certainly it was Afridi's day offcourse not with bowling but i suspect that pak should have restricted them below 150 on a tough day for batting but Clark and Katich turned it around hopefully Pakistan batsmen utilize the conditions perfectly 2marow's morning and trapping Hussey or Bollinger with pacemen early
and then real test for Pak batting that is always not reliable with two test debut batsmen certainly pressure is on them as we saw Paine and smith getting out early
Inshallah Luck will favour Pakistan

"In the end, the result might be the same but Afridi's instinct is closer to the senses of his country's supporters."

very true..!!!

Pakistan were merciless today.. Aamer and Asif although lack in pace, make up for in talent and intelligence.. superb bowling display.

Aamer and Umar Akmal have got to be the 2 best young cricketers in the world at current standards.. they are brilliant across all formats (Aamer already looks like a young Wasim) and will be fantastic contributors to the Pakistan lineup for the next 10-15 years.

But we know how Pakistan can go from one end of the scale to the other, and after all this is test cricket and that is Australia.. so lets watch in fascination what happens when PAKISTAN BAT tomorrow then come to our conclusions.

Dear Mr. Abbasi,

Well summed up of the 1st Test at Lords. This is a young team with a new idea and we really agree with you that the captaincy made the difference. It is well said that offense is the best defense. Afridi attacked with the first ball of the inning and it gives a clear message to the opposition that he is not a timid captain. Besides, he persisted with giving chance to youngster which is a good sign of encouragement to them. May be they could deliver what Afridi wants from them. Azar and Amin have the potential and technique, we believe and after all their patience will be tested. Afridi's team as well the support staff like Waqar, Aqib and Ijaz are also the motivation for captain. But it is still early days for testing Afridi but the way he is using his weapons are commendable. Let us see when the pressures come how handles.

Nicely said, but the real challenge is how Afridi manages the youth. There has never been a doubt when it comes to talent in Pakistan. Again great job in managing the field and bowlers but, and dear i said a big but is how aggresvie his own plans are in the batting department.
For me the dearest site to see tomorrow will be if Afridi can fuel aggression in batting (so people play like clarke). Pakistan cannot afford to let loose the Aussies for even a session. The positive approach Afridi is initiating in the team needs to translate in all departments. Best of luck Pakistan and keep up with playing proper cricket.

Well the Pakistani batsmen need to go out there and proved themselves.If they can restrict the Australians to under 250 then the test match becomes very interesting.We all are aware that this present Pakistan team's batting is very thin,so the newcomers are really going to have to put their heads down and get some runs.That is the only way they are going to win or draw this match,by scoring runs,the bowling is excellent so it really is up to the batsmen.

Finally Pakistan team are playing as a unit. Whether Afridi contributes with his batting and bowling, remains to be seen, but so far he has done an excellent job as a captain. It is vital for Pakistan cricket to continue with Afridi and Waqar for a longer period.

Indeed he did - for the most part yes - and what a breath of fresh air, really to see Afridi take CHARGE!! - the way to go mate-- keep the pressure on mate! and guess what? Aussies are reeling - should our new bloods hold up and no further rain delays, the first test match is Pakistan's for the taking (InshaAllah)

Lala: Great to see you lead them charges in the field...a touch charismatic from you Lala - thousands of duas for your and Pakistan's success brother.

Pakistan Zindabaad!

Mr. Abbassi, your absolutely spot on with your analysis. If Yousuf was still in charge, we would have witnessed the likes of North, Hussey and Simth seize the initiative and once again take the game away from the green shirts. Afridi, though volatile and mecurial, is a born leader with killer instincts. He, dare i say, belongs to the class of the Great Imran Khan and Waseem Akram and Younis Khan from the recent past rather than the timid Saeed Anwer, Inzamam and Yosuuf.

This is what Pakistan needed....an aggressive captain who can utilize the flair in the Pakistani team. Since Pakistani team are more likely to loose anyway if they maintain the status quo, it is better to rattle the aussies with offensive play.

This is an ill-timed post, Kamran. Why would you judge Pakistan on the first day of a test match knowing how notoriously inconsistent they are? However, I do appreciate that you didn't mention Younis Khan for once.

A young team of Pakistan still plenty of talent to win this test match. All credit goes to the whole Pakistan team showing a good fighting spirit to win a test match.All the best Pakistan and also Shahid Afridi for his captainship role for future

salam 2 all
afridi rocks...i think this is a new begning 4 pakitan cricket.love pak team keep it up

Kamran great little artical but all to the point and very true, i can sence something in the water this time. Afridi only knows how to attack, and i hope he shows this along with his players over the duration of this test match. Inshallah if god will's it we will play to the potential we all now Pakistan have. Here's to a great Test summer of cricket for all us UK based pak's.

I think I understand the pressure to hammer out a piece for the purpose of engagement, but this is premature still. Afridi is just one day old as a test captain and you are building him up as if he possesses some mythical powers. Some of what you said may have a semblance of truth to it. However, I would have chosen a more cautious approach then yours at this time. At least wait till this test is over or closer to a result.

fantastic bowling by pakistan esp Amir and asif even though Amir bowled alot slower then his avaerage speed of 90mph. Gul aint gud enuf4 test cric he needs 2b replaced by a genuine quickie i.e Talha Or Wahab2 gve Pakistan potency in the speed department jus like South africa, england and aust has consistently strived for

Afridi proved to be a good captain. Though its too early to judge him, but he deserves the applause. Good luck Pakistan.

The start is good, If some how batters can do well the result could be in Pakistan favour. but to expect the least you summed up nicely. The result might be the same but the Instinct is what a Pakistan supporter wants. I don't know but this is happening in Pakistan again when ever their is huge disappointment something spark out of no where to delight the people. Wish Afridi last for a very successfull captain.

well played pakistan,every one knows that we have talent nice to see back in track

I am no Octopus :) but I have a feeling that Pakistan will clinch the series 1-0. The first win is coming soon by the grace of God.

Do not forget ' Sydney'...We need to win every crucial session to stop Aussies ... Well done Afridi

awesome match so far, and this pakistani team have been greatly impressive! the only dark question remains though is their batting depth. with no yousuf or younis, everyone is aware of the fact that australia are the best team and playing against johnson and others would be tricky! any ways eyes plugged in for Day 2 and hope that they defy all odds and give australia a run for their money

In deed, very good outing today by PAK team as a unit. I hope they take their time to play as long they can and hopeing that they get quick wicket in tomorrow. If they make aound 375 or more than they will in driving set. Please keep attecking. Good luck.

good work pak..try to put bat to ball

@all of u
The sparks indicates that pakistan aiming to win this test not trying to go for draw which they did in past and lose the match at the last momment

Pakistan is really going to rock under Afridi!!!
he's such an inspirational character...
BooM BooM AFR!D!

hey kamran i appreciate the positivity in your words and hope dat the so called instinct of our very own captain gets us somewhere close to what we call a victory,.,.but its kinda too early to say or state comparisons on the very first day... His innings has just started...i would like to hear the same comparison on the last day of the second test between pakistan and australia.

True a very good day for Afridi & Co in the field but the real test is coming tomorrow when they are go to bat!

