October 05 Saturday 2002
Pakistan's young guns fight to stave off Aussie fury

COLOMBO: Australia took charge of the first cricket Test against Pakistan here on Friday despite a remarkable fightback by their young rivals on the second day. 

Pakistan, replying to Australia's first innings total of 467, battled hard to reach 210-5 by stumps, still 58 away from saving the follow-on.

A dramatic 35-minute period in the afternoon session saw seven wickets go down for 14 runs after just five had fallen for 457 in the first four sessions of the match. 

Australia lost their last five batsmen for 10 runs and then claimed the two Pakistani openers with the first seven deliveries of the innings. 

Vice-captain Younis Khan led Pakistan's revival with an aggressive 58, before Faisal Iqbal stunned the Australians with a breathtaking 78 not out off 80 balls. 

Rashid Latif was unbeaten on 30 after adding 94 valuable runs off 84 deliveries for the undefeated sixth wicket with Iqbal. 

Pakistan went into the series without four top stars. Wasim Akram and Saeed Anwar opted out for unspecified reasons while Inzamam-ul Haq and Yousuf Youhana were sidelined with injuries. 

Younis, whose 21-Test experience made him the senior-most specialist batsman in the current team, scored 50 of the first 68 runs with 12 boundaries. 

Iqbal, 20-year-old nephew of former Pakistani captain Javed Miandad, showed some of his uncle's gutsy qualities in only his sixth Test by hammering 15 fours. 

But none of the other batsmen could stand up to their formidable rivals for whom Shane Warne claimed two wickets and Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee on each. 

Openers Imran Nazir and Taufiq Umar were dismissed without scoring and when number three Abdul Razzaq fell for 11, Pakistan were reduced to 45-3. 

"Its better to attack than hang around without scoring," Younis said. "We decided to go for the bowling, otherwise the Australians would have completely dominated us." 

Earlier, Australia's lower order caved in unexpectedly after they had moved to 457-5 soon after lunch. 

Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar picked up three wickets in seven balls, including two off consecutive deliveries. 

Left-handed Adam Gilchrist was left stranded on 66 as off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, who claimed the other two wickets, finished with 4-136 from 40.5 overs. 

Damien Martyn, who made 67 in a 128-run stand for the sixth wicket with Gilchrist, was caught at short-leg off Saqlain as he played a defensive ball. 

At the other end, Akhtar worked up lightening pace to offset the slow wicket and found himself being rewarded handsomely. 

He began by forcing Warne to fend a short ball to Faisal Iqbal at short-leg.

In his next over, Akhtar clean bowled Brett Lee and trapped Gillespie off consecutive deliveries. 

Last man McGrath survived the hat-trick ball which went off his pads for two leg-byes, but was claimed leg-before by Saqlain in the next over to wind up the innings quickly. 

Martyn and Gilchrist had batted through the extended morning session to lift Australia from their overnight score of 330-5 to 453 without further loss by lunch.