Asif Spell Turns 1st test in Pakistan favor

LONDON: Swing bowler Mohammad Asif’s spell of three wickets in seven balls tilted day one of the first test in Pakistan’s favor as Australia collapsed to 229-9 at Lord’s before bad light stopped play Tuesday.
Australia was in a promising position at 171-2 just before tea, but lost seven wickets for just 51 runs in 23 overs as Asif (3-53) and new-ball partner Mohammad Aamer (3-66) impressed in bowler-friendly, overcast conditions.
Opener Simon Katich made a patient 80 but was one of Asif’s victims in a crucial spell either side of tea. Michael Clarke (47) was trapped lbw to an inswinger on the final ball of the second session before Katich and Marcus North (0) fell shortly after.
Asif’s and Pakistan’s fortunes turned for the better after he was switched to the Pavilion End from the Nursery End, with Katich and Clarke having put on 120 for the third wicket.
Mike Hussey helped stretch Australia’s total with a gritty unbeaten 39 and Doug Bollinger (0) was the other not-out batsman at the close of play.
Both teams gave test debuts to two players. Pakistan selected batsmen Umar Amin and Azhar Ali, while Australia picked leg-spinner Steven Smith and reserve wicketkeeper Tim Paine in the absence of the injured Brad Haddin.
The start of the match was delayed by 90 minutes because of a damp outfield but when play did begin, left-armer Aamer caused opener Shane Watson (4) immediate problems with his ability to swing the ball both ways.
Watson chose to leave a delivery in the fifth over, only to see it swing back into him and strike him on the pads.

On the next ball, Watson again decided to leave but was struck once more on his pads. As umpire Ian Gould was raising his arm to give Watson out lbw, the ball bounced onto leg stump and dislodged a bail. Watson was given out bowled.
Captain Ricky Ponting saw his disappointing record at Lord’s continue as he departed for 26 on a ground where he hasn’t compiled a half-century in seven innings.
The last run of his knock did, though, see him pass West Indies batsman Brian Lara’s run tally in tests of 11,953, elevating Ponting to second on the all-time list, behind India’s Sachin Tendulkar. He departed the next ball when he clipped Aamer to short-leg fielder Amin, who held on to a sharp chance at knee height.
During his exuberant celebrations, Aamer clashed elbows with Ponting and both players looked back at one another. Whether or not the incident was accidental was unclear.
Katich, fortunate to survive an lbw appeal from Aamer when on 2, may also have been lucky when on 24 after an appeal for lbw to Danish Kaneria. Katich came through his early struggles and finished with nine boundaries in his 138-ball stay.
Hussey passed the 200 mark with a swept six off Kaneria over square leg, then followed that up next ball by driving through extra cover for four.
Paine (7) endured a tough time before he was caught behind, with the score 206-6, and fellow debutant Smith (1) was given lbw to Kaneria even though he got an inside edge on to his pad.
Mitchell Johnson (3) was bowled by a Kaneria leg-break, while Ben Hilfenhaus (1) was bowled by Aamer.
Pakistan, captained for the first time by Shahid Afridi, was seeking its first test win over Australia in 15 years. The Australians were chasing a seventh straight test victory.