South Africa 245 for 8 (Amla 118*, Duminy 57, Babar 3-89) v Pakistan
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Mohammad Irfan ecstatic after a wicket falls, Pakistan v South Africa, 1st Test, Abu Dhabi, 1st day, October 14, 2013
Mohammad Irfan proved a handful with the new ball © AFP
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Players/Officials: Hashim Amla | Zulfiqar Babar
Matches: Pakistan v South Africa at Abu Dhabi
Series/Tournaments: South Africa tour of United Arab Emirates
Teams: Pakistan | South Africa
The ebbs and flows of Test cricket were in full evidence on the first day in Abu Dhabi, ending with Pakistan the slightly happier side despite Hashim Amla adding to his rapidly increasing century count. Pakistan's new-ball bowlers produced the breakthroughs in the morning session, then Amla and the middle order made the pitch seem utterly docile in the second session, before the spinners sparked a collapse in the final session.
Few sights are as reassuring for South Africa fans as seeing Amla in the middle. He produced a typically graceful innings, full of whiplash drives through the off and was comfortable camping on the backfoot and playing late against the spinners. As usual, he walked across the stumps to flick balls well outside off to the leg side and serenely progressed to his 20th Test century.
There were two main partnerships he was involved in, as he set about stabilising the South Africa innings after three early wickets, first 61 with a fluent AB de Villiers and then 95 with the returning JP Duminy. During those two stands, Pakistan's bowling seemed to lack sting and South Africa seemed to be on autopilot as they collected the runs.
Both those alliances ended with soft dismissals. De Villiers' was the sort that sends you scurrying to Youtube. He was looking to defend off the front foot and after an lbw appeal, he held the pose for the umpire. The ball rolled over towards slip, and the keeper Adnan Akmal signalled to Younis Khan to return the ball to the stumps. Adnan took the bails off and after many replays it was determined that de Villiers' backfoot was just outside the crease.
Duminy was playing his first Test innings in over a year but looked in fine touch. He has had his problems against spin, but this time he began with some confident shots down the ground. He was picking Saeed Ajmal's doosras well and was untroubled by the quicks as well, and progressed to a brisk half-century. Soon after he was dropped by Adnan off a thick edge, and even before the talk about how expensive that could prove ended, Duminy swept a harmless delivery straight to a deepish backward square leg.
It was the first wicket for left-arm-spinner Zulfiqar Babar, who at nearly 35 became Pakistan's third oldest debutant. Babar whirls his arms like a contortionist as he reaches the bowling mark, but in his first day in the top flight, he was steady and showed few signs of nerves. With Ajmal also getting the ball to grip at the other end, Babar kept the pressure on South Africa and was rewarded with two more wickets, of Faf du Plessis and Robin Peterson. The Peterson wicket is one he'll remember as he got the ball to turn viciously to zip between bat and pad and onto the stumps.
When Ajmal finally had reward with the wicket of Vernon Philander, South Africa had slid to 222 for 8, losing four wickets to spin for 23 runs. Amla was at the other end providing another lesson on playing the turning ball, but the lower-middle order didn't stick around to support him.
That helped a Pakistan side which is slightly imbalanced in the absence of their regular allrounder Mohammad Hafeez. Without him, they have only four recognised bowlers and will have to otherwise depend on part-timers like Younis and Azhar Ali. It was a risky strategy especially given the concerns over whether Mohammad Irfan has the stamina needed for Test cricket.
Irfan gave a scare when he walked off in the final session, but was back after about half an hour having recovered from the cramps he suffered in the stifling heat. He was terrific in the morning session, bowling at pace and constantly attacking on the offstump line. He got his typical extra bounce which led to a wicket in the third over itself as Alviro Petersen fell to a juggling catch at short leg.
Graeme Smith has had a long absence from top-flight cricket and it showed in his first international innings back. He was left searching for the ball outside off several times, there were a couple of streaky edged boundaries behind the wicket, after the second of which he nicked one through to the keeper.
