Aamer and Asif have given Pakistan the edge on the first day of the delayed test match against Australia at Lords, UK
Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer claimed three wickets apiece to counteract a battling century stand between Simon Katich and Michael Clarke at the first day of the first test at Lords. Bad light closed in with 10 overs still to be bowled and a dramatic collapse of 7 for 51 had left the Aussies groping for a decent first-innings total on 229 for 9.
After winning the toss following an hour-long delay for rain, Pakistan's pace attack revelled in the sort of conditions they could never have dreamed of encountering had they been playing this "home" Test in Karachi or Lahore. With Aamer swinging the ball late and at a zippy pace, and Asif nagging away on an impeccable seamer's length, Australia inched along to 36 for 1 after 13 overs at lunch, which became 51 for 2 soon afterwards, when Ricky Ponting flicked Aamer straight into short leg's midriff for 26.
Clarke and Katich made arduous but invaluable progress thereafter, adding 120 for the third wicket to carry Australia into the ascendancy on 171 for 2, but when Clarke fell to the final ball of the session, trapped lbw by Asif for 47, Pakistan had received a vital boost at the end of a frustrating passage of play, and they made the most of their incision.
After the break, Asif continued his devastating rhythm from the Pavilion End, nipping the ball down the slope to nick the edge of Katich's bat and send him on his way for a gutsy 80 from 138 balls, before Marcus North was bowled through the gate for a third-ball duck (174 for 5). The debutants, Tim Paine and Steven Smith were the next to go - Paine had been entrenched for 46 balls for his 7 when he nicked off to Umar Gul, before Smith was unluckily adjudged lbw to Danish Kaneria, despite getting an inside-edge on his topspinner (208 for 7).Despite holding the captaincy of Australia's limited-overs teams, Test cricket is the form of the game that brings out the best in Clarke's elegant strokeplay, and while Katich bedded in in his familiarly attritional manner, it was his 77-ball 47 that secured them the honours in the afternoon session. But then, on the stroke of tea, Clarke misjudged a nipbacker from Asif and he had to get back to the pavillion
The most notable wicket of the day, however, was that of Australia's captain, Ricky Ponting. His top score in three Ashes Tests at Lord's is a meagre 42, and there is little guarantee that he will be back again for a fourth visit in 2013. Having survived the worst of the conditions to reach 14 not out from 23 balls at lunch, he notched up his 115n 94th Test run after the break to move ahead of Brian Lara in second place on the all-time list.
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