Pakistan vs Australia 2nd T20I: Live score updates, commentary
Roar Guru By Suneer Chowdhary, 7 Sep 2012 Suneer Chowdhary is a Roar Guru
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- Australia, Brad Hogg, Cricket, live blog, Saeed Ajmal, Shane Watson
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Pakistan v Australia DUBAI INTERNATIONAL CRICKET STADIUM, SEPTEMBER 07, 2012 2nd Twenty20 - PAK v AUS |
|---|
| Pakistan 1st Inn | 4/151 |
| Australia 1st Inn | 8/151 |
| Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat | |
| Match tied (Pakistan won the one-over eliminator) | |
| Australia | Over:20.0 RR:7.55 | ||||
| Batsmen | Runs | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DT Christian | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 66.67 |
| PJ Cummins* | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 233.33 |
| Pakistan | |||||
| Bowlers | O | M | R | W | Econ |
| Abdul Razzaq* | 1.0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 9.00 |
| Umar Gul | 4.0 | 0 | 32 | 1 | 8.00 |
| Recent Overs: | ||
| . 1 1 4 . 1 | | 1 . 1 1 1 1lb | | 1 1 1 1 . 6 | |
| Last Wicket: | Cummins, 7 (c:Nazir b:Razzaq) |
| Current Partnership: | 9 runs, 5 balls, RR:180.00 |
Pakistan will look to seal the T20I series when they take on Australia in the second T20I at Dubai tonight. Join us at 2.00am AEST for live score updates and commentary
That Pakistan won wasn’t as much a surprise as the manner of their victory.
More specifically, it was Australia’s abject batting display that stunned the fans on Wednesday. Invited to bat by Pakistan, Australia crumbled quicker than a cookie and were bowled out for 89, which now takes second place in their worst ever batting displays in this format of the game.
The Australian boat was rocked early with the dismissal of the recently returned Shane Watson and barring Dave Warner’s 22, no other batsman got more than 15.
What will be even more disheartening is that the problems continue to remain the same: batting against spin bowling.
Captain Mohammad Hafeez, nemesis-in-chief Saeed Ajmal and even debutant Raza Hasan combined to pick up six wickets for only 52 runs in their 12 overs.
Spinners aside, Umar Gul and Sohail Tanvir had a good workout for Pakistan as well and it was one of the better bowling displays as a team in recent times.
So much so that Shahid Afridi wasn’t missed at all. He could continue to sit out of this game if the management have even the slightest doubt about his fitness.
Australian captain George Bailey admitted that the side would find it very difficult to win the World T20 if they batted as badly as they did in the opener.
Interestingly, batting-wise this is the best that Australia can manage, as can be seen from the three changes announced for this game.
Daniel Christian, Mitchell Starc and Brad Hogg will get a game here, as they replace Ben Hilfenhaus, Glenn Maxwell and Xavier Doherty.
Pakistan will do well to be wary of a backlash though.
The inclusion of Starc, who had an excellent tournament in the Friends Life t20 this year, should make a difference to their bowling attack.
As should the selection of Hogg, whose ability to bowl his left-arm wrist spin will be a bigger challenge for the Pakistani batsmen.
While Watson is still feeling his way back into the side after his fitness issues, Dave Warner’s form will be a concern.
The Hussey brothers will also hope to get some runs under their belt going into the World T20. Cameron White’s return to the team yielded only a 22-ball 15 and an over of bowling too late in the innings to trouble the opposition.
The Crowd Says (146) | Page 1 of Comments
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9:42pm
alina said | 9:42pm | Report comment
so is it halftime now …. im at school and i cant watch it…lol whats the score ..and let me now when the australia start batting thanks
6:12am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 6:12am | Report comment
This has been an excellent game, any match that goes right to the wire in this fashion has to be! Pakistan looked to have got enough when they scored 151 but Australia challenged them well throughout thanks to 30s from Shane Watson and Dave Warner and a 27-ball 42 from the captain Bailey.
Unfortunately for Australia, Pat Cummins failed to get a single off the last ball of the game to seal it after he had smacked a six off the penultimate ball. Then, Cummins conceded 12 in the Super Over to allow Pakistan to run away with the game. While it is never easy to bowl under so much pressure, Cummins did not help himself by bowling length and a silly wide in that Super Over.
The loss means that Australia will go into the third game playing for pride.
