PERTH, Australia, 19 December 2004 — Australia twisted the knife in a lifeless Pakistan yesterday, setting a massive 564-run victory target and giving themselves two full days of the first Test to bowl the visitors out.
After Australia had declared their second innings at 361 for five, Pakistan were 18-1 at stumps. Badly out-of-form opener Imran Farhat had gone for one while Salman Butt was on eight and Younis Khan seven. To add to the visitors’ woes, star paceman Shoaib Akhtar was taken for X-rays after injuring his left shoulder while fielding shortly after lunch. His condition was not immediately known.
Captain Inzamam-ul Haq was also in the wars, unable to take the field between lunch and tea due to a stomach virus.
Australia, with a lead of 217 when play began, turned the screws further on Pakistan during the day. But their tally featured two disappointing dismissals for captain Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer, the first innings hero with 191.
Langer went agonizingly close to becoming the first player to score a century in each innings of a Test at the Western Australian Cricket Association ground, reaching 97 before he was bowled by all-rounder Abdul Razzaq.
Ponting went even closer to a century but fell for 98, dragging his back foot and stumped by wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal while trying to sweep leg-spinner Danish Kaneria.
The Australian skipper had not scored a Test century in his last 17 innings, since the Boxing Day test against India in Melbourne last year.
But local hero Damien Martyn made amends when he reached 100 — his fifth century for the year — prompting Ponting to declare.
Opener Matthew Hayden earlier was bowled by Shoaib Akhtar in the morning session for 10 with the score on 28. But Ponting and Langer crushed any lingering Pakistani hopes, adding 163 for the second wicket.
Former India Captain Hazare Dies Aged 89
In New Delhi, Vijay Hazare, who captained India to their first Test victory over England in 1952, died yesterday after a prolonged fight with cancer.
Hazare, 89, died in a hospital in Baroda, India chief selector Kiran More told Reuters.
He played 30 Tests between 1946 and 1953, scoring 2,192 runs at an average of 47.65 with seven centuries. He also took 20 wickets with his occasional seam bowling. Hazare led India to their maiden Test victory in the fifth and final match of the series by an innings and eight runs. The Test is best remembered for Vinoo Mankad’s match-winning 12-wicket haul, including 8-55 in the first innings with his left arm spin. Hazare also had a distinguished first class career spanning 32 years. He averaged 58.19 with the bat with 57 centuries and took 565 wickets at 24.83.
