Pakistan v India, 1st Test at Mohali, 8-12 March 2005

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Shaka

when I switched on I was greeted by the sight of Inzamam being hit on the pad while taking a long stride forward

I've rarely had any sympathy with any player who is out LBW: if they'd used their bat instead of the pad they would not have been in trouble.

I'm not suggesting Inzi was / wasn't out (no idea) but I'm all in favour of umpires giving marginal decisions: bowlers seemingly have to get batsmen out several times an innings with most umpires - and it's hard enough getting them once!

[Maranello]

Pakistan manage to get past 300, thanks to Asim Kamal, who proves his worth yet again with 91. Good recovery; the last 5 wickets getting as many (156 runs) as the first 5, not often that happens with our team. In fact, taken on its own, the last five wickets scoring 156 runs is pretty good, the problem is with the top/middle order; they need to have done a lot more... yes, Salman Butt and Youhana, I mean you two!!!

For India, Balaji gets his first ever five-fer in his sixth Test.. well done.

I think we would be very happy if we are able to restrict India to under 400 in reply. As we were put in on a relatively green pitch in pace friendly conditions, 312 is not that bad, but I think we are around 75-90 runs below par... fewer reckless shots and we might have got closer.

[Shaka]

Originally Posted by Rachael

I've rarely had any sympathy with any player who is out LBW: if they'd used their bat instead of the pad they would not have been in trouble.

I'm not suggesting Inzi was / wasn't out (no idea) but I'm all in favour of umpires giving marginal decisions: bowlers seemingly have to get batsmen out several times an innings with most umpires - and it's hard enough getting them once!

Fair enough I agree with you. However I can't remember the last time a Pakistani spinner was given an lbw against a batsman on the front foot, if I saw it happening both ways I wouldn't have any complaints.

Anyway, the Indian bowlers bowled pretty well so I don't want to dwell on Rudi Koertzen, I've had my fill of him over the last few months. The pick for me was Balaji by a mile, I think Australia might have found life a bit more difficult if he'd been fit during their tour. Given the poor start Pakistan made a defendable score at least, Asim Kamal once again fighting a reargaurd action, and once again falling short of his hundred. If Pakistan can get some early wickets tomorrow we could have a great game on our hands.

[Shaka]

Maranello, your concerns about Youhanna do have a ring of truth about them, while he can look absolutely majestic in some innings there are times when he looks as if he can't be bothered. I don't know if it's just his laid back style but he does annoy you with the timing of his dismissals. I'd be interested to see how many of his big scores against quality opposition have been made in the first innings where the decisive blows are usually struck. We all know he can score big in a lost cause, much like Graham Hick used to for England.

Even so I would back him to come good in the series. He is the best player of spin along with Inzimam and I am pretty sure the player India fear most after his captain. Salman Butt looks to have lost a bit of form of late, but if his confidence is still ok I would stick with him, he will make runs. The management need to keep a close eye on him though, test match cricket is a hard learning ground and sometimes youngsters need to be taken out of the firing line now and then.

[Zainub]

Youhanna and not a test player? You can't possibly be serious?

Anyway I've had a really hectic day today, so I'll get my belated thoughts on day 1 of the first test going here without any further ado...

I think 312 is a not a bad score at all on that surface, and it should give the Inidan batsmen a proper run for their money. The surface even though it has quite a lot of grass on it, and did a little bit early morning (as it does in most tests) it evened out as a very fine batting surface late into the day. The period where Asim Kamal and Kamran Akmal were batting together, just before the 2nd new ball was taken, the wicket was playing as well as you would expect any belter to play on at day 1 of a test match. So our bowlers, or rather our inexperienced attack, will definately have to stick to their task, and be as miserly as possible. Hard work ahead for everyone.

Also, very, well played Asim Kamal, I couldn't have been more sorry for him on his second nervous ninties dismissal, but on a team scale it was a gem of an innings. If now he doesn't become a permenant member of the Pakistan team I might have to resort to losing all patience with the selectors. And yes, I might as well mention that I don't think I've seen a worse innings in recent times than Razzaq's 24 ball 26 today - whatever was he trying to do?

Did not seem to me (or anyone for that matter) that he came out with any intention to play a long innings. For all my hopes of seeing him doing a Freddie and prove his many doubters wrong, every time I see him play a quality spinner (like a certain Anil Kumble in the Indian team who boasts of the just the 400 odd test wickets) I'm cast into such depths of pessimism that is completely atypical of my self. I wonder how Razzaq avoid spells of self doubt watching replays of him trying to forge a forward defensive against Kumble - it didn't (at least today) make good viewing.