Good to see Pakistan fight back after disastrous tour back in Australia where they snatched defeats from the jaws of win by some of the worst fielding and bad captaincy, we indians are great fan of Afridi and Akhtar's due to the attacking instincts on the field.
Don't agree with Afridi as a player in Tests but at this moment i do agree he is the best one to lead until pakistan finds a new genuine captain who can also play in test cricket. The point that they are playing outside pakistan's dead pitches is also helping the fast bowlers to show thier mettle..Good luck to Pakistan but don't loose this momentum and do show arrogant aussies they are just any ordinary team ..

a lot of people are hell talkin about pak shouldnt hav played with two debutants.......but remember what shoaib malik or even younas yousaf etc hav contributed inthe paast couple of years.....so y not giv the chanc to new playerssss......xcellent decision to drop malik.......may also drop salman butt as he has zero to contribute......a selfish player.... GOD bless all PAKISTAN

Well, really a good show from Pakistan today,specially from 171/2 to 222/9 a great effort. Great start of Afridi's test captaincy,such agrresiveness had been lacking in Australia. Let see how Pakistan batting will repsond, middle order is compeltely inexperinced, i owuld like Afridi or Kamran Akmal to bat at no.4 and 3 youngsters must play around. Hope we may not ,miss the experience of 2 Y's in the middle. A golde opportuinity for 2 youngsters AZHAR ALI & UMAR AMIN , if they can put a good solid performence against Aussies they would easily cement there place in test side. Good luck men in green

Pakistan is really going to rock under Afridi!!!
he's such an inspirational character...
BooM BooM AFR!D!

What a day to start with for the skipper!!! He couldn't ask for more, Isn't?. Pakistan's Two W's golden era has now returned in the shape of Two A's (Amir & Asif).Great day for Pakistan cricket after a long time.

It is true that Afridi did attack throughout the day but when it came to crunch time he made the same mistake as Mohammad Yousuf. Just like Yousuf did in that infamous Sydney test match, Afridi kept all his men on the fence for Hussey to give him a single - such a tactic is as far removed from attacking as is possible. It basically says to his bowlers that he doesn't think they are good enough to get Hussey out so he is just pleading with Hussey to take the single and let the bowlers attack number 11.
I guess however, one would be loath to mention such a detail in this blog as it would go against the whole current and cliched stereotyping of the attacking pathan and whatnot of this article. A shame really, I, at least, would have appreciated a more balanced and reasonable view.

I was thinking the same thing too, when Clarke and Katich were playing, after Yousuf and Inzi I was ready for defensive fields straight away after the 100 partnership was brought up. If Shahid had done that then Australia would have racked up runs by singles, as it was Afridi attacked and backed his great bowling line up. The most attacking captaincy by a Pakistani against Australia since the 90's.

If anything Mr Abbasi, I liked the way Afridi presented himself at the toss. Nice clean whites, looking dapper and meaning business. A stark contrast to his predecessors who most of the time were plain scruffy.
Great day for Pakistan, hope to see them get back to being as good as they were.

i am from INDIA i want to say this is the team which i am fan off. playing in unity,power. All sporting each other. now this is time of revenge from kangaroo's spark on it is your day PAKISTAN GO ON.ROCK THE WORLD INDIA IS WITH YOU. BOOM BOOM. THE BOWLING WAS MUCH BETTER. NOW IT IS TO FINISH KANGAROO'S FULL SHOW THEM OUR POWER. USE AS MUCH SPINER'S AS YOU CAN.IN BATTING PLAY HUGE INING UPTO 1.5 DAYS SCORE MORE THAN 550 LET THEM THINK TO DRAW IT BY PLAYING 2 DAYS NOT TO WIN AND THEN GET THEM OUT IN PRESURE love u all PAKISTANI'S from INDIAN'S . WE ARE BORN SAME MOTHER.SO WE ARE BROTHERS

I hope Pakistan can bowl the same way in the second innings. Chasing even a small total in the second innings will be challenging for this inexperienced side. I hope Afridi and the boys will make us proud!

Iam very happy by seeing todays pakistan's bowling performance.Especially afridi's captaincy.I hope INSHALLAH pakistan bats well tomorrow and gain the momentum.

I just want to say that pakistan should win the test series

Wow - stark contrast to the feeling of smashing your TV and hurling Yusuf around in Aus :). Karman spot on - all we want is passion, unity and commitment inshallah with these basic attributes we'll win more than we lose and as long as the players try the fans will always be happy. Aamer and Asif bowled well, Gul was poor with no-balling definately an area to improve on. Danish Kaneria - to be honest I would prefer Ajmal - Danish regular gives a healthy dose of 4's and at times with the top batsman, he doesn't appear to be as effective. What do you guys think?

where is malik,let's pakistani new batsman Azhar ali and umer amin prove him that they believe in Afridi and Waqar and they will solidify the innings and give umar akamal,afridi,kamran,amer support as they all have to prove they can carry burden of experienced players like Yousuf,yunus and Malik............so let's see and pray for a good batting display tommorow.

absolutely brilliant! they are the most talented lot in world cricket.no doubt about that. best wishes to afridi. after a long time pak cricket has been blessed with a captain who knows how to fight like a cornered tiger! with luck , pakistan is going to win this one and the series.

Today was indeed Afridi's day on the field, I enjoyed every moment of it as a Pakistani supporter. But to be honest, I am not looking forward to what happens after the last Aussie wicket falls. I reckon that under these conditions, Pakistan's extremely weak and vulnerable batting lineup will crumble against the likes of Bollinger and Johnson. I certainly hope that my fears don't come true tomorrow, but I think we will struggle to make even 200!

Great unitary display by Pakistanis. However Hussey is dealing the bowlers with the same strategy as he did in Sydney last year. Therefore rather than focusing on Dougie, elimination of Hussey should be the discussion topic at dinner table tonight.

Well done S afridi. U hve dne a very gud job as a captain.

I think 3 major Skills Sill Missing within Team and Pakistan Cricket B "PCB" I THINK - I shouldn't say Just in pakistan "PCB" These Three (3) Skills Missing in South East Asia.
1 - Lack Of Listening Skill.
2 - Lack Of Communication Skill.
3 - Lack Of Management Skill.
These Three Skills Plays Big Roll Withing any Org. PCB Should Hire Communicaton Expert for Team - Coach - and PCB Should also learn communication skills - How to convey Message -

PCB Should hire Management Expert - Who can show them real Cards -How manage Things - If they have Pakistani Coach - Tha Coach should Go Through Same Traing -

Kind Regards,
Usman M. Tambra

It was so refreshing to see a Pakistani captain who was unafraid to set attacking fields. I remember Wasim Akram doing that, Aamer Sohail was aggressive in his brief stint, so was Rashid Latif but all the others, and Younis Khan to a lesser extent, have been so negative it was always the opposition that was expected to give them wickets. He has missed a trick or two today, not bowling himself with Kaneria at the fag end of the day to get a few more overs in tonight was one mistake but otherwise, Afridi has been brave and intelligent in the field...it all made for some very interesting Test cricket. Looking forward to some more tomorrow!

Afridi is going to be the next IMRAN KHAN for Pakistan....
BEST OF LUCK

InshAllah Pakistan will not win here. I hope a minority of their supporters who are rather uncouth behave themselves and not bring more shame to our community.

Pakistan's batting will be flimsy, just wait and see.

Despite the achievements it is very difficult to predict the result but the good thing for Pakistan is that they are following the same aggression that Aussies inducted ever.Same aggression was not utilized by the Aussies in T-20 format & hence the result was not in their favor.
More interesting features with Pakistani cricketers is the combination of young players both Bat n Ball.Fielding is always weak department.They should get mentally more strong when they are getting wickets of their opponents and very much with Australians.In recent past Pakistan lost those matches that already they grabbed.Due to loosening their grip at those critical moments ,Aussies clinched the games.It is suggested to induct some strong Psychics Exercises to over come from that situations.In this particular Test they also get some relaxed and Australians have survived to face very low scoring result.Same Passion & Aggression always do required until last wicket down for a most appropriate result.

Its very good that the bowlers done their job for the the energetic and attacking captain shahid afridi.now its the responsibility of the batsmen to not ruin the efforts of the bowlers and afridi.

No person is born an expert or superstar from their mother's womb. MOYO & YK were not born superstars they also were at one point untested & untried youngsters. They became what they are after being provided the chances and opprotunties to grow, experience, learn and then slowly they began to shine.