6:08am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 6:08am | Report comment
Finally a yorker and that has been tapped to the covers, they run off for a single and Pakistan has won the game and the series with it!
0/12 in 1.0 over (Super Over)
Pakistan win the game in Super Over and take a 2-0 lead in the series.
6:07am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 6:07am | Report comment
Wide! Shocker! It is a bouncer that would be called a wide in any form of the game, and it pops way over the batsman.
0/11 in 0.5 (Super Over)
6:05am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 6:05am | Report comment
Goes down the track and wants to hit it over mid-off, mistimes it thanks to the slower ball, almost gets to mid-off, Hussey catches it on the bounce. They get a single, which means that they need two off the last ball!
0/10 in 0.5 (Super Over)
Two needed off the last. A tie here will force a countback, team hitting higher boundaries will win it!
6:03am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 6:03am | Report comment
Short, wide and that has been smacked through point for a four! That is another bad ball from Cummins and this time it does not go unpunished.
0/9 in 0.4 (Super Over)
Three more needed for a win off two.
6:02am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 6:02am | Report comment
Not the length you want to bowl, shorter, slower and should have been banished over fine-leg, gets only a feather through to the keeper on the bounce for a single.
0/5 in 0.3 (Super Over)
6:01am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 6:01am | Report comment
Down the ground and four! He was attempting the same shot first up, this time he connects and times it well to long-on
0/4 in 0.2 (Super Over)
6:00am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 6:00am | Report comment
Slower one from Cummins, surprise, surprise! Beats the batsman who was charging down. Misses.
0/0 in 0.1 (Super Over)
5:59am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:59am | Report comment
Pakistan’s batsmen for the Super Over: Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq.
Australia have nominated Cummins. Could they have gone in with Starc? Probably needed someone to spear them in.
Umar Akmal and Razzaq have walked out.
5:54am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:54am | Report comment
Couple of runs off the last ball, yorker-length yet again and he has managed to carve it to deep mid-wicket for a couple of easy runs.
1/11 in 1.0 overs. (Super-Over)
Pakistan need 12 to win off the Super Over!
5:53am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:53am | Report comment
Gone, caught! Warner goes for a pull off one that is pitched short and can only scoop it high to long-off, where Akmal takes it easily.
1/9 in 0.5 (Super-Over)
5:52am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:52am | Report comment
Shorter on the leg stump this time and he misses a pull, but called a wide.
0/9 in 0.4 (Super-Over)
5:51am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:51am | Report comment
Similar length and Warner has managed to walk down the track and then flick it away to fine-leg for a four! No fine-leg in place and easily beats the short fine-leg.
0/8 in 0.4 (Super-Over)
5:50am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:50am | Report comment
Another yorker on the middle, tailing in but played well to long-on for a single
0/4 in 0.3 (Super-Over)
5:49am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:49am | Report comment
Yorker-length yet again, a full-toss which is whipped away to deep square-leg for a couple of runs.
0/3 in 0.2 (Super-Over)
5:47am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:47am | Report comment
Yorker first up and it is dug out to long-off for a single
0/1 in 0.1 (Super-Over)
5:46am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:46am | Report comment
Hafeez is animatedly encouraging Gul. Warner and Watson are strutting out here.
5:45am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:45am | Report comment
Australia’s batsmen: Shane Watson, Dave Warner and George Bailey.
Pakistan have asked Umar Gul to bowl this one, Ajmal, as I suspected is still out with his injury.
5:43am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:43am | Report comment
Quick run-through of the rules, each team bats six balls and will nominate three batsmen. If the batting team losing two wickets, their Super Over ends irrespective of the number of balls remaining.
One bowler will bowl the Super Over for his team. One can safely say that it will be Ajmal who will bowl for Pakistan (unless he is injured really bad!). Who will it be for Australia? Starc? Watson? Hogg?
5:38am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:38am | Report comment
OUT!
Gone off the last ball! It is a tie! Full-toss and he tried to play it to the leg side, gets a top edge which goes high in the air, caught well by Imran Nazir.
That is the sixth tie in T20Is. Australia will bat first here, what a game!
5:37am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:37am | Report comment
SIX!
Boundary? Did I just say boundary, he has straight-batted it over mid-wicket – if that is possible – for a six! Cummins has pulled the rabbit out of the hat!