I don't know how many of you are aware of this, but in this series different type of balls from the usually used kuckuburra ones are being / going to be used. They're called SG balls and they apparently have a slightly more pronounced seam then the other ones (which I presume must make them more helpful for the bowlers).

Anyhow, Cricinfo's coverage of the first day's play has been as usual excellent. I couldn't have agreed more with Osama Samiuddin on his assesment of our batting. In our last test we had Butt opening with Hameed, and if I'm not forgetting the Peshawar lad made a pretty decent fifty in at least of the innings against the best side in the world in their back yard. I know we went in with the same team as we picked in the warm up game, but keeping one's self in Hameed's boots you have to wonder what he did wrong to not get into the team...

But then (as Samiuddin goes on to say in the article too) you also have to wonder what Umar did wrong in the first place to not get into team for Australia. I'm compelled to believe this constant chop and change policy at the top of the order is doing no good to the confidence of our younger yet exetremely talented lot. What ever happened to the policy of telling someone, we've picked you for this series and we're going to give you a decent run in the side, and not just one match every six odd months (which rather strangely has been the case with Umar)? Surely players will be able to perform much better if they're freed from worries of if or not they'll be in the team for the next game.At least if nothing it will allow them to focus on the job at hand rather then worry sick about the impending future and for its sake also risk the outcome of the present.

I'd like to see us settle down with one opening pair and give them at least 5 to 6 matches to perform before we can try out some one else. Its not as if we're playing Australia, we only have WI (and potentially a half strength WI) to encounter in the coming months, we can afford to give these players a sustained run in the side without having to over worry about results.

Finally I'm dissapointed with refrence to umpiring decesions in this thread. I think Rudi was justified to give both Younis and Inzi out, I too personally happen to think both were correct decesions. Pakistan haven't had -I admit- the best of umpiring decesions in recent times, a few things went against us in Australia, but today at least I think luck evened it self out very well, and no one should complain.

From my counting Taufeeq Umar was out LBW at least two times before eventually being bowled for 44, and Asim Kamal who was our hero with a score of 91 could have easily been out well before reaching his 50 had the slips been positioned more precisely for Irfan Pathan, and had it not been Pakistan's day luck wise Laxman could have taken a blinder at midd off and end his innings prematurely at 79.

I know luck and umpiring decesion are exactly things in quite the same context, but today's play was an absorbing day of test cricket, where each side had something good to show for it self at the end of the day, critcism of the umpires at this stage at least to me seems somewhat in bad taste. Especially since all the decesions in question in this discussion here aren't exactly out and out shockers. As I said before too Rudi Koertozen had a very soild reason to give them out, reasons I don't seem to disagree with.

ps: Get Well Soon OK

Dawn's Sports Correspondents report on Tuesaday from Karachi that respected cricket writer and analyst, ex commentator, manger and diplomat Omar Kureishi was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Ziauddin Hospital, Clifton on Monday evening. Mr. Kureishi is 77. Being a regular reader of his columns and having known that a few of you here don't mind reading him either I just thought it would be worthwhile to share this news with everyone.

I'm deeply concerned of his health, last time I saw him, it was on a brief telly appearance, he looked very weak indeed, it was just amazing having seen him in real and seeing how weak he looked phyisically at age 77 that he could still be doing quite a respectable job writing for Dawn, and being a source of entertaintment and knowledge to so many of his readers. This guy is an absolute legend in my opinion. I wish him all the best with his recovery.

[Paoli]

4/0 1st over. Sehwag hits boundary off first ball and survives a shout for leg before. 4 without loss, 1 over bowled.

[Rachael]

WHat's going on: just got in and INdia have been scoring at 7 an over as if it's a ODI against Zimbabwe!

[bigfella]

134-1, Sehwag on FIREEEE....

They are making Pakistan look like amateurs...Sehwag carving it up...Again Due to the series in NZ, we are denied the privilige of seeing this; even on Pay tv

[Shaka]

Originally Posted by Rachael

WHat's going on: just got in and INdia have been scoring at 7 an over as if it's a ODI against Zimbabwe!

What's going on? Indian batsmen are top notch and they are having the time of their lives against our ODI bowling line up. The only strike bowler in that line up Kaneria apart is Sami and he hasn't bowled well in ages now. I've addressed the selection policy in another thread http://www.world-a-team.com/showthread.php?t=2527

That bowling line up would look dangerous in really overcast seaming conditions, but then I could look dangerous in those circumstances.

[Paoli]

Virender is about 165 not out, playing out of his skin...Always seems to save his best for a first test of a series against Pakistan....Zainub and Maranello and Shaka would well know!!!!! 306/2, Tendulkar looking good...