Lets not be overly critical and lets not waste and ruin another potential and talent from Pakistan as we have done with so many others in the past ie. : Basit Ali, Mohammed Waseem, Asim Kamal, Yasir Hameed

Every joruney starts with a small step. This test is the first small step in a hopefully what will prove to be a long journey for the talented young debutants.

Give the young guns a chance. The new batsmen have immense potential lets not write them off before giving them a fair run.

Lets not forget only 6 months and 6 test matches ago the now highly accliamed Umar Akmal was just a similar young debutant. Now he is a superstar.

a very elaborative and conclusive judgment on Afridi's aggressiveness by the author. there was aggression today yes, striving to achieve excellence yes, but we should not treat Hussey as we cannot get over him.. same mistake as by Afridi's predecessor Yousif by giving Hussey easy runs and attacking the no 11.
Afridi must learn that attack and positive frame of mind brings success and we see that lacking at the end.. Early days for Afridi but waqar should have send a message as he was present in that Hussey's inning. the whole day was good except for last 15 mins.
hope so Afridi doesnot repeat that tommorow.. .

Coming to the positive part .. . the attacking frame of mind dents Aussies more then often, the more you attack the more chances you will get and we saw it today really happening .. .

HOpe so that Azhar Ali and Umer Amin play well and cement their place and they are the future of Pakistan ... and we should stick with them for the rest of English summer.. HOpe so !!!

Afridi, Waqar/Ijaz trio has introduced attacking instinct of 90's Pak cricket which Inzi had taken out of this team when he took over as a captain. Give Afridi another 6 months and he'll turn Pak cricket back to a fighting unit of 90s.

Imran Farhat, Salman Butt, Umar Amin, Azhar Ali, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi*, Kamran Akmal†, Mohammad Aamer, Umar Gul, Danish Kaneria, Mohammad
NAME 1 BATSMAN OF ALL ABOVE WHO HAS THE TECHNIQUE/LONG INNING BATTING CAPABILITIES of miandad,inzi or even MOYO,
if this team scores even 300 runs in any of the 12 innings of 6 tests in england it will be a miracle
paki players not just haf d ability they even dont haf d will to win test matches, d proof is their disastorous tour of newzealand/ozzy
all of them r stuck in a 20/20 mode of batting n the proof is recently they didnt even played all 50 overs in asia cup
in last 10 yrs they havent devoloped a single middle order batsman who has the ability to bat long innings till they reach for victory target
now since nothing can be done about the ROTFL(ROLLING ON THE FLOOR LAUGHING) selection of d 1st test, captain afridi who never has a plan B, should tell their batsman to bat like 50 overs,may b then INSHA ALLAH they can score 300

The Difference is undoubtedly The leadership, its the captaincy that has given new look to the Pakistani Team and Boys.their Body language has changed to great extent and i really wish that batting should click also to give a boast to the team motive

This is eally splendid performance from Pakistan. They should take the last wicket quickly and should not give them runs freely. Pakistani batsmen will be tested as well. It will be cloudy tomorrow and for the next two days as well. Someone will have to stay at the wicket.150 runs lead can play a key role.

Brilliant from pakistan, absolutely brilliant! TODAY! now when it comes down to our batting! two new comers, Azhar and Umar Amin, umar and kamran akmal, shahid can keep his head, salman butt can be decent on his day! But where is yasir hameed and shoaib malik?
GO PAKISTAN! AUSSIE CURREY FOR DINNER!

I want Pakistan to play, play their heart out and fight. This is the spirit of Pakistan. Afridi understands the sentiment of Pakistanis, win or loose is part of the game. He may loose, but he would have reflected Pakistan in the field. Team should play with pride, aggressiveness and humility because they represent Pakistan. I have full confidence in Umar Amin and Azhar Ali that they will come through and lift Pakistan in batting as well.

I watched it from the very first ball.Like the way afridi rolled his bowlers. Tomorrow's first hour is a crucial one.If the Pakistani batsman survived first hour than there will very interesting situation.Amir impressed a lot.We have to keep our fingers crossed and wish best of luck to Pakistani side.

be positive, keep ur nerves high and the rest should be left on God Almighty. well done pakistan

Its very good that the bowlers done their job for the the energetic and attacking captain shahid afridi.now its the responsibility of the batsmen to not ruin the efforts of the bowlers and afridi.

Imran Khan once famously said "If they play like tigers, I dont mind if they win or lose today". Under Shahid Afridi, Pakistan is giving their best. Thats important, nothing else matters.

because of Afridi's agressive captaincy pakistan have gotten a positive mind during the matches which is really good!!!!!!!!!
i hope we win the match against aussies !!! inshallah we will with afridi's captaincy !!!

I'm afraid to think how Pakistani batsmen will play Aussie bowlers in these conditions...except for Umar Akmal there is hardly a real batsman here. Chasing for flashy young wonders and ignoring experienced players (such as Yasir Hameed and Asim Kamal) is not the best way to develop cricket in Pakistan. Even Aamer and Umar Akmal need to be blooded at the domestic level, exposing them to intl cricket so soon is going to waste their talent.

One good day does not suddenly resolve Pakistan's problems. Also I think that Afridi is going to do something really really dumb really really soon. It's a shame that he was made the captain after the ball-biting incident. If PCB claims to be looking for new talent (and hence blooding Azhar Ali and Umar Amin) then they must also discard proven national disgraces like Afridi and Asif. The only good thing about this match is that Shoaib Malik is not playing.

afridi is a good captan he did some mistake when he choose the player razzaq was his need as a test batsman not as bowler againstaustrailia insha allah pakistan will win this match bt pakistan have just 1 batsman he is umar akmal

we are so happy with PAKISTAN team
b cause they are playieng in unity

Nice bowling by the Pakistanis. Wrong move to drop Yasir Hameed. Yasir should be in the test 11 starting ahead of Farhat. Anyway, Gul was the only disappointment he needs to pitch it up a lot more to be effective in test matches. Asif and Amir were terrific. Tomorrow, we need a good start from Butt, because Farhat wont last long as usual.

no need to say Pakistan might not win...If they lose then it would be as bad as last time. Even last time Pakistan was ahead in one of the tests, but they lost because of poor 4th inning display.

I am thrilled at the first day result and extremely happy for Afridi, the team and the country. However, I am not jumping to any conclusions until the pudding has been eaten to prove the point that it exists.

We have seen Indian matches and it is always a worry when the stronger team does not do well on the first. The whole match may go tailspinning with each innings shorter than the previous one and draw is not an option. I have seen several Tests when India does well on first day to end up losing (Remember Irfan Pathan's hat-trick). Best wishes to Pak team - Grab this opportunity with both hands and dont let go

Well done to Afridi and Co.Very positive approach from Captain's point of view which We have not seen in recent times in any of Afridi's predecessors.
Offense is the best defence.Bowlers so far have done their part.Now it is entirely upto the batters the way they bat.If they play sensible cricket not like T20 way,wait for the loose deliveries then there is no doubt that they can break the winning streak of Aussies.
Go Afridi Go!Wish you best of Luck in your 1st test match as a Captain.

pakistan please do not loose from here.

I am back supporting the team , it is not a matter of winning or losing but how they approach the game , all I want to do is wish them the best of luck, do the best you guys can and even if we lose the whole nation will be proud of you

Well begun,now get it done! Afridi's captaincy is a breath of fresh air.Finally, Pakistan is playing as a unit and showing its winning ways.

please guy,s support the pakitani team ,try to control your emmotion ,they just needed a leading man,and now they got that,wait and see from now on pakitani team going to make whole U turn,inshaallah

Shahid Afridi "the diamond in the rough". If you can play like champions, it does not really matter if you win or not. "Go get'em boys!!!"

