Pakistan captain blames loss on his batsmen

Press, 2 December 1981, Page 48

Pakistan captain blames loss on his batsmen

NZPA Brisbane Pakistan’s senior batsmen yesterday ignored instructions and this cost the tourists the second cricket test against Australia, according to their captain Javed Miandad.

Australia went two-up in the three test series with a crushing 10-wicket win at the Brisbane Cricket Ground, after taking the first test in Perth by 286 runs.

“Our senior batsmen went for runs instead of playing for a draw,” said a disappointed Miandad. “I thought we would save the match at the start of play but our batsmen tried to put pressure on Australia,” he said.

Pakistan began the day at 64 for none, still 157 runs in arrears, but with all wickets intact looked likely to force a draw.

But Dennis Lillee again broke through early and finished with four wickets to have the Pakistan innings in tatters.

“Lillee was fantastic throughout the match but I was very disappointed with our senior men,” Miandad said. Lillee lifted his test wicket dismissals for Australia to 305 and is now just two behind England's Fred Truman and close to the world record of 309, held by Lance Gibbs, the former West Indian spinner. At 90 for one and moving along smoothly, Pakistan had looked to be easing out of a tight situation. “We were looking for a bit of magic from somebody and it came from the usual

source," said the Australian captain, Greg Chappell. Chappell was the unanimous choice for man of the match after his superb 201 in Australia’s first innings and it is the tenth such award he has now collected.

Chappell said there would be no letting up and Australia would strive to win the series, 3-0, in the third test in Melbourne ' starting on December 11.

Lillee split Pakistan's solid opening stand when he had Mudassar Nazar neatly caught by Bruce Laird, who sprawled across the turf to take a catch at silly leg when the batsman was 33. The big fast bowler was on the job again soon after when he had Mohsin Khan caught by the wicket-keeper, Rod Marsh, for 43. Then the spinner, Bruce Yardley, drove home Australia’s advantage by dismissing Majid Khan (15) and Zaheer Abbas (0) in one over: “This was the turning point of the match. I expected plenty of runs from Zaheer but it was not to be." Miandad said. PAKISTAN First innings 291 Second innings Mudassar Nazar c Laird b Lillee 33 Mohsin Khan c Marsh b Lillee . . . 43 Majid Khan c Chappell b . Yardley 15

Javed Miandad lbw Lillee . 38 Zaheer Abbas lbw Yardley. 0 Wasim Raja b Lillee. . .’ . 36 Imran Khan c Wellham b Yardley 3 Ejaz Faqih c Chappell b Thomson 21 Sarfraz Nawaz c Aiderman b Yardley 13 Wasim Bari hot out 4 Sikander Bakht b Thomson. 2 Extras |b2, lb 3. nb9. wl). 15 99Q Fall: 72. 90, 115, 115, 177, 178, 189, 216, 219. 223. ■ Bowling.—Lillee 19. 14. 51. 4; Aiderman 15. 3, 37. 9: Thomson 15. 3. 43; 2: Yardley 24. 14. 77, 4. AUSTRALIA First innings 512/9 dec. Second innings G. Wood not out 0 B. Laird not out. . 3 Extras. . : . . . 0 Total for no wicket 3 Bowling.—lmran 1.2. 1. 2.0; Sikander 1. 0. 1, 0.