One needed off the last one. Tie’s going to get us a Super Over.
5:35am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:35am | Report comment
Another slower bouncer and another single! They need seven off two and in a desperate need of a boundary.
5:35am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:35am | Report comment
Another one that did not arrive, it was pitched right up and how Cummins managed to get a bat on it I do not know.
Still manages to pull it away to deep square-leg for a single
5:34am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:34am | Report comment
Full-toss on pads, flicked away to deep square-leg for a single.
Nine needed off four, it is Pat Cummins on strike.
5:32am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:32am | Report comment
OUT!
Gone, pulled straight into the hands of deep square-leg!
It was a shorter one from Razzaq but one that almost never arrived. Bailey went for the shot and failed to time it as Arafat came running from deep square-leg to his left and took a good catch.
End of a nice innings from the captain.
5:31am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:31am | Report comment
Confusion reins. It was Shoaib Malik who was asked to bowl, before Abdul Razzaq was called up.
None of the aforementioned two have bowled in this game so far!
5:30am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:30am | Report comment
It was substitute Yasir Araft with the throw. Ajmal had just gone off a couple of deliveries ago because of an injury.
10 needed off six and a huge huddle among the Pakistani fielders and captain.
5:29am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:29am | Report comment
OUT!
Boy, how are they fielding so well! It was a yorker and dug out through to third-man, they went for one and came back for the second. It was a decent call for the second as it would have needed a direct hit from third-man and that is exactly what it got!
10 needed from seven as Wade walks back. Christian has walked out.
5:27am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:27am | Report comment
Missed!!
A catch dropped on follow-through by Gul, and the parry almost hits the non-striker’s stump, which would have found the batsman short.
5:26am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:26am | Report comment
Four!
This is rubbish bowling, probably thanks to the pressure that Bailey has put on him, full toss on the leg stump and he swings it away, beats the short fine-leg yet again for a four.
12 needed off 9.
5:24am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:24am | Report comment
Four!
Turning of tide, is it! Yorker length again, outside the off and the inside edge goes through to the fine-leg for a four!
16 needed off 10.
5:23am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:23am | Report comment
Yorker-length and outside the off stump, driven to long-off for a single.
20 needed off 11.
5:22am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:22am | Report comment
So Umar Gul will bowl the 19th. Which means that Mohammad Hafeez could bowl the 20th!
Interesting!
5:22am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:22am | Report comment
SIX!
It takes the Aussies his entire spell to get something off Ajmal, shorter from him and captain Bailey pulls him over square-leg for a six!
They had taken only four singles off the first five balls before that six that even things out again!
21 needed off 12.
5:18am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:18am | Report comment
And this will be the one that Ajmal will bowl.
Incidentally, last over, Pakistan conceded their first extra in the innings! A leg-bye!
5:17am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:17am | Report comment
Five singles off the Tanvir over and a wicket. He has produced a beauty when it mattered for Pakistan and that has pushed the Australian required rate to over 10.
31 off 18. With Ajmal to bowl one of them.
5:14am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:14am | Report comment
Wade at seven, drives a fuller ball straight to short cover but misfield allows him a single
5:13am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:13am | Report comment
OUT!
Pegged back, off stump that is! He came from round the stumps and got it to nip back into the batsman, he was giving himself room and cut it away, missed and that has smacked the stumps back!
They were checking for the no-ball, but he was nowhere near the crease. Five down now!
5:11am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:11am | Report comment
Sohail Tanvir to bowl his last. He has conceded 26 from his three.
5:09am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:09am | Report comment
A single off the last ball from Gul and Australia now need 36 in the last four to keep the series alive.
5:08am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:08am | Report comment
Four!
Short and pulled! Gave it a mighty heave did Bailey and it bullets away to mid-wicket for a four, keeps them in hunt!
37 needed from 25
5:05am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:05am | Report comment
The other Hussey, David comes in now.
43 needed from 29.
5:04am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:04am | Report comment
OUT!
Oh no! That is a surprise! Hussey has miscued this one, wanted to pull that short one from Gul to the mid-wicket stands, he hits it straight to long-on where Malik takes a simple catch!
5:03am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:03am | Report comment
Umar Gul is on now. 0/14 in his first 2.
5:02am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 5:02am | Report comment
Better over for Australia against Ajmal. They manage to get five singles off it and preserve their wickets too!