Afridi will have to attack tomorrow not just Bollinger but also Hussey. He should not repeat the mistake that Yousuf made in Sydney.Our batting is very thin but if we manage to bat sensibly all be it slowly we have a chance. Massive responsibility on our batting line particulay our two debutants,our lower order will also have to contribute to compansate for the fragility in the batting line up.
Best of Luck Pakistan.

was absolutely thrilled by the bowling of Mohammad Amir .....the way he swing both the ways with remarkable control was truly outstanding to see ....i loved ponting going nuts when playing Mohammad amir ....ball hitting onto pads .....i loved the face of ponting when dismissed ....was truly frustrated....great going greens ....

Salams

I think we need to relax folks- what was the difference between today and the 1st day at Sydney??

Not a lot I would say and I remember Ian Chappel commending Yousuf for his handling of Asif on that day.

We have not really learnt anything about our team- we already knew that asif and amer are the star turns in the team. They have duly obliged and now it is all about how we bat. (Getting Mr Cricket out aside)

The real test is tomorrow

InshaAllah the boys will do well! Pakistan Zindabad

Wasalam

I still feel if he would have attacked hussey more, they would have gotten the last wicket. I don't get why afridi never bowled in the end , when clearly the umpires would have allowed the play to go on if a spinner was bowling. If afridi is a bowling allrounder than he should contribute with the ball. And why is Imran Farhat in the team , is it because his father in law is in parliament or something. He flops every time and his technique will be really tested. I think pakistan should have separate test and one day and t20 teams. the bowling is good but for batting in tests i would have
Salman butt , Younis Khan, Mohd Yousuf,Umar Akmal,Asim Kamal and no 6 will be afridi and the bowling will be same with kamran batting at 7.
if they want to take cricket seriously they should pick experience people for test and try the youth in odi and t20 and than bring them in the test side. I will be really surprised if pakistan can score over 200 tomorrow.

Whatever it may be the result, so for Afradi"s and company has already put the Aussies under pressur,enjoy it.

For me the best part of the day seeing Ponting depart and then elbowing Amir ,What a looser. Weldone Pakistan

"In the end, the result might be the same ... [...]"

Why result might be the same? Why so much pessimistic and already defeated approach? Why do not I see writer's confidence in the team?

In the end, the result might be the same...? In the end we might lose? Are we still afraid of 'oh-so-mighty-Australians'?

To begin with I can only say well Done Pakitsan Cricket team , but at the same time I ll say that its only job half done . We always make a good atart but recently we have forgotten how to make a good end. Indeed our bowling was superb today but we still had lot of room for improvement in the field. Its not only upto bowlers and batsmen to show aggression but it has to come from fielders as well . We did give away few easy singles and couple of boundaries which should have been mere twos or threes. I hope that we ll learn how to remain aggressive till the very end . It ll be very importent in the context of the game whether we finisg Aussies innings below 250 or not. As we have seen in past Mike Hussey has always troubled Pakistanis, so I guess its very importent that we bring an early end to Aussie innings. we certainly dont want a repeat of sydney test where tailenders Hussey piles on runs woth tailenders. If Pakistan team stays positive and aggressive InshAllah victory will be ours.

'not a floppy hat in sight' indeed

Afridi has always been a good captain. I have seen his leadership skills in RBT20 cup. I have been following his leadership skills (along with his foolish skills like biting ball like an apple) and he has turned out to be the man that Pakistani side needs. Pakistan needs someone aggressive. Someone to lead from front rather than herd from behind. Let's see how things turn out tomorrow.

How does wearing hats or caps reflect team unity??

Finally some1 realized that attacking approach has been the weapon for Pakistan's winning captians. Afridi took 5 slips for aussies, they must have experienced different attacking approach from Pak team compared with the 1 who visited Australia. Now lets see how batsmen take responsibility. if we getém below 250 and score over 350 then that will be good moral booster for Pak team. Good Luck.

I was fortunate enough to see the match live at Lord's today and witnessed quick witty exchanges between umar gul and the crowd as the match went on.

All in all a good day for Pakistan cricket. I know we are not at home and yes the conditions were favourable but you still need to go out there and bowl the right lines in order to be effective. Aamer and Asif were simply breathtaking at times and after a few replays it was certain that simon katich should have been given out well before he reached 80 thereby reducing, a now, decent total to a poor one. Lets hope this derailing of the aussies is carried on in this test and we can finally lay to rest the ghost of the recent past.

Agree with everything with except Afridi's tactics at the end. Like Yousuf in Sydney, Afridi is not attacking Hussey at all. If that is the case tomorrow (defensive field against Hussey, easy singles given), Pakistan may rue it yet.

Hopefully though, with a bit of sense prevailing, we will get Hussey out within the first 4 overs.

Cheers

Umair

Australia had one rare bad day in a test match . On other hand Pakistan had a good day partly due to the one off bad day Australia had and it is already being spoken of as dawn of Pakistani cricket and start of an era. Now is that hilarious or what? Friendly advise , at least let one test match get over ,if not a series ,before you guys start calling Afridi a legend because even real legends have taken a lot longer to prove themselves.

Afridi is a real cricketer. I admire his bold approach. He reminds me of our great Kapildev. He is very sportive in accepting defeate or success with equal poise.Pakastan has got a real captain after a long time.

Go Afridi Go for the Series. You are one of the best. I want you to score a century at Lords.

Ian Gould saved Australians from total humiliation. Standard of umpiring was really very low. Katich was Lbw to Aamer in the morning session and then later again to Kaneria. Replays showed it hitting the middle stump on middle hight but Ian was surely sleeping. Poor smith was another casuality to bad decision when he was given out even if he had edged it before pads. I must admire Afridi for having 6 fielders behind the stumps. It really looked good and made me remember tests in 80's. We all are worried about Pakistan batting but then there can be born a new Zahir Abbas or Majid in this Lords test. Who knows

Guys they are Austrailians.Their batting is very strong and weather condition was tottaly in the favour of bowlers.bowl was turning I hope bowl will turn tomorrow again.Will Pakistani batting could make 229 Runs?It is not easy target.Let us see tomorrow.

Why is Imran F in the team for..? i mean when will we learn.. its like playing with a please less.. God Help us all..!! ** Can some one kidnap Imran Farhat during Auss, England & World Cup..?**

O come on......Its just the first day of 5 day match. Why everyone here is so judgemental about AUS team?
Let Afridi's men come to crease and only then we would know that how difficult is to bat in Lords.

Great CaptaiN...
Afridi keep it up and Good to see players are pumped up..
Power pack performance in the first day..
Pakistan ZINDABAAD !!!

Mr. Abbasi,

You should really stop spinning Pak Spin. You always call it to early and then your comments regarding certain players are so unreliable that you might as well be a Pakistani Selector.

Pakistan's heroics on this first doesn't prove a thing. For all we know we were in a better situation on the first day of Sydney tests. I can see Ricky Ponting saying to his boys, "Come on Boys don't worry, we been in this situation before, they'll gift it to us". Wait till both teams have batted on this pitch to actually claim that there is a new Pakistan.

Secondly, earlier you had claimed that Fawad Alam is unreliable in T20s. Although even with the injustices that has been done to the kid, his record speaks otherwise. Now you are claiming that Danish Kaneria and Umar Gul are unreliable test cricketers. Yet Danish Kaneria has been the best Pakistani test bowler for the last 5 years, you can check the record books. Umar Gul's form has been off sorts only in the last couple of series.

Pakistan had a very good first day and all the bowlers bowled well who were ably supported by the fielders. The catch by Umar Amin to get rid of Ponting was excellent. Afridi captained the side mostly with skill and there is no point comparing him with Mohammed Yusuf who whilst a world class batsman is not leader material and lacks cricket brain. I have been supporter of Pakistan cricket team since 1967 and I would say he is one of the two worst captains in that time, the other being Wasim Bari. On the second day Team Pakistan need to get rid of last wicket ASAP and thereafter it is over to the batsmen who if we are to win need to bat with passion, patient and build partnerships.

