junaid 5
A.B. de Villiers run out 19
J.P. Duminy c Asad b Zulfiqar 57
F. du Plessis c Asad b Zulfiqar 1
R.J. Peterson b Zulfiqar 5
V.D. Philander lbw b Saeed 3
D.W. Steyn not out 13
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-4, NB-1) 6
TOTAL (for eight wkts, 90 overs) 245
FALL OF WKTS: 1-6, 2-19, 3-43, 4-104,
5-199, 6-205, 7-217, 8-222.
TO BAT: M. Morkel.
BOWLING (to-date): Mohammad Irfan 16.2-3-42-2 (1nb); Junaid Khan 18.4-2-52-1; Zulfiqar Babar 27-2-89-3; Saeed Ajmal 28-6-57-1.
PAKISTAN: Khurram Manzoor, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Adnan Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Zulfiqar Babar, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan.
UMPIRES: R.J. Tucker and P.R. Reiffel (both Australia).
TV UMPIRE: I.J. Gould (England).
MATCH REFEREE: D.C. Boon (Australia).