43 needed from 30 now. Well within grasp, with only three wickets down. But they will need to cash in those other four overs. Ajmal has one left.
4:59am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:59am | Report comment
Ajmal, who has bowled two and taken two wickets, comes on now.
He averages 8 with the ball in the five games that Australia have played him.
4:59am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:59am | Report comment
Four!
Attempts a reverse sweep and hits it well but the backward point fielder seemed to have it covered, instead he allows it to go through and for four! Australia are back in this one, and need only 48 from six.
4:57am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:57am | Report comment
SIX!
A pressure-reliever! It was fuller on the off stump and Bailey bludgeons it over long-on for a six! They needed that one, the first boundary in 22 balls for Australia.
3/100 in 13.4
4:56am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:56am | Report comment
Tossed up outside the off stump and Bailey attempts another slog, gets some bat on it and it goes into the gap at mid-wicket for a couple of runs.
4:55am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:55am | Report comment
Raza Hasan to bowl out here. He has figures of 0/18 in three.
4:54am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:54am | Report comment
And it ends with five singles in the over, a very good one given the circumstances.
3/91 in 13. 61 needed from 7.
4:53am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:53am | Report comment
Captain Hafeez, who is the costliest of the lot tonight, comes on now. Three singles off the first three.
3/89 in 11.3
4:49am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:49am | Report comment
Survives!
He goes for a slog sweep, gets a top edge and it has gone high! Fortunately for him there weren’t too many in the circle on the leg side and it lands in no-man’s land.
Single to fine-leg.
Hussey takes another single.
3/86 in 11.5
4:48am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:48am | Report comment
It is captain and birthday boy Bailey at the crease.
4:48am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:48am | Report comment
OUT!
This is suicide, Ajmal’s giving them enough trouble anyway and White has now run himself out, of course courtesy the brilliance of Umar Akmal. Taps it to point and rushes away, Umar picks up and throws down the stumps direct, White dived back to get in but was short!
3/84 in 11.2.
4:45am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:45am | Report comment
Raza Hasan from the other end, White scoops it over the keeper for a couple. They have to eke out as many from the non-Ajmal end.
4:44am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:44am | Report comment
This is magic from Ajmal, he is making them dance around!
Two off the remaining four deliveries beat Cameron White, and hit the batsman on his pads, appeal on both occasions and given not-out for hitting outside the line of the stumps.
End of an excellent over from Ajmal, only three from it and a wicket.
2/82 in 11.
4:41am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:41am | Report comment
OUT!
Crucial, crucial, crucial stage! Ajmal has done it again, sends back the other opener, lbw.
Watson had defended the first one on the back foot, giving an impression that they had decided to play him out but then goes for a slog sweep, misses and is trapped in front!
Interesting 16 balls ahead from Ajmal!
2/79 in 10.2
4:39am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:39am | Report comment
And yes, it is Ajmal who returns to bowl his second. Crucial time.
4:38am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:38am | Report comment
A very good over for the visitors, that six followed by a couple and three singles.
And then another four off the last ball of the over, pitched fuller on the off stump and Hussey drills it through point for a four.
15 off the over brings the required rate down to 7.3, it is 73 needed off 10.
4:35am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:35am | Report comment
SIX!
Smack! On the middle stump, pitched up and Watson has banished that over long-on for a six! The fielder there thought he had a chance and jumped high but eluded him with ease!
Another early boundary in the over!
4:34am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:34am | Report comment
A long meeting between Hafeez, Malik, Gul and Tanvir. Don’t quite know about what because there was no change in the field after that.
4:33am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:33am | Report comment
They have got a boundary in each of the previous three overs and then rotated the strike. Managing to keep it to slightly lower than the required rate.
1/64 in 9 overs.
4:31am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:31am | Report comment
SIX!
Shot! It was not really pitched up and yet Watson managed to reach it and smacked it over long-on for a six!
So far, they have handled all the bowlers, bar Ajmal, well have the Australian batsmen.
1/62 in 8.4
4:29am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:29am | Report comment
Six and three singles in the over, which keeps Australia abreast of the required-rate.
1/54 in 8.
4:26am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:26am | Report comment
SIX!
Wohoa! What a shot, first ball from the captain and Hussey has slogged swept Hafeez over mid-wicket for a six! The ball got a hiding there!