A really good performance from Pakistani bowlers but if I were allowed to make one change, I'd get rid of Danish Kaneria in place of Saeed Ajmal. Taking wickets of tail-enders isn't a big achievement. To be honest, I've never really understood why he's seen as our best spinner in the test arena. He gives too many runs for the two or three wickets he takes of the tail-enders. Kaneria can't bat, at least with Saeed Ajmal we can have some sort of a partnership for the 10th wicket. I also thought Afridi brought him a little early and could've waited a bit longer because the seamers were still in charge when he made the change.

I just want to thank our Indians Neighbours for showing your support. Its great to see it. I would also like to point out that its early days, it was a good performance but as we all know test cricket is played over five days and not one and anything can happen!!! Noentheless i would like to see Pakistan do well. Good Luck!!!

thanks Mr Abbassi now next step to concentrate on opening i have full confidence on salman butt and imran farhat i can tell you that they are like saeed anwar and amir sohail,middle may have to prove after yousaf who is all time my favorite may be cricket nation and test player we will miss him but our bowlers are the best may need one pacerlike s akhtar i will be inlord tomorrow if weather allow

Too early to comment.

well done afridi and his team. who cares about wining or losing. What i am happy about it aus will not have easy game.Aus batsman will have hard time because we got bowlers who ball 90+ ha ha. I know we got new team.I got my faith on Umar Akmal, Salman,Kamran,Afridi,Imran Farhat.I think Umar Amin look solid. GOOD LUCK PAKISTAN>>>>>> PAKISTAN ZINDABAD

well done afridi and his team. who cares about wining or losing. What i am happy about it aus will not have easy game.Aus batsman will have hard time because we got bowlers who ball 90+ ha ha. I know we got new team.I got my faith on Umar Akmal, Salman,Kamran,Afridi,Imran Farhat.I think Umar Amin look solid. GOOD LUCK PAKISTAN>>>>>> PAKISTAN ZINDABAD

Well played.. Tomorrow is a new day

Playing test match after 4 years interval is very difficult for every cricketer.In the 1 day of first test he shows that what kind of captain he is.He should also concentrate on his bowling. So good luck afridi boom boom.

"For a start, the Pakistan players all strode out proudly in green caps, not a floppy hat in sight."

Granted, they are green caps. But there's about four different shades of green. Some are baseball caps, some are baggy. They look terrible.

Australia has many a time snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Hope it does not happen again. Consistancy stemming from maturity is the key to sustained victories in all sports . it applies to team sport like cricket also . Pakistan cricket team needs a test victory. Hope this is it.

Dont get ahead of yourselves Pakistani fans...

Afridi hasnt done anything yet.
They bowled on a day when things were very favourable to their swing bowlers.

The test isnt over yet...theres 4 more days!

Nas

This was a copybook day for Pakistan, they made excellent use of the conditions and bowled superbly. While the bowlers took most of the wickets on their own, there was also one outstanding catch by the debutant, Umar Amin. Afridi's captaincy was aggressive and hands-on. As an Indian supporter, I wish Pakistan well, they are far more naturally talented than the Indians,and now the talent is being translated to results. As far as the Indians go, all one can say is that their captain, Dhoni, has astutely feathered his nest by signing a big contract for himself before the fortunes of the team nosedive, as they surely will in Sri Lanka and elsewhere.

Fantastic work by Pakistanis today; Let'S hope Hussey does not hang around for much longer! We'll need one big hundred and three fifties from Pakistani batters.

i cant say if pakistan will win this test or this series but i can certainly say that every match pakistan played down under they had the oppertunity to win but threw it away, Due to infighting.Any way Australia are not invincible now a days so be positive and supprt the boys .

Here is my 2 cents and listen VERY CAREFULLY.The 2nd day is going to start much much earlier than the 1st day.If iwas afridi I would set an extremely defensive field and hardly let them score runs;try to use alot of time so as to let the morning moisture fizzle out.There is a saying in our language THAT NANI JEE(GRANDMOTHER)does not give GUR(BROWN SUGAR) everyday.Huseey is not going to score acentury everytime in similar circumstances.THE reason for this delay will be very beneficial for our batsmen,because I dont think they will be able to cope with the early morning moisture and dew factor which will be very advtageous for the Ausiie fast bowling attack.I do think Afridi did have that in the back of his head.If we let the aussie bat for 30 minutes and dont let them score many runs it would suit us more if we get them out rightaway and expose our batsmen inthe early morning hours....response from anyone .....or am I talking like a fool.

Here is my 2 cents and listen VERY CAREFULLY.The 2nd day is going to start much much earlier than the 1st day.If iwas afridi I would set an extremely defensive field and hardly let them score runs;try to use alot of time so as to let the morning moisture fizzle out.There is a saying in our language THAT NANI JEE(GRANDMOTHER)does not give GUR(BROWN SUGAR) everyday.Huseey is not going to score acentury everytime in similar circumstances.THE reason for this delay will be very beneficial for our batsmen,because I dont think they will be able to cope with the early morning moisture and dew factor which will be very advtageous for the Ausiie fast bowling attack.I do think Afridi did have that in the back of his head.If we let the aussie bat for 30 minutes and dont let them score many runs it would suit us more if we get them out rightaway and expose our batsmen inthe early morning hours....response from anyone .....or am I talking like a fool.

i cant say if pakistan will win this test or this series but i can certainly say that every match pakistan played down under they had the oppertunity to win but threw it away, Due to infighting.Any way Australia are not invincible now a days so be positive and supprt the boys .

Pakistan's bowling and Aussies' batting are their stronger suits. Pakistan has won this battle. The weaker suits of both the teams will be facing each other tomorrow...let's see who takes that round. However, with the sunless forecast, Aussies must be the favorites to take day 2. Absorbing cricket, nonetheless.

SAHIBZADA SAHIB GAVE A MESSAGE TO THE AUSTRALIANS RIGHT FROM THE FIRST BALL THAT WE MEAN BUSINESS,BY SETTING UP THE FIELDING.BRAVO. WOW, WE WOULD NOT BE PUSHED AROUND.FIRST DAY BELONGED TO PAKISTAN.A GOOD DISPLAY OF BATTING FROM A PAKISTANI I HOPE WOULD MAKE US REMIND ZAHEER OF 1972.LET US SEE WHAT KIND OF SWING AUSTRALIANS PRODUCE ON THE SECOND DAY AND HOW WELL WE CAN HANDLE IT. I AM VERY MUCH OPTIMISTIC.

Afridi has shown great captaincy 'so far' and the bowling unit looks good, however the real test will be when pakistan come to bat? Will there new batting debutants perform? Will afridi change is batting approach? We will onli have to wait and see... In my opinion pakistan has taken a massive risk by having two new inexperienced batsmen in the side, azhar ali or umar amin 1 batsmen should have been selected and 1 experience batsman like shoaib malik should of been in the side just in case the debutant could not perform under the big stage? However we will have to wait and see and hope that pakistans batsman perform to the same standards has the bowlers

Shahid, you are simply one-eyed. Saying the umpires saved Australia is ridiculous. Both Clarke and Smith were given out when they were not out. In the former case, it was the last ball before tea, which changed the entire game. Rather than bemoaning fate, why not thank Allah Pak. won the toss in extremely difficult batting conditions? If Pak. had batted first on this wicket, it is not difficult to think that they could have gotten an extremely low score, given their batting weakness and inexperience. Unless Australia bowl badly, Pak. batsmen will most likely struggle here. Get a bit of perspective.

Whatever happens tommorrow or whatever the outcome of this test, we can say: the first days play belonged to Pakistan. The Aussies can come back as they have done many times & exploit this young untested batting line of Pakistan. Mike Hussey with his last
tailender could still score runs & put Pak on the back foot. Cricket is a game of golorious uncertainties. This same uncertainty could apply to our two debutantes & we may witness two test centuries on debut.

