News Sports Cricket Australia restricts Pakistan to 50-2

Australia restricts Pakistan to 50-2

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Australia fast bowlers Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle dismissed Pakistan openers cheaply on Wednesday and pinned down the opposition to 50-2 at lunch in the first test.    Johnson snared recalled Mohammad

australia restricts pakistan to 50 2 australia restricts pakistan to 50 2

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Australia fast bowlers Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle dismissed Pakistan openers cheaply on Wednesday and pinned down the opposition to 50-2 at lunch in the first test.
   

 

Johnson snared recalled Mohammad Hafeez leg before wicket off his third delivery through a toe crushing yorker for zero after captain Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss and elected to bat.
   
Ahmed Shehzad was then brilliantly setup by Siddle before he had him clean bowled round his legs as both bowlers bowled with lot of aggression in their miserly bowled spells in the first session.
   
Azhar Ali (24 not out) and Younis Khan (14 not out) struggled early but somehow managed to hang in and avoid further damage by adding 43 runs for the third wicket stand.
   
Younis, who had criticized selectors for dropping him for the one-day series against Australia, took 13 deliveries to score his first run and was also hit on the left bicep when he tried to leave Johnson's short pitched delivery.
   
Ali was fortunate to escape just before lunch when Chris Rodgers dropped a low two-handed catch at point which could have given Johnson his second wicket.
   
Australia captain Michael Clarke kept on the pressure when he introduced debutante spinner Steve O'Keefe as early as the seventh over of the innings while another debutant Mitchell Marsh also conceded just three runs in his four overs.
   
Mitchell Marsh is the second son of former test opener Geoff Marsh to play test cricket for Australia. His older brother, Shaun, made his debut in 2011.
   
Pakistan -- without its suspended offspinner Saeed Ajmal -- awarded test caps to legspinner Yasir Shah and fast bowler Imran Khan.