Pakistan sense Oval upset

Mohammad Aamir and Saeed Ajmal shared eight wickets between them and tore apart England’s middle-order to reduce the hosts to 221 for nine before bad light stopped play on the third day of the third Test at the Oval.

England, who lead by 146 runs in the second innings, had the final pair of Stuart Broad and Steve Finn at the crease after a disastrous final session which saw them lose six wickets for 27 runs.

Ajmal and Aamir broke England’s backbone after Alastair Cook ended his poor run of form, scoring a majestic but chancy 110 to lead England’s reply. Cook, whose form had worried England’s captain Andrew Strauss, faced 173 deliveries for his 13th Test century before he fell to debutant Wahab Riaz for the left-armer’s only wicket of the innings. But that was the last success Pakistan were to have before tea as England finished at 194 for three.

However, the tables were turned following resumption as Kevin Pietersen fell right after the break, bowled by an Ajmal round-the-wicket beauty that spun between bat and bad to clip the top of middle stump.

Jonathan Trott, who was the only other notable scorer with 36, was then caught by Azhar Ali off the bowling of Aamir. Wickets continued to fall as Aamir put a stranglehold on the England batsmen. Paul Collingwood was caught by wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal before Ajmal reduced the hosts to 206 for seven as Eoin Morgan was bowled by the off-spinner.

Aamir continued the demolition by dismissing Matt Prior, who averaged 103.5 in the series before the innings, caught by Akmal for his fourth catch of the innings. Ajmal then had his counterpart Graeme Swann, bowled yet again as England looked set to be all out before the end.

But it was Cook, whose century lifted England’s hopes of setting a stiff fourth-innings chase for the tourists. The left-hander, playing in his 59th Test, had a reprieve early in his innings as an edge flew between first and second slip with neither attempting the catch. It was no looking back for the opener as he added 116 for the third wicket with his subdued partner Trott. His dismissal sparked a dramatic collapse as Pakistan strengthened their grip in the match.

England lead the four-match Test series 2-0 after convincing wins in the first two matches at Trent Bridge and Edgbaston.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 21^st, 2010.