4:26am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:26am | Report comment
Hafeez comes on now. He sent down a poor first over.
4:25am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:25am | Report comment
…and that four, incidentally, are the only runs in that Hasan over! Just four from it as Watson shows caution against the relatively new bowler.
1/45 in 7.
4:24am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:24am | Report comment
Four!
Cut away through backward point for four! It was a quicker one and Watson, after playing a couple of dots, Watson smacks it away.
1/45 in 6.3
4:22am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:22am | Report comment
Just one over from Ajmal and Raza Hasan comes on now. He is a 20-year old and wears a jersey numbered 100.
4:22am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:22am | Report comment
Warner’s dismissal has pushed back the scoring, eight of the nine deliveries following that wicket have been dots!
1/41 in 6. The rate’s below seven now. Required rate’s touching eight.
4:19am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:19am | Report comment
Good time to turn the screws on the scoring. Can Umar Gul get his channels right here?
4:18am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:18am | Report comment
Couple of dots to end another superb over from Ajmal.
1/40 in five.
4:15am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:15am | Report comment
OUT!
Doesn’t take him long, does it? Wonder if the ICC is watching this and regretting their decision not to get him in the awards shortlist.
It was on the middle from round the stumps and a tad quicker too, Warner wanted to go for the Switch Hit but changed his mind at the last last moment, the ball skidded through and pegs back his castle!
1/40 in 4.4
4:13am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:13am | Report comment
Switch Hit!
Or he attempted it anyway! First ball from Ajmal and he goes for that shot, misses it totally!
4:12am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:12am | Report comment
…one that necessitates the bringing on of Saeed Ajmal!
4:12am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:12am | Report comment
Four!
Short ball from Gul and Watson has sent it packing through deep square-leg! Gul starts and ends with a boundary.
There was another such short ball from Gul to Watson and he had pulled it behind square-leg for a couple but this one he gets off the middle and is able to get a boundary!
0/38 in 4, excellent start…
4:07am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:07am | Report comment
Four!
widish outside the off stump, he goes for a slog and gets an outside edge, there was a slip in place and it easily beats him and the third-man fielder, rolls over for a four!
4:06am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:06am | Report comment
As expected, there is a change in bowling, Hafeez has replaced himself with Umar Gul.
4:05am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:05am | Report comment
SIX!
Watson struggled through a single off the first four and Warner launches the first ball he faces in the over long-on! Goes all the way too!
Tanvir pitched that one in Warner’s half and he was not going to be stalling that!
0/25 in three, it is already a much better start from Australia than a couple of days ago.
4:02am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:02am | Report comment
Tanvir’s done a good job in his second over, three dots at Watson.
0/17 in 2.3
4:00am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 4:00am | Report comment
Four!
And another one! Warner’s clearly heard the murmurs of his batting form and he is replying in style, it was fractionally short and he rocks back and smashes it through extra-cover for a four!
0/17 in 2.
3:59am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:59am | Report comment
Four!
Cut away through the covers for a four! Was shorter, not too much and was angling in, goes on to the back foot and cuts it in the gap.
0/13 in 1.4
3:58am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:58am | Report comment
SIX!
Now, was I talking about Warner? He shimmies down the track and smacks it over mid-on, goes all the way too!
Was a short arm jab, not the full swing of his arm and it goes for a six!
3:57am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:57am | Report comment
Three singles from that over, Warner took his time to before getting his first single.
It is strange to see Warner bat the way he has in the series so far, both in the ODIs and the first T20I, rather slow off the blocks for a guy with a reputation of tearing attacks apart.
0/3 in 1.
3:53am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:53am | Report comment
Sohail Tanvir has the ball and the under-pressure Dave Warner to face.
3:53am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:53am | Report comment
Back on after that short break and the commentators are still talking about the Dan Christian catch. If you discount all those catches at the boundary where the fielders pats the ball back into the playing area and takes it on the rebound, this has to be the best I have seen in a long time!
Do google for its YouTube video.
3:44am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:44am | Report comment
Pakistan will be extremely pleased with their batting effort, 151 is going to take some getting.
After the early wicket of Imran Nazir, it was the partnership of Hafeez and Jamshed that rescued the Pakistanis.
Once Jamshed was dismissed – to a superb catch by Christian – and Hafeez followed, it was left to the Akmal brothers to carry the side forward. The pair added 46 off five overs to push Pakistan to more than 150.