Well played team Pakistan.

And one more thing... Difficult batting conditions also means difficult umpiring conditions. Umpires are right to be cautious about LBW decisions in such conditions, where the ball is darting all over the place. Finally, what comes around goes around. Things even themselves out in the long run. Australia has actually had a long run with crucial decisions going against them. Sooner or later, it will swing back the other way. I'm looking forward to it. ;-)

Aussies may say anything in post interviews, about their approach going forward but they know they are scared. Hussey is not going to come out and attack tomorrow. He will cow down and he will buckle down and he will try to find sheltor in crease's womb. This is where Waqar's expertise can be handy. Pak bowlers need to throw everything at this last pair and be wicked, then bat on.

I agree Afridi is the sort of captain Pakistan needs. But, still he employed the same tactics MoYo did when he pushed all the fielders on the boundary. Pakistan needs to get Hussey's wicket so we can be released of this mental stranglehold he has on us. P.S I hate people on this post talking BS abt Danish Kaneria-- he is the second highest wicket taker in this season for us plus he has a strk rate of 65.7...so does it matter if he gets hit for boundaries once in a while? as long as he gets wickets, who cares? Ppl who hate on him just should really say that they are bigoted towards him and that's all because pound for pound he is probably the best leggie in the world...(not many leggies in the world as well so why not:P)

Agreed 100% - Pakistan has found the leader!!!

good performance by bowlers and now it is time for batters

Well done pakistan, but i m wondering y they didnt give the chance to Yaseer hameed instead of farhat. yasir played well in practice match and he got the capibility of playing big innings. I see a positive point which missed others for playing two debutant is the hidden weakness and strenght of amin and azhar as ausses never know they wouldnt have much plan for them except playing with their nerves and keeping the things simple, which they might do with shoiab malik. So if they have potential which they have, then they only have to keep their nerves cool n jast play their nature game. Interesting to see how afridi will bat if he can score 50 to 60 his confidence would touch the sky which can be more dangerous to aussies

Good day for the Pakistanis but the pace of the bowlers was not impressive and not match winning in my opinion. I was surprised to see that Asif has lost considerable amount of pace of hos bowling, though his line and length was impeccable. But that pace is not enough to bowl Australia out twice cheaply.

WELL 2 BE QUITE HONEST HERE I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST AFRIDI AND HE SHOULD BE GIVEN A YEAR OR 2 TO DEVELOP HIM SELF AS A CAPTAIN BUT IT WASNT AFRIDI CAPTAINCY WHO LED TO THE AUSSIES DEBACLE IT WAS MORE OF THE OVERHEAD CONDITIONS AND THE GENUINE SWING BOWLERS WHICH PAKISTAN HAVE LUCKILY IN ABUNDANCE . PLUS AFIRDI MISSED A TRICK BY BALLING HIM SELF AND DANISH KANERIA AT THE END OF DA PLAY BUT ALL AND ALL HE IS NOT YET COMPLETELY A SMART CAPTAIN BUT INSHALLAH HE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE DA BEST .. INSHALLAH PAKISTAN WILL ROAR ONCE AGAIN

@ all of those who are criticizing for appreciating afridi too early.. if Pakistan hadnt bowled as well today and afridi's tactics hadn't paid would you guys have waited till the last day of this test match( or the next) to start rushing to conclusions about inability as a captain. good days in Pakistan cricket are few and far between so learn to enjoy them and let others enjoy them too ..

Salaam !!
I am from India, but I always support Pakistan when they play against ENG,AUS,NZ,WI,SL, but not against India :-). However, I always wanted Shahid Afridi to become Pakistan captain and was depressed when others were appointed captain before Afridi. Even Afridi himself was, he said a few days back. Again when Afridi departed from Test cricket, I felt Pak lost an attacking batsman.

This test series is surely going to swing Pakistan's way because of the talent and aggressiveness of new blood, led by a determined captain, who plays for the country and team, not for personal scores and since they lost to Australia in T20, which was Pakistan's cup. Sadly, no Shoaib Akhtar in this line-up, but, Insha-Allah, he will be soon in Pak Test Squad.

In India, we say, "Himmat-e-Marda, toh , Madad-e-Khuda", Pakistan showed this on the 1st day. If they beat AUS in 1st test, it will be like 3 punches in a row. A fourth would shatter Australia totally, after their T20WC/ODI loss to ENG.

Lets be very clear here. On a green top pitch and over-cast condition Pakistani bowler performance as expected very well. Australia's innings did not end, however, on Day#1, and they continue with Michael Hussey, their greatest tormenter recent times, still batting. Pakistan is not expected to score more then 250 runs, infact with the weather forecast for London being cloudy throught Day#2 (and especially through mid-afternoon), expect the Pakistan batsmen to be a bit humbled. if we can have two batsmen score some runs then we can take Australia for a good ride. Until the Pakistan batsmen can prove they can score there is no celeberation. We must not forget Sydney where we got the Aussies out, and then the Pakistan batsmen started a procession back to the pavilion. So, let the drama continue.

229 runs too many... Australia should have been dismissed within 200, considering the brittle pakistani batting line up.

I very much appreciate this article, i saw some indian brothers showing their brotherhood to pakistanis and supporting them. Mr Sukhpreet says we are brothers of same mothers.. I like this whether we win this match or not, but our heart wins in this article. Insha allah we will win this match.
From Sukhpreet 'i am from INDIA i want to say this is the team which i am fan off. playing in unity,power. All sporting each other. now this is time of revenge from kangaroo's spark on it is your day PAKISTAN GO ON.ROCK THE WORLD INDIA IS WITH YOU. BOOM BOOM. THE BOWLING WAS MUCH BETTER. NOW IT IS TO FINISH KANGAROO'S FULL SHOW THEM OUR POWER. USE AS MUCH SPINER'S AS YOU CAN.IN BATTING PLAY HUGE INING UPTO 1.5 DAYS SCORE MORE THAN 550 LET THEM THINK TO DRAW IT BY PLAYING 2 DAYS NOT TO WIN AND THEN GET THEM OUT IN PRESURE love u all PAKISTANI'S from INDIAN'S . WE ARE BORN SAME MOTHER.SO WE ARE BROTHERS '

I am frm india, and a huge supporter of Pakistan cricket ourely because of the talent they posses in them, comin frm no where to a winngin positon is wat makes me wanna wat em more n more. Considering this test match PAK has got a gr8 chance to win it, only if they keep on attacking, n it is very imprtant that they get the 10th wicket as quick as possible tommorow!!!
GO PAKISTAN
ALL THE BEST FRM INDIA
Rehan Khan

boom boom afridi.afridi is best player in world of cricket.

Start of the ATTITUDE ERA for Pakistan!!!!!

of course Abbasi Sahib it was a good day for the Afridi, but im still concerned from Umpires the way the took decisions in the first 15 overs, when Katch was Plumb LBW but was not given out, but still Pakistan managed a good fight back. now the duty of the Batsmen starts here, how they will respond tho the mighty Aussies attack, the pitch is a fine if te sun comes out then diffenetly batsman will enjoy. the openers should avoid the offstump balls and not given the Australlians catching practice in the slips. Good luck

A very good take off for Afridi's leadership. Wish him good luck for the whole series.

Too many accolades and too soon. Please wait five days before showering endless praise.

Nice day’s work, nevertheless.

Umair

going through most of the comments, I am quite assured that majority of our nation just likes to live in the present. And let me assure you the same names would be firing out at this same outfit if their batsmen failed to cross 200.
What happened on the field yesterday was a no surprise and was very much expected. With the bowling line up and english conditions, even Howard would have been able to predict the outcome. Infact Aussies did a pretty good job by reaching 229 and may be another 30 odd runs will be satisfying. The real test begins today. Lets see how this line up fairs with the bat. I am really excited to see the two debutants in this build up. Hope they can sustain the pressure of being associated with the Paki team:) as it in self is a huge pressure cooker. I am not expecting much from the likes of Farhat or Afridi. But Kamran has to show maturity as there is not doubt on his talent. So both Akmals with Butt and one of the new guys if fired, Pak can win from here on.

