Saqlain's double strike pushes England back

By Ted Corbett

FAISALABAD, NOV. 30. Two wickets to Saqlain Mushtaq in the last 15 minutes of the day put Pakistan on top in the second Test but the match has swung so violently already that it threatens to deny the astrologers to the last. Saqlain's spell read 10-3-16-2 and it is safe to forecast that he will have as big a hand in this Test as he did in taking nine wickets at Lahore.

We also had the sight of an exciting debut from the teenage leg spinner Danish Kaneria who stayed at the crease for 40 minutes to score eight in his first Test, learning from the experience of Saqlain and helped Pakistan total 316.

He also conceded a six off his second ball and took a wicket in his third over; but it was Saqlain who got the key wickets of Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain as dusk descended. If Ashley Giles can take five wickets here the scurrying little wizard will certainly pick up as many. Still Kaneria took the eye; once again we hold our breath over a Pakistani teenager who seems born under a star of talent. Such is the erratic nature of Pakistan's selection process we also wonder if we will see him again.

England battled for an hour before Yousuf Youhana underlined the number of soft catches given in this Test by lob- pulling a short ball from Darren Gough to Graham Thorpe who had come 15 yards off the deep square leg boundary and hardly needed to move to effect his third catch of the innings. Youhana had, once again, batted with immense commonsense.He and Moin Khan had put on 120 for the sixth wicket.

Moin Khan was caught at slip in the following over, Wasim Akram made only one and Arshad Khan caught at slip at 283. Giles, again bowling with plenty of variety had taken five for 75 in his third Test and with that background statistic, may be difficult to keep out whenever England wants a spinner.

For the next 40 minutes Saqlain Mushtaq and Kaneria made fools of England. A last-wicket stand is always an embarrassment and as Saqlain alternated between solid, irritating forward defence and big shots into the outfield, England grew annoyed. The Pakistan total of 316 was hardly formidable and Marcus Trescothick led the opening stand to 49 with his trademark slow drive down the offside and a powerful six to deep mid wicket off Kaneria's second ball. Googly, six, dot ball, four is a memorable start but Kaneria bowled his second over as a maiden and in his third, completely deceived Trescothick in the flight leaving him an easy stumping victim.

The rest of his nine-over spell cost 28 runs and sometimes his mix of leg break, flipper and googly seemed vulnerable but he has a wonderful action - Abdul Qadir in third gear if you like - and all the England batsmen had trouble with his flight. Atherton was snapped up at short leg off Saqlain and twice in Kaneria's next over the nightwatchman Ian Salisbury was reminded that he was likely to be outbowled in this Test by a lad ten years his junior. Hussain was given out lbw when he may have edged the ball into his pads.

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