Australia bowled well in patches with debutant Mitchell Starc being the standout with figures of 1/17. Two vital catches were put down, however, and that could come back to hurt the Aussies.
3:41am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:41am | Report comment
Mixing it up well here is Christian, a very quick bouncer at Razzaq and a very slow one at Akmal.
One ball to go…and he sends down another super-slow delivery at Razzaq, who tries to pull it away but gets only the toe.
Three singles from the last three balls and Pakistan end at 4/151 in 20.
3:38am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:38am | Report comment
Four!
Slower, outside the off and pitched up, Akmal slices it over the short third-man and point fielders and gets it to the fence.
Kamran’s played a cameo here and done it beautifully.
3:37am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:37am | Report comment
OUT!
He takes catches, he saves boundaries and he scalps wickets! It is Dan Christian bowling last over and the shorter, slower delivery has been pulled straight to mid-wicket’s hands.
4/143 with five balls to go.
3:35am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:35am | Report comment
Four!
This is really good batting, fearless if I may add. The first four balls went for only three and that is a sure recipe for the pressure coming on the batting side, and what does the batsman do? Inside out, through extra-cover for a four!
3/143 in 19.
39 from the last four overs and Pakistan teaching the Australian batsmen a thing or two about batting!
3:31am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:31am | Report comment
Whoa!
Dan Christian is having a ball in the field, it was short from the bowler, and Kamran pulled it hard towards deep mid-wicket. Christian rushes in from deep square-leg and dives and pulls the ball in before falling over the boundary.
3/135 in 18.
3:30am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:30am | Report comment
Four!
It was turning out to be a good over, with only four from the first four.
Then the customary full-toss, that has been on display tonight, smoked through the covers for a four!
3:28am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:28am | Report comment
Hogg is bowling out here. A better start from him, three off the first three.
3:27am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:27am | Report comment
Four!
What. Is. He. Bowling? Really, a second full-toss on the mid-stump and that is easy pickings for the batsman, slammed over mid-wicket yet again for a four.
13 off the Watson over, who had conceded only 15 off his first three. That dropped catch did seem to affect his confidence?
3/126 with three to go.
3:25am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:25am | Report comment
Four!
Another woeful piece of bowling, this time from Watson, who sends down a full-toss, crashed away to mid-wicket for a boundary.
The Akmal brothers are turning it on here!
3/120 in 16.3
3:23am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:23am | Report comment
Four!
Swept away fine and despite a telling dive at fine-leg the ball has sped away into the boundary.
Concedes 9 off that and 29 off his three. Not been a great evening for him.
3/116 in 16
3:19am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:19am | Report comment
It is Brad Hogg who is back. He has a couple of overs remaining, although David Hussey did bowl one.
3:17am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:17am | Report comment
Four!
It was short and tad wide, and Kamran Akmal cuts it through point for four. He loves playing this shot and plays it well too!
3/104 in 15, which sets them a good platform to push towards 150.
3:14am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:14am | Report comment
OUT!
Makes up for the dropped catch, does Watson. Hafeez went for a slog, hit it reasonably well but goes straight to the long-on fielder, who , much to the relief of most, holds on to it.
Three down and both set batsmen gone.
3/97 in 14.1
3:10am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:10am | Report comment
Dropped!
Believe it to not, Australia have dropped another one, not too difficult either. Akmal was trying to go over short cover, but gets it off the toe and it spooned up to Shane Watson there, he jumped up and got it in both hands before flooring it!
2/96 in 13.5
3:08am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:08am | Report comment
Bailey’s going for the kill, Starc has been called up to bowl his last.
3:07am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:07am | Report comment
Decent over in the end, after that first ball four.
2/91 in 13.
3:05am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:05am | Report comment
Jamshed had a wry smile on his face after the catch was completed!
It is Kamran Akmal batting at four.
3:04am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:04am | Report comment
OUT!
There are catches and there are catches and then there is this catch. It was hit on the up and seemed to have cleared the mid-off, Christian, on the other hand had other ideas. He ran back and dived backward blind, stuck his hand out, and lo and behold it stuck!
Excellent catch to follow up Hussey’s drop.
2/89 in 12.3
3:02am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:02am | Report comment
Hogg’s out, Cummins’ in.
