Pakistan wobble under Australian onslaught by Jinu Sabastian

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Ground:	Bellerive Oval, Hobart
Scorecard:	Australia v Pakistan
Player:	SM Katich, RT Ponting
Event:	Pakistan in Australia 2009/10

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DateLine: 17th January 2010

 

The Australian victory surge was delayed as the heavens opened up making the rest of the day's play impossible. The Pakistani side was reeling under the Australian onslaught as the visitors were reduced to a miserable 103 for 4 while chasing an improbable 438 for win.

 

Resuming the day at 59 for one Katich (100, 138 balls, 13x4) and Ponting (89, 123 balls, 12x4) made the Pakistani bowlers toil hard in sultry conditions at Bellerive Oval as the pair added 191 runs in 41.5 overs. The bowling looked insipid and the Pakistani skipper Yousuf looked bereft of any ideas. The visitors let the hosts control the flow of the game as they were playing for the declaration. Ponting finally declared the innings at 219 for 5 with 437 runs in the lead.

 

Pakistan in reply were ripped apart by the marauding Australian pacers as Butt (8, 16 balls, 1x4) was cleaned up by Bollinger while Farhat (14, 31 balls, 1x4) feathered an edge through to the keeper of a tireless Siddle. Yousuf (23, 28 balls, 5x4) counterattacked as he felt that there was no point in playing defensively. Watson then dented the middle order when he removed both Yousuf and Umar Akmal (15, 15 balls, 1x4) with reverse-swinging inswingers to reduce the visitors to 83 for 4. Khurram Manzoor (23, 86 balls, 2x4) and Shoaib Malik (18, 30 balls, 2x4) were at the crease when the heavens opened up stopping the play for the day.