Afridi has a aggressive member with him, first day of play favoured Pakistan, if pakistan bat well in both innings they have chance to defeat Australia.
All the best Afridi.Kill Australia

well done by PAK bowlers , but its a test match and four days to go ,hope batsman will justify his leadership as pitch concern if the weather would be cloudy SURE it gonna help for bowlers so now it depends upon batsman now to prove their talent and GOT THAT FAVOURABLE RESULT and that would be 1-0 lead to pak .

well done by PAK bowlers , but its a test match and four days to go ,hope batsman will justify his leadership as pitch concern if the weather would be cloudy SURE it gonna help for bowlers so now it depends upon batsman now to prove their talent and GOT THAT FAVOURABLE RESULT and that would be 1-0 lead to pak .

Congrates to Paki team not getting through the Kangroos Batting line but for showing the real fight and team work. There have been questions that why Pakistan is not playing with experiance. Let me ask that Pakistan has been loosing in last 15 years where they have team full of experiance. They were missing the talent and team effort which is now with Pak team.
Malik was kept out of Pak team because who could not perform well in warmup games where our debutants have been doing gud in England with scoring half centuries and showing good defensive skills.
I think Imran Farhat is only the questin mark in team where Yashir Hameed could be given chance but may be Pakistany selectors have faith on his defensive skills where he go to block all balss and on other side butt can score. I hope Pakistan get gud result now out of this match. Best of luck Paksitan team.

of course i was reading all the respectable person who have comments on the ist day of test,really that is too much supporting and encourging attitude for the pakistan team.i m always found of shahid afridi,specially when he is on the creaze but yesterday when he was in field he shows his positive and attacking attitude to the opposition that he and his fresh weapon might be creat problems for the oppositions and that was absolutely proved by the bowlers,muhammad aamer and muhammad asif at that time both are looking like a giants,
well done pakistan
well done shahid
keep it up
insha allah God will help us

I wonder why is such a fuss being made about just first day performance. It were the bowling friendly conditions which are to stay for the rest of the match, as per weather report suggests. Wait till Pakistan bats. Keeping in view the batting line, if Ponting declares overnight, the present score would be enough to force an innings defeat.

I belief that Pakistan can turn the tables to their side, I wish that our youngsters will perform well.
Goodluck Pakistan....Well played.. Insha Allah you will win...
I like the spirit that was shown by my Indian brothers, as I have gone through all the comments from top to bottom and I really appreciate that... I wish this type of unity and brotherhood would last forever.

Hats off to afridi's captaincy...he was certainly attacking all the time and dis sort of field placement was missing in australia....just check outt the fielding too they showed some great signs in the field too...Lets hope our atting diss time plays well

Hats off to afridi's captaincy...he was certainly attacking all the time and dis sort of field placement was missing in australia....just check outt the fielding too they showed some great signs in the field too...Lets hope our atting diss time plays well

It was good to see Shoib Malik out of the team as honestly speaking he does not have a place in the test team. It is woth it to gamble with new comers as long as their technique is correct rather a man who cannot get a place in any other team for his talents.He is just fit for one day/20-20 format .

Afridi:

You did a very good job throught the day...but don't go over confidence you need to learn this game very closely. Who love Cricket love Test. You need to be very cautious don't bother by these word of praise...ask your team member to bat seriously and don't go for match practice. You should have played Yasir instead of Farhat....prepare Shoaib Akhtar for the test....The game is not over yet...we want to see a sensible century from your bat too....we support you...go brother go and break this so long winning streak...since 1995....love you!!!

Come on Afridi and co. Bust the aussies. Nothing is as sweet as getting someone eat one's words. I want Afridi to hit a century whenever he comes to bat and then want to see Ponting's face at the same time! Typical of him to try mind games like sort the captain and sort the team! Gud Luck frm India. I wish to add I was desperate to see Pak beat Aus in Sydney but.. I just hope Afridi doesnt try the tactics Yusuf used in kinda same situation and allowed Hussey to run away with the game.

Pak Team need not to be worry for Aussy attack, there is only one bowler who can show some fire is mitchell johnson, play him with more sensibility, thts't it. you can win this match.There are some good batsmen in Pakistan team like umar Akmal, Amin(Debut player) and Butt who can play this attack without any fear. Go pak go.
we all indian cricket fans r watching this test match and expecting some good batting from pak players,The whole world know that pak has world class bowlers but now time has come to show ur batting skills.
cricket is only one bridge which can reduce the distance between the two countries.
BEST OF LUCK PAKISTAN..............................WE LOVE YOU.........

It was Pakistan's day under aggressive leadrship of Afridi. Now batting strength of Pakistani's will be on test today when they face more accurate pacers from Kangaroo's land. Pakistan will have upper hand in the match if its batsmen can take a lead of 100+ runs in first innings, which is not easy as austrailian are better fielders on boundries. However, the attitude of team looks better and body language is aggressive. The selectors should keep the same team and should not bring in old horses again (Yusuf, Yunus and Akhtar)to spoil the present winning combination.

Well Cricinfo, I call Afridi (Mr. Right for Pakistan Cricket) ... He is the right choice, right agression, right decision, right atitude , everything is right about Our Afridi :)

@ Shahid Afridi :
He looks like a captain who want to bowl the opposition out cheaply, the 5 Slips were looking awesome for Pakistani Fast Bowlers,,, it remind the days of 2 W's , Aamir and Asif were bowling very well infact all the bowlers have done their best in restricting Aussies..
As far as batting is concerned, Pakis will give their best as they gave in bowling, the debutant Azhar Ali will bat well InshaAllah as he shown in the practice match...
above all it was a good team effort that restrict Australia to a small total other wise people were thinking about a mountain score of 400+ from the australia...
Best of Good Luck to Pakistan and InshaAllah we will win this .....

In your "No limit on spirit" I hoped for and predicted a resurgent Pakistan. The bowlers proved me right. Now the batsmen will produce Pakistan's own Sachin. Good luck Afridi! Give it to THEM!

Well considering the difficult batting conditions, i think, we are gonna miss Shoib Malik,a very strong minded batsman. Any ways as we all know a confident Pakistani side is always dangerous, so with high moral they will bat well INSHAALLAH.
Best of luck....

Pakistan has so far put up an acceptable level of performance. Clarke and Katich pair gave them tough time still they managed to restrict aussies. The flat track is friendly for batting and i am sure we have a couple of debutants with good technique. If Pakistan manages to bundle out aussies under 250 and secure themselves with 50 runs lead then v have a perfect chance to secure a much awaited win against this mighty team. Pakistan is performing well under Afridi and best thing to watch is that they came back strongly after a big partnership from aussies, this spirit of recovery is seen after so many years.My money is on Pakistan as i can feel australians under pressure for the first time. They will fight but they know Pakistan has nothing to lose as Afridi has already given a reasonable statement that he is expecting only a fight from his team irrespective of any result. But at the same time Ricky Ponting will be very disappointed if australia loses.

I really appreciate for Indain support love u Alll!!!!
Good Luck for team Pakistan and for Umar Akmal

I really appreciate for Indain support love u Alll!!!!
Good Luck for team Pakistan and for Umar Akmal

Pakistan have a golden opportunity if they build an innings.They had such opportunities in Australia but the carefree approach specially by Umar Akmal who always weathered the initial storm cost them dearly.The top order needs to set the tone by being patient the Australian bowling will not be lethal under the current conditions and lacks depth.A 400 plus score will put enromous pressure on Australia to save the Test.

