Without a wicket and into his 25th over, Australia’s newest spinner Steve O’Keefe was starting to wonder if it would ever happen.
His previous delivery had gone for six compliments of Asad Shafiq who moved confidently to 89.
Pakistan were 5-415 after lunch on day two of the first Test in Dubai.
“I didn’t think it was ever going to come to be honest, the way the guys were batting,” O’Keefe told reporters after his return of 2-107 off 30 overs in Pakistan’s first innings of 454 on Thursday.
Thankfully for 29-year-old O’Keefe, Shafiq top-edged a sweep shot to square leg and was caught by fellow debutant Mitchell Marsh, one delivery after hitting the towering six.
Tailender Yasir Shah, caught at point for two, helped boost O’Keefe’s figures.
The former NSW captain says the support he received from Test skipper Michael Clarke kept him on track.
“The group around that we’ve got here, management off the field and the players on there, always kept you believing that you could get a wicket and that’s huge,” O’Keefe said in Dubai.
“I had Pup (Clarke) who had the faith to keep bowling me and keep backing me.
“I tried to keep it simple and bowl at the stumps, given that there wasn’t a lot there for the left-armers with the rough.
“It was a tough day for Nathan Lyon and myself but it builds a lot of character.
“You certainly don’t expect it to be easy at Test cricket level.”
O’Keefe said it was a great feeling to get his first Test “pole”.
“It would have been nice if it was a lot earlier,” he said.
“To get the baggy green is amazing and then to get a wicket is a huge relief.
“I didn’t want to be listed as a person who has gone on and played for Australia and not taken a wicket given they were a specialist bowler.”
O’Keefe says he and Lyon (2-148) feel they can have a bigger impact in the second innings.
“It’s going to be tough but as the game wears on the pitch will do the same,” O’Keefe said.
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