MELBOURNE, 18 December 2004 — Australia, buoyed by Justin Langer’s 191, skittled Pakistan for 179 on the second day of the first Test yesterday in Perth to take total control of the match.
Ricky Ponting then decided against enforcing the follow-on as Australia reached 15 without loss in their second innings, for an overall lead of 217 by the close.
Australia seamer Michael Kasprowicz took five for 30 from 16.3 overs while leg spinner Shane Warne claimed three for 38.
Pakistan would have been in even more disarray if it had not been for a 60-run stand between Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami for the ninth wicket.
“If you saw how Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami batted, really it was a disgraceful performance up the front (of the order),” Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer told reporters.
“There were two terrible shots...which really were unnecessary, when we were just sort of building up a partnership. It was a very frustrating day.”
In another blow for Pakistan, Shoaib limped off the field near the end of the day, although Woolmer said he would be fit for Saturday.
The bowler, who took five for 99 in Australia’s first innings, was also fined 40 percent of his match fee after pointing Matthew Hayden directions to the dressing room following his dismissal on Thursday.
Australia had resumed on 357 for eight at the WACA and added a further 24 runs before Langer was the last man out after a magnificent 21st test century.Langer hit 19 fours and three sixes, batting for almost seven hours. Running out of partners, he was caught at point from an attempted lofted drive.
The home side then quickly pressed home their advantage as the touring side imploded. But while Australia bowled superbly, they were helped by some wild strokeplay.
Pakistan reached 45 for one before seven wickets tumbled for 66.
Imran Farhat (18) was first to go, flicking at a ball down the leg side from Jason Gillespie and snicking to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist.
Kasprowicz had Salman Butt caught behind for 17 then removed Inzamam-ul-Haq with a beauty, bowling the Pakistan captain for a single.
The Queenslander had Yousuf Youhana caught behind for one in his next over to make it 60 for four.
Warne also struck in successive overs, removing Younis Khan (42) and Abdul Razzaq (21), slogging across the line, after the pair had added 48 for the fifth wicket.
Pakistan lost four wickets for three runs to slump to 111 for eight at tea.
Shoaib’s 105 minutes and 27 runs of defiance ended when was caught at first slip by Warne off Glenn McGrath. Sami then hit out and was caught by Michael Clarke at deep backward point for 29, giving the 32-year-old Kasprowicz his fourth five-wicket haul in his 29th test.
Woolmer said he was concerned about his side’s tactics against Warne, who lifted his world record tally to 555 wickets.
“Either they fancy him and try and hit him out of the ground, or they just lose their heads at a specific stage,” Woolmer said.
“We have been here for two weeks and we should have acclimatized,” he said.
“Obviously pressure of the match situation seems to hone in on the cricketers because I know they are much better than this.
“If I could put my finger on why it’s happening I would have stopped it by now.”
Woolmer said he would talk to each of the players to try to determine the problems.
“I get the feeling they need to come out of their shells, need to express themselves more, need to develop their talent as cricketers,” he said.
There was more bad news for Pakistan after Akhtar limped off the ground halfway through his second over late on Friday.
Woolmer said the problem had been caused by some ankle strapping rubbing away skin and the pace bowler would be available to play on Saturday.
After a shaky start in their opening session, losing the opening pair of Salman Butt and Imran Farat for 45 runs, Pakistan then lost six wickets after the lunch break for just 60 runs.
Australian bowlers Shane Warne and Michael Kasprowicz feasted on the slovenly antics of the Pakistan batsmen to finish with figures of 3-38 and 5-30 respectively.
Warne in particular was delighted to see the wickets of allrounder Abdul Razzaq and Mohammad Khalil fall to his guile as they attempted outrageous swipes.
But it was Younis Khan, who had come to the crease with the score at 45 for two and had settled the innings slightly with a measured 42, that started the rot.
Younis had already seen his captain Inzamam-ul-Haq bowled by Kasprowicz straight after lunch for one and Yousuf Youhana caught behind off the same bowler for the same score to see his team reeling at 60 for four.
Yet after carrying his team to 108, he tried an undisciplined slog across the line of a Warne delivery only to sky a ball to Jason Gillespie.
Pakistan then lost Razzaq for 21, Kamran Akmal for two and Khalil to equally outrageous shots while adding just three runs to the tally.
Earlier in the day Australian opener Justin Langer’s hopes of carrying his bat through his team’s first innings and clocking up his fourth test double century were shattered when he could add just 10 runs to his overnight tally of 181.
Meantime, Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar was fined 40 per cent of his match fee -- estimated to be 5,000 Australian dollars (3,800 US) -- after being cited for a gesture during Australia’s first innings in the test match at the Western Australian Cricket Association ground.
Officials said yesterday that Akhtar had been charged under rules which prohibited the “pointing or gesturing towards the pavilion in an aggresive manner by a bowler following the dismissal of a batsman”.
The decision followed Akhtar’s two-handed gesture to Australian opener Matthew Hayden on the first day of the test after he had the burly batsman trapped lbw for four runs.
Akhtar said on Thursday he had not intended the gesture to be offensive and had just wanted Hayden to get on his way. An intense rivalry between the two had been reported in local media prior to the start of the test.
