2nd ODI: Australia v Pakistan at Melbourne, 15 Jun 2002 John Polack |
Pakistan innings:
Australia innings: |
The first serious question of the afternoon was answered when Shoaib Akhtar was included in Pakistan's eleven at the expense of Mohammad Sami. After the calamitous experience of having the redoubtable Pakistani speedster and Brett Lee both withdrawn from the series opener, it ensured above all else that the marketers could breathe an overdue sigh of relief.
Yet, while both speedsters were back - with Akhtar and Saeed Anwar chosen ahead of Sami and Shoaib Malik for the visitors, and Lee and Jimmy Maher replacing Jason Gillespie and Matthew Hayden for Australia - it was again other pacemen who were the first to breathe life into the match itself.
In a frenzied beginning, Australia's captain and vice-captain both departed the crease in the first over, and fellow members of the upper order should have been quick to join them among the ranks of the fallen.
Akram (3/18) struck with the first and third deliveries of the match, initially finding a feint outside edge as he drew Adam Gilchrist (0) into nibbling at an outswinger of exceptional quality. Ricky Ponting (0) then made his own forlorn exit two balls later when a defensive shot caused the ball to jam off a combination of bat and pad, and loop in a gentle low parabola to the jubilant bowler.
It took another eight overs before Maher (12) lashed at, and outside edged, a ball that was seemingly innocuous by the left arm paceman's exquisite standards.
But, in between times, Akram and Waqar Younis (0/35) created a host of further chances.
Maher survived a beseeching lbw appeal at 3, and narrowly survived a run out referred to third umpire Simon Taufel at 7. Martyn (56), meanwhile, led an equally charmed existence; he played and missed serially during the early part of his stay; top edged, from a hook at Akram, just short of Anwar at fine leg on 3; and then dodged a major bullet at 7 when he received the benefit of the doubt of another decision handed to Taufel.
A mistimed pull at Akram had sent the ball toward Waqar at mid on, and the Pakistan captain initially appeared to have clutched the ball cleanly just above the turf. Neither Martyn nor umpire Darrell Hair, standing a short distance away from Waqar, seemed fully convinced, though, and an ensuing series of replays failed to shed further light on the catch's validity.
Martyn's escape set the stage for a defiant 66-run stand for the fourth wicket with Darren Lehmann (31). But, when the latter batsman's attempt at a glide to third man succeeded only in presenting wicketkeeper Rashid Latif with one of four catches in the innings, Australia quickly plunged back into trouble.
On a pitch again offering consistent pace and bounce - as well as appreciable turn at times - spinner Shahid Afridi (3/28) proceeded to encourage Martyn to cut a low catch to backward point shortly afterward. He made further important breaches of the home team's defences when he trapped Shane Watson (8) and Shane Warne (1) on the line of the crease.
Akhtar (2/30), the swiftness of whose deliveries peaked at a reading of 151.9 kilometres per hour, mopped up the remnants of the innings by bowling Andy Bichel (7) and having Michael Bevan (30) caught behind while cutting.
The Australians lost 5/29 in the closing stages of the innings to pair a poor finish with the disastrous start that they had made after winning the toss.
© CricInfo
Date-stamped : 15 Jun2002 - 14:40