By Bagpuss
November 17 2005

Nicky King alias 'Bagpuss' has found internet access(and fame and fortune as a TMS guest)and reports on the First Test. What a coup for us I say. How many independent sites have their own foreign correspondent? (Out of country not out of county!!)

PAKISTAN v ENGLAND – 1ST TEST, MULTAN, 12 – 16 NOVEMBER 2005

Day 1

The sun is shining in Multan and the first day of the series is upon us. But I am choosing to spectate from the comfort of my hotel room – chosen exclusively for its close proximity to adequate plumbing. Yes the baggy one has lost a 100% record for staying healthy on the subcontinent. A minor concern – more so is the fact that last night I was dining in the same restaurant as some of the team. Hope they feel better than I do.

I have obviously been the sacrificial intestine as the team is as expected – both Giles and Udal play, Collingwood will provide backup to the three seamers and Bell is in for the injured Vaughan. Still no more news on the knee – but they say no news is good news, don’t they? Nothing unexpected in the England line up then but a few raised eyebrows at the Pakistan selection – no Mushtaq Ahmed (predicted by the commentators as he hardly bowled at nets the previous day) and strangely no Shahid Afridi who would offer variety to the spin attack as well as having good form with the bat from the West Indies series – some 300+ runs scored in the Carribean.

Stand in captain Trescothick loses the toss and Inzamam selects to bat on what looks like will be a belter of a pitch. Good job the weather isn’t oppressively hot as it could be a long day in the field for the England lads.

Pakistan open with Salman Butt and Shoaib Malik – the latter trying to reinvent himself as an opening bat having had a torrid time as a spin bowler over his queationable action. Incidentally here’s a quick quiz question for LoL and all you trivia buffs out there – has there ever been a Test side with more than Pakistan’s 3 shall we call them, er, ex-chuckers? The Shoaibs – Akhtar and Malik – and most recently Shabbir Ahmed have all been “called” for their action and subsequently been to re-modelling school.

The impeccable actions of Hoggard and Harmison open the bowling and its apparent there will not be much on offer to encourage them. Flintoff replaces Harmison in the 14th. The seamers are finding good lines but nothing much troubling the batters as they comfortably reach 50 at around 3 runs an over. Collingwood replaces Hoggard and the reduction in pace means he is treated a little as cannon fodder, going for 9 off his first 3 balls. He gets just 4 overs before spin is introduced in the 25th in the shape of Giles. He is getting a little turn and bowls a maiden first up.

In the next over Flintoff gets the breakthrough. Malik lbw for 39 so its 80-1. Flintoff doesn’t get the chance to repeat as he is replaced by Harmison. Pakistan reach 100 just before the interval and go to lunch on 103-1, Butt on 40 and Younis Khan having moved comfortably on to 13.

After lunch its more of the same – pretty decent bowling by the England attack but with no reward – not really any near misses. My frequency of attending the bathroom increases in line with England’s anxiety and eventually the breakthrough comes – for them, not me – about half an hour before tea when new boy Udal bowls wide to Younis, tempting the drive and getting the edge which is caught by the diving Geraint Jones after a ricochet of the captain’s head. Younis Khan gone for 39 it is now still a rather uncomfortable looking 161-2. Next batsman is Mohammed Yousuf. For those of you who haven’t worked it out yet and are wondering why Pakistan have dropped the classy Yousuf Youhana, the first Christian (I think) to play for Pakistan well, they haven’t. Mr Youhana got a bit fed up with being the only Christian in the village so converted – his religion and his name – to Islam. There must be some confusion as the gods were not looking out for him as Flintoff bowls him with the perfect yorker in the 58th. 166-3 looks a little better as Pakistan captain Inzamam ul Haq ambles slowly to the crease, obviously distressed at being called into action and losing his place at the front of the queue for tea. Hopefully someone saved him some cookies as tea was taken at 181-3.

Anyone a bit slow back to their seats after tea would have missed Harmison getting Younis Khan lbw with his first ball. Younis looked a little aggrieved as he thought there was wood involved somewhere but whilst replays showed him to be correct it was pad that made contact first. Good decision by the Kiwi umpire. Last ball of the same over there is more contact with wood but no argument as Raza sees his stumps fly. 181-3 has become 183-5 in six balls after tea. Trescothick goes off the field for a few minutes so someone can pinch him. Interestingly it seems to be Flintoff who takes over the reins whilst he is gone.

Hurricane Harmison has passed all to quickly though. Inzamam and keeper Kamran Akmal take Pakistan past the 200 mark The new ball is taken with about 7 overs of (scheduled) play left by Flintoff and Hoggard. Does the trick when Hoggard finds a good line and the edge of Kamran’s bat and Trescothick takes the routine catch. Play is called off due to deteriorating light soon after with only a couple of overs lost to the light. Pakistan are 244-6 with Inzamam still there on 41 with nightwatchman Sami on 1.

I think England must be the happier campers at the end of the day. The last session has brought them right back into this match. Good work by the bowlers and I must add the captain. Even when the wickets weren’t coming they kept a tight lid on the run rate.

Day 2 will follow before the start of the next Test on Sunday.