Rampant Oz pacers ‘ruin’ teammate Smith’s leg-spin debut at Lord’s
By ANIThursday, July 15, 2010
LONDON - Australian leg-spinner Steve Smith’s chances of scoring over Nathan Hauritz on debut were hindered by his speedster teammates on the second day of the opening Test against Pakistan at Lord’s.
Smith was not required to bowl following sterling work of the Australian fast bowling brigade, as Pakistan were dismissed for 148 in reply to Australia’s 253 in their first innings.
The 21-year-old leg-spinner’s problem was that the innings only lasted 40.5 overs in overcast conditions and Australia’s pace attack did more than an efficient job, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
With Hauritz out with a foot injury, Smith has lost one of the four innings that he has to impress with the ball as Australia’s only specialist spinner before the two-Test series in India in October.
All-rounder Shane Watson proved to be the surprise danger man with the ball, as he took a career-best 5-40 to give Australia a big advantage in what had been an even contest.
Watson took the wickets of Akmal brothers, Umar (five) and Kamran (0), Salman Butt (63), captain Shahid Afridi (31) and Danish Kaneria (14).
Ben Hilfenhaus (2-37) and Doug Bollinger (2-38) also did their bit, while Mitchell Johnson (1-31) was much better than his figures suggested.
The Aussies took a first-innings lead of 105, but Pakistan made a late bid to surge back into the Test when Umar Gul was on a hat-trick after removing Michael Clarke (12) and Mike Hussey (0).
At stumps Australia were 4-100 in their second innings, with Simon Katich unbeaten on 49, stretching their lead to 205 with three days to play.(ANI)
