Saeed Ajmal takes 7 as Pak bowl out England for 192

Tags: Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Hafeez, Pakistan v England 1st Test at Dubai - Jan 17-21, 2012, Pakistan vs England in UAE 2011-12, Matthew James Prior

Published on: Jan 17, 2012

Scorecard | Commentary | Graphs

Match Report of Pakistan Vs England, Day 1, First Jazz Cup Test at Dubai

A superb unbeaten 70 from Wicket Keeper Matt Prior rescued England to a respectable total of 192 after they were precariously placed at 43 for 5 at one stage. Saeed Ajmal claimed career best figures of 7 for 55 in 24.3 overs to put England in deep trouble in this First Test Match. Pakistan in their first innings are nicely placed at 42 for no loss in 15 overs with Mohammad Hafeez on 22* and his partner Taufeeq Umar on 18*.

England would have been bundled out for a much lower total after they were reduced further to 94 for 7. A crucial stand of 57 between Matt Prior and Graeme Swann (34 from 65 balls with 6 fours) helped them put up something on the board for their bowlers to work with. Matt Prior got his 70* from 154 balls with just the three fours.

Pakistan in their first innings are off to a solid start with all their 10 wickets intact after 10 overs while putting up 31 runs on the board.

Lunch Break Update :World no.1 Test team England are five down for hardly anything on the board in the opening Jazz Cup Test Match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. This was after Andrew Strauss had won the toss and electing to bat first on a pitch he reckoned wasn’t going to really favour the spinners. Ironically, on the first session of the Test Match, England are wobbling against the off spin and doosras from Saeed Ajmal who has blown away three big wickets of England in just his first two overs!

At lunch, England are at a shocking 52 for 5 in 28 overs with Saeed Ajmal claiming dream figures of 5-3-5-3! Left arm spinner Abdur Rehman has complemented him very well with tight figures of 0 for 5 in 7 overs.

At the crease are Eoin Morgan and Matt Prior in what could be a real crucial partnership for England in this Test Match. England had lost its first wicket in the 6th over when an in-form Alastair Cook (3) looking to cut an arm ball from Mohammad Hafeez was caught behind off the edge. In the 13th over, Jonathan Trott (17) glanced a wayward delivery down the legside from Aizaz Cheema to the keeper.

In the 19th over, Saeed Ajmal was at the start of a destructive spell by cleaning up the off stump of the England Captain Andrew Strauss. The left-handed Strauss (19) looking to play a forcing pull shot was beaten by the length and had his off stump hit by a delivery that was full and skidding through. In his next over, Saeed Ajmal dismissed Ian Bell for a first ball duck by comprehensively deceiving him with a doosra. Three balls later, Saeed Ajmal knocked out the star batsman - Kevin Pietersen (2) with a sharp spinning off break. Ajmal’s off break beat Pietersen’s forward defence and rapped both the pads in line of middle. The Umpire initially gave it not out but was forced to reverse his decision after a successful review from Saeed Ajmal.

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