No change in the scoring though, full-toss, on the off stump, extra-cover inside the circle and it has been drilled through the in-field for a four!
3:00am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 3:00am | Report comment
Almost another four, it was a paddle sweep attempted, and it beats the short fine-leg.
Hogg gives it a very good chase and stops it from going to the fence, three is all they get.
1/85 in 12, the rate’s over seven an over.
2:59am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:59am | Report comment
Four!
Not the best of deliveries, it was marginally outside the leg stump with the fine-leg up in the circle, Jamshed only needed to dab it away and off it went for a four!
2:57am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:57am | Report comment
Another change in bowling, Daniel Christian will bowl his second over now.
Sweating buckets, incidentally, the batsmen are.
2:55am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:55am | Report comment
13 from the 11th over and the Pakistani push has come it seems.
1/74 in 11.
2:54am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:54am | Report comment
Couple of twos and a single follow, the Pakistani batsmen are reading Hogg with ease.
2:53am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:53am | Report comment
SIX!
Doesn’t take too long then, does it! Pitched up and Jamshed goes down the track and spanks it over the bowler, just eludes the long-on fielder and goes over for a six!
2:52am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:52am | Report comment
Mohammad Akram, the new bowling coach of Pakistan says that he learnt a lot from Waqar Younis sitting on the bench for eight years. Haha!
Also spoke of a positive speech given by captain Hafeez yesterday.
End of a decent over from Watson, still six runs off it.
1/61 in 10. Australia not allowing Pakistan to get away despite the loss of only one wicket. One way or the other, the next couple of overs could be decisive.
2:47am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:47am | Report comment
Watson is back after just one over from Christian. Even Watson had bowled one before he was taken off.
2:46am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:46am | Report comment
Four!
Hafeez has been looking fidgety, and he comes down the track and smokes it over the bowler’s head. There was a long-on and long-off in place but they barely moved.
Eight runs off the over, not too much turn but barring that boundary, clever variations of pace and length.
1/55 in 9.
2:42am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:42am | Report comment
And look who’s here!
Brad Hogg comes on to bowl, this should be an interesting battle.
2:41am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:41am | Report comment
The keeper has come up for Christian, which is not such a bad move given how Hafeez loves to jump down the track.
Only three off the Christian over and that pulls down the run-rate to lesser than six.
1/47 in 7.
There is a definite sense of the batsmen getting a tad tired. Yep we are only in the eighth over.
2:38am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:38am | Report comment
So Starc’s off and in comes Christian.
2:37am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:37am | Report comment
Four!
Quicker from Hussey and he late cuts it through the slips region for a four. There wasn’t any slip in place, expectedly, and it raced away.
1/44 in 7.
2:36am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:36am | Report comment
Dropped!
That is the truest definition of making a mess of a sitter. Inside out from Jamshed and he did not seem to get too much power on that one, went straight to the sweeper fielder, Michael Hussey and it seemed to be going straight in but it did not!
Thankfully it wasn’t the Waugh brothers!
2:34am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:34am | Report comment
It is David Hussey who comes on as soon as the Powerplay overs are up. Pakistan have made a decent start, 1/37 in six overs.
2:34am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:34am | Report comment
Earlier, the cameras panned on Sania Mirza, Shoaib Malik’s wife. Mirza, a professional tennis player, crashed out of the third round of the US Open women’s doubles.
Speaking of tennis, the Bryan brothers are on court now to take on Leander Paes/Radek Stepanek in the final of the men’s doubles.
Spin comes on for Australia.
2:30am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:30am | Report comment
Four!
Paddles it through the short fine-leg does Hafeez. There was a sense of frustration after those couple of tight overs from Watson and Starc, but this time the Pakistani captain is able to work his way through the fine-leg region and Starc grimaces!
2:29am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:29am | Report comment
After the first couple of deliveries were caressed away for a single each, Watson follows it up with three successive dots.
Including one that where he swings his arm hard and pitches it shorter but it comes out as a slower bouncer. Hafeez is through with his shot a million years before the ball finally reaches him.
1/29 in 5.
2:26am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:26am | Report comment
Couple of singles to start with, Hafeez has decided to consistently jump out of the crease to the pace bowlers, in a bid to make the bowlers change their length.
2:24am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:24am | Report comment
…Shane Watson replaces Cummins.