Another man returning from time away from cricket, Jacques Kallis, didn't look as rusty as Smith, but he too didn't make too many runs, inside-edging an incutter from Junaid Khan to the keeper for 5. It wasn't the biggest of crowds that showed up in Abu Dhabi, but they certainly found their voice when South Africa were dithering at 43 for 3.
Though they were quietened by the stands Amla was involved in, the spinners provided them plenty to cheer towards the end of the day.
CRICKET UPTADE
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TAHIR
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Re: CRICKET UPTADE
South Africa need spin solutions
After being tripped up in the first Test against Pakistan, maybe it is time for South Africa to allow Imran Tahir the chance to partner with Robin Peterson
Firdose Moonda in Abu Dhabi
October 18, 2013
Not more than an hour after South Africa crashed to their first Test defeat away from home in three years, the team was back at the drawing board, working on ways to avoid another. While some of the squad were licking their wounds, Imran Tahir was bowling on the practice pitch.
Hashim Amla, who faced 26.1 overs of spin in the match from Saeed Ajmal and Zulfiqur Babar, was standing where the umpire would be. Adi Birrel, the South African assistant coach, was keeping while Russell Domingo was at square leg. They were all watching very carefully, perhaps looking for a sign that Tahir was generating enough turn to play in the second Test.
But they did not need to be out there to know that. A mere glance at the scorecard should be enough. South Africa's spin department needs propping up after Robin Peterson - who, along with Pakistan keeper Adnan Akmal, was fined 50% of his match fee after the game for a bit of pushing that occurred when Akmal tried to pick up a bail while Peterson was batting - and JP Duminy conceded at 3.89 runs to the over, more than any of their seamers and more than the overall Pakistan run-rate, and only took two wickets, both of them belonging to Duminy.
Peterson, whose 28.5 overs cost 125 runs, was particularly problematic as he struggled to find a consistent line and bowled too many full tosses. Neither posed much of a threat to batsmen who were confident against spin, both in terms of footwork and and in their use of the sweep shot. What South Africa need is someone who can do more - be it hold up an end to allow the seamers to attack or make incisions themselves - and that makes Tahir's inclusion a no-brainer.
His former franchise coach at Titans, Richard Pybus, called his ability to take wickets an asset which makes him a "match-winner", but warned that he needs to be managed carefully if picked. For a start, Pybus is concerned that Tahir has not played regularly in the lead-up to the series. His last first-class match was in February and he did not play any county cricket - a rarity for Tahir - this year. He has played a handful of limited-overs matches, for South Africa in Twenty20s in Sri Lanka and for Lions at the Champions League T20.
"Guys like Imran need to bowl and bowl," Pybus told ESPNcricinfo. "He needs to bowl all year round. He can't get by on a minimum of bowling. He needs to be tougher on himself with regards to how much he must bowl competitively to be ready."
And when he does bowl, he needs to be given clear instructions not to get carried away. "He needs solid game plans and he needs to bowl to the team plan, knowing his role and exactly what is needed at each stage of the game. It's not just about waiting to clean up the tail, he needs to control the game for the skipper when he is needed to. He can do it, but he needs to adhere to it. Martin van Jaarsveld and Pierre Joubert [both former captains] at Titans were very firm with him and it helped him to keep his game plan and focus."
Tahir showed signs of the recklessness that can come from not being under orders when he bowled in the practice match in Sharjah. His first spell was an assortment of unnecessary variation, dotted with half-volleys and bereft of a plan. He returned for a more disciplined second spell, bowling a consistent length and frequently using the googly as well. Although he did not get any wickets, he did beat the bat on several occasions. Should he be able to replicate that, he could provide South Africa with a viable spin option for the second Test.
The coaching staff's actions suggest Tahir will play but Graeme Smith hinted at minimal change, although he admitted there was a concern in the spin department. "If I said no, it would be lie," Smith said, but then moved quickly to quell thoughts of South Africa making drastic adjustments to an XI that has only lost once in the last 16 Tests.
"People have bad games and we need to work on the people and the personnel and give them the best opportunity to do well. My focus as a leader is to work with those guys that have taken a bit of a knock in confidence. Tactically we need to decide what's the best option. It's a must-win game. We need to look at how we set up bowlers to take 20 wickets."
