Australia
Perhaps got away with some wide bowling early on, but in every way were the professional cricket team that just did what it had to do in order to get the upper hand.
Pakistan
They had to know that coming into this game with a batting line up this ordinary was a risk. Well that risk blew up, threw up, and put Shane Watson on the honour board. There bowling was better, but their bowling is better.
Who’s in front
Australia were in front by Lunch, and by tea that didn’t change. It is hard to see them chasing less than 300, and it is hard to see them making more than 200.
Play of the day
Umar Akmal had played the wrong line, Kamran Akmal had played no line, and Shane Watson was smiling and happy. We needed something to the smile off his face, so Shahid Afridi treated him like a 15 year old net bowler. Two huge sixes, slashed and smashed fours, and no respect. But it was like riding a roller coaster naked covered in margarine, it was bound to end badly.
Testicular moment of the day
Salman Butt stood tall in a team of soft, pathetic, scared and unwilling batsmen. He often makes runs against Australia, but this was a good innings because he went within 2 wickets of carrying his bat. Yes, he didn’t have far to carry it, but this was a pretty good innings from a man with a test average of 30. I felt bad when Watson snared him, he deserved better, like a freak run out, or a crazed naked fan coming onto the ground and rubbing his crotch on him.
Working class moment of the day
Shane Watson. If you have a ticket, there is a chance you will win the lottery.
Weird factoid of the day
Roasted Guinea Fowl tastes like turkey.
For my recap go to crikey.
Butt’s excuse for getting out against Watson last night was that he did not see the ball. Asked if it was because it swung he explained that it had been swinging all day. A microcosm of his career in one innings- beautiful, still serenity at the crease followed by and ugly and slightly pathetic death. Pakistan are crying out for another Butt like figure in the top four- as much as the instant gratification of Afridi is amusing (if not arousing at times), there is nothing quite like a composed top order batsman grinding the opposition down…. D
Hilf makes nearly twice as many runs as the Pak skipper. Go figure. I don’t know why people get humid over Afridi’s three brainless boundaries. The only thing he cares about is getting two big shots to make the crowd go ohh and ahh and marry me boom boom, when his side would have needed him to bloody bat and stabilise the innings, and not to perform another one of his mental clown on crack shows. Yeah main thing is everybody has bloody boom boom embroidered on their shirts, to remind them that a Test is just the annoying period between two T20s. It works.
Love the bits about Salman and Watson