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Faced with a dead pitch, oppressive heat and skilful Pakistani batsmen, Australia’s bowling attack refused to wilt on Day 1 of the first Test in Dubai yesterday.
At 0-199 at tea, Pakistan’s stubborn openers looked to have broken the Australian bowlers, who had been neutered by an awfully flat deck and drained by 39-degree temperatures.
Veteran Mohammad Hafeez had lifted the pace, scoring 65 from 94 balls during the second session to head to the break unbeaten on 113.
His partner, 22-year-old newcomer Imam-ul-Haq, had been greatly impressive playing the anchor role with 75 from 181 deliveries.
As the final session started it was hard to see from where Australia could conjure a wicket.
Number one spinner Nathan Lyon had been tidy yet unthreatening. Pace spearhead Mitchell Starc had caused the most problems but was bereft of luck. Veteran seamer Peter Siddle had rarely induced a false stroke.
Any pressure built up by that trio had typically been released by inexperienced left-arm spinner Jon Holland, who struggled to find a consistent length in the first two sessions, giving up 60 runs from just 15 overs.
The Pakistani batsmen must have looked at that final session as if it were a bulging plate of Biryani just waiting to be devoured. So often in third sessions such as this, the graft of batsmen earlier on earns play time for them and their teammates as the ball weathers, the bowlers fade and boundaries flow.
This looked set to unfold as, first ball after tea, a wide Starc delivery was slashed past point by Hafeez.
(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
The 37-year-old had looked skittish at times in the second session, lobbing several shots just wide of fieldsmen, and being offered a reprieve at long off by Mitch Marsh after he was beaten in the flight while charging Holland.
Imam-ul-Haq had been comparatively serene yet it was he who opened the gate for Australia in just the second over after tea.
The left-hander tried to cut a Lyon delivery which was too close to his body and edged through to wicketkeeper Tim Paine. Australia then set about trying to suffocate Hafeez and first drop Azhar Ali, a man who has dominated them in the past.
Lyon, in particular, was outstanding, giving up only two runs from his first four overs of the final session. The slowing of the run rate appeared to frustrate Hafeez, who likes to score swiftly.
He was almost LBW trying to flick Siddle across the line, and then nearly chopped on as he attempted to cut a delivery from the Victorian which was too straight to allow that stroke.
Two balls after that, Hafeez’s fortune ran dry and he was caught in front by Siddle.
Despite his selection being questioned by many people, including myself, the 33-year-old seamer was fantastic yesterday.
At one point during his spell after tea, Siddle sent down a remarkable 27 consecutive dot balls. Azhar was blanketed by the veteran and the Pakistani eventually became restless.
On 18 from 79 balls, he aimed a lofted drive at a well-flighted delivery from Holland. When the ball dipped on Azhar he was unable to change his stroke and succeeded only in chipping the ball to Starc at mid-off.
It was the epitome of a team wicket, one earned through collective effort rather than individual brilliance.
Siddle finished the day with figures of 1 for 23 from 15 overs on a pitch which was putrid for fast bowling, offering no pace, bounce or seam movement.
While Starc is not described as ‘big-hearted’ or ‘courageous’ as often as Siddle, he too showed admirable tenacity yesterday in spite of a surfeit of luck and awful conditions.
Even when he went down with a nasty cramp in the third-last over of the day he didn’t relent. Not only did he stay on the field but he delivered the final over of the day while clearly in discomfort.
His pace was frequently in the mid-140s over the first two sessions and remained lively even during the gruelling final session.
Starc easily could have ended with two or three wickets but it was not his day. Holland, meanwhile, was yet again underwhelming at Test level. The left-armer deserved to be picked based on his sterling efforts in first-class cricket, having taken 77 wickets at 21 over the past two years, including six wickets in Australia’s only warm-up match.
Yesterday, however, his jittery performance was reminiscent of his debut Test series two years ago in Sri Lanka, where he bled runs on pitches tailor-made for spinners.
This Dubai surface was not nearly as helpful for slow bowlers yet, even had it been, Holland still would have been unlikely to flourish given his inaccuracy. He did improve as the day went on due, in a large part, to finally mixing up his speeds and trajectories after being too slow and loopy earlier on.
Lyon had no such problems.
(Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
The veteran off-spinner kept the Pakistani batsmen guessing throughout the day by continually changing up his speed, flight and delivery points.
He bowled noticeably straighter than he does in Australia, targeting the stumps. The pitch, however, offered Lyon little encouragement and tested his mental strength.
Rather than trying too many things, and losing his rhythm, the 30-year-old stuck to his plans and played a crucial holding role, particularly in the first and third sessions.
In the final session, Lyon returned the incredible figures of 1 for 8 from 11 overs. That effort was indicative of the terrific resilience displayed by the Australian attack as the day dragged on.
Granted, at 3 for 255 Pakistan are in a commanding position and deserve to be thanks to their wonderful opening stand. But it could have been far worse for the Australians had they disintegrated under the blazing Dubai sun.
They will start day two with immediate access to a new ball and the outside chance of keeping Pakistan to a below-par total on what is a belter of a pitch.