Pybus, although he would like to see the "frontliner get it right" mentioned something else which could be a solution Smith will be interested in hearing. "At Titans, Imran used to get 10 wicket hauls to win the game for us," Pybus said. "He and Paul Harris together were a sight to behold. They loved bowling together and were good for each other."
Harris was South Africa's holding spinner for four years before Tahir was picked, and when the team reverted to a containing man, Peterson filled the role. It seemed to be the thinking was that if Harris worked well in conjunction with Tahir, there may be reason to think Peterson could do the same.
It would allow Peterson to go back to the job of keeping an end tight - which he has proved he can do - and leave the attacking to Tahir. "Robbie needs to master his control," Pybus said. "There are no margins in Test cricket, six inches either side of a length is a lot of space for good players of spin. He has a great temperament and is aggressive. He just needs his control sorted out."
The only decision South Africa would then have to make is who to leave out. Pakistan play two specialist spinners alongside only two quicks but its unlikely South Africa will want to leave any of Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander or Morne Morkel out. The obvious would be shorten the batting line-up slightly by benching Faf du Plessis, who has struggled in recent Tests.
Should South Africa take that route, it would be the first time since they became World No. 1 that they are deviating from the Kirsten-inspired seven-batsmen strategy and it may be a way for them to move on. Already, the impact of "guru Gary's" absence has been cited as a factor for the defeat.
Both India and South Africa have lost matches in the immediate aftermath of Kirsten's departure but this result should not be read as a blight on Russell Domingo, neither should be seen as a parallel to England's fortunes here in early 2012. This was simply a case of being outplayed, perhaps through some under-preparation and even under-estimation of the opposition.
What South Africa may be interested to know is that England also went into the first Test in the UAE with one spinner: Graeme Swann, and three seamers. They dropped Chris Tremlett in favour of Monty Panesar for the next two Tests. Despite losing them both, Panesar ended up as the leading wicket-taker for England with 14 scalps at 21.57 and two five-fors. If signs are anything to go by, that's one South Africa will look to.
After being tripped up in the first Test against Pakistan, maybe it is time for South Africa to allow Imran Tahir the chance to partner with Robin Peterson
Firdose Moonda in Abu Dhabi
October 18, 2013
Not more than an hour after South Africa crashed to their first Test defeat away from home in three years, the team was back at the drawing board, working on ways to avoid another. While some of the squad were licking their wounds, Imran Tahir was bowling on the practice pitch.
Hashim Amla, who faced 26.1 overs of spin in the match from Saeed Ajmal and Zulfiqur Babar, was standing where the umpire would be. Adi Birrel, the South African assistant coach, was keeping while Russell Domingo was at square leg. They were all watching very carefully, perhaps looking for a sign that Tahir was generating enough turn to play in the second Test.
But they did not need to be out there to know that. A mere glance at the scorecard should be enough. South Africa's spin department needs propping up after Robin Peterson - who, along with Pakistan keeper Adnan Akmal, was fined 50% of his match fee after the game for a bit of pushing that occurred when Akmal tried to pick up a bail while Peterson was batting - and JP Duminy conceded at 3.89 runs to the over, more than any of their seamers and more than the overall Pakistan run-rate, and only took two wickets, both of them belonging to Duminy.
Peterson, whose 28.5 overs cost 125 runs, was particularly problematic as he struggled to find a consistent line and bowled too many full tosses. Neither posed much of a threat to batsmen who were confident against spin, both in terms of footwork and and in their use of the sweep shot. What South Africa need is someone who can do more - be it hold up an end to allow the seamers to attack or make incisions themselves - and that makes Tahir's inclusion a no-brainer.
His former franchise coach at Titans, Richard Pybus, called his ability to take wickets an asset which makes him a "match-winner", but warned that he needs to be managed carefully if picked. For a start, Pybus is concerned that Tahir has not played regularly in the lead-up to the series. His last first-class match was in February and he did not play any county cricket - a rarity for Tahir - this year. He has played a handful of limited-overs matches, for South Africa in Twenty20s in Sri Lanka and for Lions at the Champions League T20.
