Shehzad, Shafiq impress on flat pitch
The Report by Brydon Coverdale in Sharjah
October 15, 2014
Tea Pakistan A 170 for 4 (Shafiq 41*, Sohail 14*) v Australians
Nathan Lyon was the only one of Australia's likely frontline Test bowlers who remained wicketless at tea on the first day of the warm-up match in Sharjah, where Pakistan A had reached 170 for 4. Captain Asad Shafiq took a liking to Australia's three spinners and had reached 41 at the break with Haris Sohail on 14, after Ahmed Shehzad earlier scored an entertaining half-century.
The match does not have first-class status and the teams are limited to 90 overs per innings, so the Australians were keen to spread the bowling load throughout the squad. Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle each struck in the early stages of the day before Ben Hilfenhaus chipped in with a wicket after lunch and Steve O'Keefe also had success in his audition for a Test debut.
Several of the Pakistan batsmen made starts but failed to build a big score, although Shafiq showed his Test class and looked dangerous during the second session. He smashed O'Keefe for six over long on and was also keen to use his feet against Lyon, and when Glenn Maxwell was given three overs shortly before tea he too was struck for a pair of boundaries by Shafiq.
There was not a great deal of turn in the pitch but in the hot conditions the spinners were always going to be asked to do the bulk of the work, and O'Keefe was the only one to make a breakthrough. He got rid of Babar Azam, who had compiled a patient 40 when he advanced and tried to loft O'Keefe down the ground, only to find the safe hands of James Faulkner at mid-on.
The Pakistan batsmen had generally found O'Keefe, with his accurate, skiddy style, tougher to get away than Lyon, who was more prepared to flight the ball and therefore a more appealing prospect to attack. After a cautious start, the opener Shehzad had also enjoyed going after Lyon and used his feet well against the spin, lofting him over long-on for six and back over his head for four.
The new-ball bowlers, Johnson and Siddle, found a few hints of movement early but once Shehzad saw that off he punched Johnson off the back foot for four through point and pulled Siddle for a cleanly struck six. But both fast men had struck in their early spells to leave Pakistan A at 11 for 2 after they chose to bat.
Johnson had Shan Masood caught behind in the third over with a fullish ball that moved away slightly, and his pace was good in the early stages. Siddle struck in the next over when No.3 Israrullah got a thick edge to third slip, where Steven Smith took a sharp catch moving to his left.
Siddle created another half-chance when he returned for a post-lunch spell and drew an edge from Azam, but the ball fell just short of Smith at first slip. The Australians regularly rotated players through the field with all members of the squad, apart from the injured David Warner, available to be used in the match.
Australia had already announced that allrounder Mitchell Marsh would not bowl in the first innings as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury, but they were hopeful he would bowl in the second in an effort to prove his fitness for the first Test.
Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. [MENTION=47981]b[/MENTION]rydoncoverdale
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by haris this time
but great knock.