2:24am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:24am | Report comment
And while Cummins has leaked quite a few from his couple of overs, Starc concedes only a single off his second. It is 0/26 in 4 for Pakistan and they will now face a change in bowling…
2:20am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:20am | Report comment
Four!
Another one but this is driven well, through the extra-cover region, excellent shot to end what was turning out to be a good couple of overs for Australia.
Pakistan 1/25 in three.
2:19am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:19am | Report comment
Four!
Oh no! That is pitched right up to the batsman, who looks clueless, jabs his bat down at the last moment and it hits something and trickles down to fine-leg for four.
The Aussies appealed hard at that, but the umpire gives it runs. Replays show that it his his back foot, hmm!
2:17am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:17am | Report comment
Pat Cummins seems to have settled down a little, getting them to move around and at pace.
2:15am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:15am | Report comment
Definitely some swing on offer for Starc, he is getting them to tail into the right-handers.
Only a couple of runs in the over and he joins a list of those who have taken a wicket in the first over of their first ever international in that format. Shaminda Eranga of Sri Lanka, has incidentally done that in all three formats!
2:11am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:11am | Report comment
OUT!
First blood to the man in form! Mitchell Starc has eked out the wicket of Imran Nazir, perfectly pitched up delivery on the off stump and swinging right into the batsman, Nazir went for a drive and missed!
I was just going to say that Starc has a bowling average of 15 in T20 domestic cricket. And of course, he grabbed a bagful in the Friends Life t20 this season.
2:09am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:09am | Report comment
It is Mitchell Starc to take the new ball. He is making his debut in this format.
2:08am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:08am | Report comment
Four!
Four!
Two fours off successive balls there! After that one that jagged back at the batsman, this one goes away and takes an outside edge to fine third-man. Follows it up with a classy cover drive through the in-field, end of an expensive start!
2:07am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:07am | Report comment
Appeal!
My, my, that has tailed back into the batsman like it would as an old ball reverse swinging, hits the batsman on his pads and there is a big appeal. The batsman shows his bat but I don’t think there was any bat there.
Umpire gives it not-out, probably swinging too much, but either way very close!
2:04am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:04am | Report comment
Four!
What a start, that was pitched up and swinging away from the batsman, Hafeez went for a drive, gets bit of an outside edge through to the point boundary.
And yep, more trouble behind the bowler!
2:02am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:02am | Report comment
Not quite, too much movement behind the bowler’s arm.
Now we are ready again.
2:01am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 2:01am | Report comment
Right, so we are away, Pat Cummins with the ball, facing up to Mohammad Hafez and Imran Nazir.
1:58am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 1:58am | Report comment
Here are the playing 11s for both the teams:
Australia:
Warner, Watson, M Hussey, D Hussey, Bailey, White, Wade, Christian, Hogg, Cummins, Starc
Pakistan:
Hafeez, Nazir, Jamshed, Akmal, Malik, Akmal, Razzaq, Tanvir, Gul, Hasan, Ajmal
1:39am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 1:39am | Report comment
Needless to say, it is rather hot in Dubai. 36 degrees celcius and just a look at the players make me head off to my fridge and grab a beer.
But I won’t. Partly to express solidarity with these cricketers. And partly because I am not allowed to drink on job.
Match begins in 20 minutes incidentally, do send in your comments though!
1:37am
maheshtnp@in.com said | 1:37am | Report comment
Warnor & watson today defnatly plays for Australia
1:36am
Suneer Chowdhary said | 1:36am | Report comment
Hello and welcome to the second of three T20Is between ‘hosts’ Pakistan and Australia.
Toss time at Dubai, where Pakistan have won the toss yet again and decided to bat first. Same team for Pakistan, says captain Mohammad Hafeez, who reasons that batting first will put pressure on Australia, give the number of spinners they have. That means Shahid Afridi still misses out.
George Bailey wanted to bat first too. Incidentally, three changes for them, as mentioned above. Mitchell Starc is one I am going to keenly watch.
A question for everyone of you, what is worse than Tony Grieg belting out ‘Happy Birthday to you’ into the microphone, at the toss. It is the captain’s birthday and he looked embarrassed to say the least.
1:28am
maheshtnp@in.com said | 1:28am | Report comment
Australia defnate wins & keeps its place
12:58am
farqaleet said | 12:58am | Report comment
jeet k geo