"Guys like Imran need to bowl and bowl," Pybus told ESPNcricinfo. "He needs to bowl all year round. He can't get by on a minimum of bowling. He needs to be tougher on himself with regards to how much he must bowl competitively to be ready."
And when he does bowl, he needs to be given clear instructions not to get carried away. "He needs solid game plans and he needs to bowl to the team plan, knowing his role and exactly what is needed at each stage of the game. It's not just about waiting to clean up the tail, he needs to control the game for the skipper when he is needed to. He can do it, but he needs to adhere to it. Martin van Jaarsveld and Pierre Joubert [both former captains] at Titans were very firm with him and it helped him to keep his game plan and focus."
Tahir showed signs of the recklessness that can come from not being under orders when he bowled in the practice match in Sharjah. His first spell was an assortment of unnecessary variation, dotted with half-volleys and bereft of a plan. He returned for a more disciplined second spell, bowling a consistent length and frequently using the googly as well. Although he did not get any wickets, he did beat the bat on several occasions. Should he be able to replicate that, he could provide South Africa with a viable spin option for the second Test.
The coaching staff's actions suggest Tahir will play but Graeme Smith hinted at minimal change, although he admitted there was a concern in the spin department. "If I said no, it would be lie," Smith said, but then moved quickly to quell thoughts of South Africa making drastic adjustments to an XI that has only lost once in the last 16 Tests.
"People have bad games and we need to work on the people and the personnel and give them the best opportunity to do well. My focus as a leader is to work with those guys that have taken a bit of a knock in confidence. Tactically we need to decide what's the best option. It's a must-win game. We need to look at how we set up bowlers to take 20 wickets."
Pybus, although he would like to see the "frontliner get it right" mentioned something else which could be a solution Smith will be interested in hearing. "At Titans, Imran used to get 10 wicket hauls to win the game for us," Pybus said. "He and Paul Harris together were a sight to behold. They loved bowling together and were good for each other."
Harris was South Africa's holding spinner for four years before Tahir was picked, and when the team reverted to a containing man, Peterson filled the role. It seemed to be the thinking was that if Harris worked well in conjunction with Tahir, there may be reason to think Peterson could do the same.
It would allow Peterson to go back to the job of keeping an end tight - which he has proved he can do - and leave the attacking to Tahir. "Robbie needs to master his control," Pybus said. "There are no margins in Test cricket, six inches either side of a length is a lot of space for good players of spin. He has a great temperament and is aggressive. He just needs his control sorted out."
The only decision South Africa would then have to make is who to leave out. Pakistan play two specialist spinners alongside only two quicks but its unlikely South Africa will want to leave any of Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander or Morne Morkel out. The obvious would be shorten the batting line-up slightly by benching Faf du Plessis, who has struggled in recent Tests.
Should South Africa take that route, it would be the first time since they became World No. 1 that they are deviating from the Kirsten-inspired seven-batsmen strategy and it may be a way for them to move on. Already, the impact of "guru Gary's" absence has been cited as a factor for the defeat.
Both India and South Africa have lost matches in the immediate aftermath of Kirsten's departure but this result should not be read as a blight on Russell Domingo, neither should be seen as a parallel to England's fortunes here in early 2012. This was simply a case of being outplayed, perhaps through some under-preparation and even under-estimation of the opposition.
What South Africa may be interested to know is that England also went into the first Test in the UAE with one spinner: Graeme Swann, and three seamers. They dropped Chris Tremlett in favour of Monty Panesar for the next two Tests. Despite losing them both, Panesar ended up as the leading wicket-taker for England with 14 scalps at 21.57 and two five-fors. If signs are anything to go by, that's one South Africa will look to.
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TAHIR
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- Joined: 03 Oct 2013, 9:42 am
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- Has thanked: 2 times
Re: CRICKET UPTADE
Pakistan ODI Squad :
Misbah-ul-Haq (capt) Ahmed Shehzad, Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Amin, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Sohaib Maqsood, Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed
Misbah-ul-Haq (capt) Ahmed Shehzad, Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Amin, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Sohaib Maqsood, Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed
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