1062 RUNS IN THREE DAYS Batsmen dominate test on lifeless pitch

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33113, 2 January 1973, Page 16

1062 RUNS IN THREE DAYS Batsmen dominate test on lifeless pitch

(N Z. Press Association—<Copyright) MELBOURNE. Australia and Pakistan seemed headed for a draw in the second test at the close of play yesterday, with two days remaining on a lifeless pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Pakistan, which amassed its highest score against Australia of 574 for eight wicket declared in its first innings, struck a vital blow by taking the wicket of the Australian opener, I. R. Redpath, in the last 30 minutes.

However, with Australia 47 for one in its second innings, trailing by 86, the batting feast that has so far produced •062 runs in three days was likely 7 to continue. Australia won the first test in Adelaide by an innings and 112 runs. A spectacular, one-handed diving catch by the wicketkeeper, Wasim Bari, to dismiss Redpath was the highlight of the final session. Redpath, the first-innings cen-tury-maker, chased an outswinger from Salim Altaf to !go for only six runs. Pakistan nearly had the I wicket of J. Benaud, who i came in ahead of I. M. Chappell. when he miscued a hook off Salim and almost carried from his bat on to his wicket with the total at 33. Benaud, after three failures in three test innings, almost saw his prospects for the forthcoming West Indies tour float away as he turned round quickly and patted the ball away. He remained on 11 at the close, with A. P. Sheahan 27 not out. Pakistan’s dramatic closure after the sixth ball of D. K. Lillee’s seventeenth over ! surprised the crowd of 25.363. Salim Altaf, who had defended stoutly for 13 runs iducked three bouncers as the ! Australian fast bowler was I reintroduced to try to send | back the Pakistani tail-end-j ers.

When Pakistan declared, Lillee defiantly hurled the ball from the bowler’s end high over the head of the wicket-keeper R. W. Marsh, to the members’ boundary. Majid Khan, who was not out 92 overnight with Pakistan 292 for one wicket, soon reached his maiden test century. Scorching, well-timed I cover - drives dominated the innings which he carried to 158 before he carelessly edged the medium-pacer, M. Walker, to Marsh in the first over after lunch. His wicket was a just reward to Walker. It was off his bowling that Benaud. in a dive at full stretch, just failed to hold a catch on Saturday before Majid had scored. Pakistan lost its first wicket yesterday at 323 after the ooener, Sadiq Mohammad ended a sound innings of 137.

His partnership of 195 runs in 211 minutes with Majid—they both made their first test centuries —laid the foundation for the huge Pakistan total. Saeed Ahmed, who was forced to retire after he was hit by Lillee on the right forefinger on Saturday, resumed his innings, and in one aggressive patch hit the Australian paceman for three fours in one over, with a glance and two cracking back-foot shots. His wicket was collected by Walker—his first in test cricket—after Saeed had reached 50 in 95 minutes, including eight fours. AUSTRALIA First innings I. R. Redpath c Saeed b Intikhab 135 A. P. Sheahan run out 23 I. M. Chappell c Wasim b Sarfraz .. 66 G. S. Chappell not out . 116 J. Benaud c Sarfraz b Intikhab 13 R. W. Marsh c Wasim b Sarfraz 74 Extras (bye 1, leg-byes 6, no-balls 7) .. 14 Total for five wkts dec. 441 Fall of wickets: one for 60, two for 183, three for 273, four for 295. five for 441.

Bowling.—Asif Masood, 17, 0, 97, 0; Salim Altaf, 9,0, 49, 0; Sarfraz Nawaz, 22.5 . 4, 100, 2; Intikhab Alam, 16, 0. 101, 2; Majid Khan. 21, 2, 80, 0 Second innings Sheahan not out 27 Redpath c Wasim b Salim 6I J. Benaud not out .. ■. 11 j Exras (no-balls 3) . .. 3 Total for one wicket .. 47 Fall of wicket: one for 18. Bowling.—Sarfraz, 5,0, 23, 0; Salim, 4 0, 18, 1; Masood, 1,0, 3, 0; Intikhab, 1,1, 0, 0. PAKISTAN First innings Sadiq Mohammad lbw b Lillee 137 Saeed Ahmed c G. Chappell b Walker .. 50 Zaheer Abbas run out 51 Majid Khan c Marsh b Walker 158 Mushtaq Mohammad c Marsh b O’Keeffe 60 Asif Iqbal c Lillee b Mallett 7 Intikham Alam c Sheahan b Mallett .. 68 Wasim Bari b Mallett .. .. 7 Salim Altaf not out .. 13 Sarfraz Nawaz not out 0 Extras (byes 12, leg-byes 7, wide 1. no-balls 3) 23 Total for eight wkts dec. 574 Fall of wickets: one for 128, two for 323, three for 395. four for 416, five for 429. six for 519, seven for 541. eight for 572. Bowling.—Lillee, 16.6, I, 90, 1; Thomson, 17, 1. 100, 0; Walker, 24. 1, 112, 2: MaUett, 38, 4. 124, 3; O’Keeffe, 23, 1, 94. 1; I. Chappell, 5. 0, 21, 0; Redpath, 1. 0, 10, 0.