Pakistan pair defy England

Test debutant Zulqarnain Haider and Mohammad Aamer frustrated England’s bid to go 2-0 up in their four-match series against Pakistan with a defiant stand here on Sunday.

Pakistan were 150 for six at tea on the third day of the second Test at Edgbaston, needing a further 29 runs to avoid an innings defeat.

Zulqarnain, who might have been out for a ‘king pair’ was 36 not out, having batted for over two hours and faced 112 balls.

Teenage quick Aamer, demonstrating defensive application and mental resolve worthy of an old-fashioned top-order batsman, was 14 not out off 103 balls.

The 18-year-old, who should have been run out on one and was dropped on nine, had so far helped wicketkeeper Zulqarnain add 49 for the seventh wicket.

Pakistan were 94 for five in their second innings at lunch.

Umar Amin was 12 not out and Zulqarnain one not out.

Off-spinner Graeme Swann, who’d taken three wickets before lunch, added a fourth when Amin was stumped by wicketkeeper Matt Prior to leave Pakistan 101 for six.

Swann bowled 67 balls without conceding a run and at tea had figures of four wickets for 23 runs in 24 overs but a seventh wicket continued to prove elusive for England.

Fast bowler Stuart Broad thought he had Zulqarnain, on 18, caught behind but umpire Marais Erasmus disagreed.

England referred the South African’s verdict but the ‘hotspot’ technology being used as part of the Decision Review System (DRS) agreed with the umpire.

However, the ‘Snicko’ device - not being used under DRS this series as it takes too long to produce a verdict - eventually suggested Zulqarnain may have got a thin edge.

Broad should have dismissed Aamer when the 18-year-old was yards out of his ground. But his throw to the bowler’s end was way over Swann’s head.

Broad was also involved in a petulant incident when he hit Zulqarnain, on 22, with a throw at the end of an over and then half-heartedly apologised for an incident that could yet lead to disciplinary action.

England brought on Paul Collingwood in a bid to break the stand and the medium-pacer almost succeeded when a diving Alastair Cook at silly point just failed to hold a bat/pad chance offered by Aamer.

Swann had gone two whole innings without bowling, such had been the dominance of England’s seamers in overcast conditions that aided swing.

But Swann, who has a habit of taking a wicket early in his spell, struck with only his third ball of the match.

From around the wicket, Swann produced a delivery that pitched outside leg-stump and clipped Imran Farhat’s off stump to bowl the left-hander for 29.

Pakistan’s 53 for two became 54 for three as Swann took two wickets for one run in seven balls by bowling Ali (19) with a sharply turning off-break.

Zulqarnain came in having been out for a first ball nought in Pakistan’s first innings 72 — their lowest total against England. He had been brought in after fellow wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal was dropped after making two noughts at Trent Bridge. Zulqarnain too might have been out for another nought when, to his first ball, Swann appealed for lbw. But the batsman was reprieved after requesting a DRS review.Birmingham, AFP