Look guys our was good in Australia we lost becasue of Batsman. We need somebody who stay at wicket not try to make run quickly we have example like Katich. I don't know why Imran Farhat is in team and Yasir Hameed is 12th Man. He has a great Pawwa.

First of all hatts off to Australia and salutions with great respect.

Affridi used proper strategy and played with attacking frame of mind. He marshaled his troops very well. Hope so keeps up with this fine performance and converts it into consistancy.

Our bowlers did wondeful job. Taking 9 australian wickets. They bowled with passion and intensity. It is better to keep up with this effort in this test and coming test as well.

Affridi has really given new spirit and new life to Pakistan cricket team. This what we needed the most. Attacking approach of Affridi will prove benificial for Pakistan.

yes last day was afridi's day and he proved he is different from others and only play fro his country too :)
All frndz said the same thing but in different way but remember this is paki team(Talented) and australia(Professionals) is on other hand, so we have no chance for mistake, we have to put ourselves above australia and outclass the professionals with talent :)
but the most important thing we r missing in our team is left handed classi player at middle order position :(
all best teams in the world have a left handed batsmen in the middle order position see india(Suresh Raina), Australia(Hussy), Srilanka(Sangakara), England(Morgan), SA(Ashley Prince) but now pakistani filling this gap with Umer Amin but he is young player needs so much struggle to compete the world :)
hope for the best :)
Pakistan Zindabad :)

Great bowling by asif

Salam to all

i read all the comments and i need to say just one thing that SALMAN, IMRAN FARHAT, UMER AKMAL needs to play the long inning the pitch is not like heaven for the batsman. Australia has good pace bowlers so the match is still fifty fifty it depends on the batsman. bowlers already proof still needs something from the batsman side.

well many OZ supporters criticize that pakistan is given advantage by clarke and smith's wrong decisions! very strange!!!! let me answer those OZ supporters. first Ian Gould is not from Lahore or from Karachi, second he is not asian but white man like OZ [so excluding racism], third can any OZ supporter justify KATICH lbw appeal by amir, who was 101% plumbed and he was playing on 2 runs [he made 80], 78 runs were added by Katich after that lucky decision by same Ian Gould. the debutant smith was looking nervous against top class Pak Bowlers, even if he had not given out pak bowlers would have knocked him out sooner or later. but those Katich 78 runs are vital, specially these runs play a huge role in total score 229!

Slam to all
like younus khan says if pakistan score 350 in each innings they will win the test matches. i agreed with younus khan 700 hundered is a big total in a test match.ALTHOUGH WELL PLAYED TEAM PAKISTAN

GUL MUHAMMAD KHAN

gud to see pakistan kicking aussies. afridi has always been a favorit of many around the world and a lot of indians like him. moreso on a stage like this when proud aussies are the other side. pakistan team needs some revamping and Afridi with waqar can do it.
cheers guys.
Asian teams will rule cricket

I am from India. We can't say anything on the first day that Pakistan will win the match or Oz will bounce back. Oz won the match against Sri Lanka in Srilanka with the deficit of 291 runs in the first innings. Pakistan also won two test matches against India after 6 wickets down for below 50 runs. Like T20 and ODI anything can happen in test matches too. In this match, the bowlers performed well. It is up to the batsmen to show some good performance especially the openers. But one thing is clear. When Pakistan plays against an European Country we support Pakistan as we are your brothers. All kinds of sports are being dominated by European Countries. We should try to eliminate them in all format of sports.

Same bowlers, same opposition - but different captain....
why did u forget to mention Same Wicket keeper

i was in the Sydney cricket ground, which produced the same 1st day result,(in fact much better than Lord) for Pakistan.....but what happened in the end, i think i do not have to remind anyone.
my throat gets soar by supporting the Pakis in match live, but after 3 days........ all goes into rubbish.Just pray that Pakistan win/draw the match.

Me thinks the Pakistan team has been advised over the past few years (possibly by Geoff Lawson) thatbthey should play the Australian team at their own game - arrogant, superiority complex, niggling etc. They are still amateurs at it but improving. Next thing will be the racist card.

Its true that the bowlers have done their work (well almost!!! its important to wrap up the aussie innings quickly). But the thing is, there wasn't any doubt over the bowling abilities of this side (as accepted by the press as well as various aussie players in their interviews). The only problem is with the batting, which to be honest, is not the greatest in the world. They will surely struggle against a formiddible aussie bowling attack.

It was a great first day, no doubt, but there is no cause for celebration until we've had a great first test. Four more days to go, we need to remove the last wicket as cheaply as possible, post a significant first innings lead (at least 150 runs), follow that up with another great bowling and fielding performance, not implode in the fourth innings, score the winning run and then there is cause for celebration which too would lose its sweetness if we let the aussies dismantle us in the second test.

Having said that, really good work from the bowlers and captain. It was refreshing to see an attacking Pakistani side not afraid of the mighty australians.

Everyone is referring about Sydney. Oz too has lost one match in a similar manner in Kolkata in 2001 after gaining upper hand. Sydney was the one test Pak lost after taking commandable position. That is history. It will not be repeated again. The present team is highly energetic. It is time for Pakistan to give back what they received last season

It was great fighting cricket from Afridi.
The Ozees were caught with their tail between their legs.
Victory or defeat becomes secondary when you play like this.

Good Luck Afridi, I support management and idea of appointing Afridi as Captain. U did not achieve any thing when u had Yousoff, Younus and Shoaib. U will not do any worst than last Aust Tour. Pakistan has every thing to gain and nothing to loose from this young team.

Loose and win is part of game, but how u play that is important. Good Luck Afridi.

Asif owned the Aussies.

The body language was great yesterday and hopefully that will continue for the complete tour. In my view the experienced players had the loses in back of their mind and a negative mentality was present even before the start of the match but the new talent doesnot have that mentality and this will help Pakistan. Regarding the batting, the bounce of the australian pitches has always caused problems for pakistani batsmen but england conditions are different. The swing is the important factor but in these conditions, once the batsmen is set and got his eye in than its relatively easy to negotiate the bowling at its merit. However, its still to be seen that how well the austrlaians use the current conditions and what pakistani batsmen has to offer. Azhar Ali and Umar Amin have a lot to prove and I think Umar Akmal will have Lord's honour board in his mind. Hope for the best and Pray for Pakistan. Cheers

Although afridi captained well but i think he became negative when hussey was batting with tail. There was no attempt to dismiss hussey at all on a green patch, which increased his confidence. Afridi was not bringing all fielders up even towards end of over, showing his negative side like his previous captains- yosuf and malik. He better learn killer instinct from australians and continue attacking. Who knows how many runs via last wicket accumulates. With such fragile batting on this pitch any score may be enough for them

Afridi responded to the situation very well. Let,s hope he gets support from the batsmen. Its a matter of confidence,capt gives to his players. But Afridi should do something of Hussey. This player is haunting us. His contribution at the end of the inning is very vital, as is Ponting at the top. Get them early else you will have to suffer. I remember the Bangalore win. Someone asked Imran about his strategy. He said that he wanted the wicket of Gavasker very early if Pak had to win. Although Pak didn,t get Gavasker early because he contributed 90 odd runs but rest of the players had negligible contribution. There were big names like Srikanth,Azhar,vengsarkar apart from Kapil & Shastri. But I think Imran knew that If Gavasker bats for 2 days even,India wouldnot have won. It was the other batsmen who mattered. Imran probably did not name them deliberately & Pak won. We need a shrewd & aggressive leader to win matches. Let hope Afridi fills the vaccum.

Well done Team Pakistan & keep it up boys! First day except the partnership between Katich & Clarke belongs to Pakistani team. Every one knows that Rickt Ponting is a great player. Yesterday he achieved another land mark - all time 2nd highest test runs scorer. But yesterday his elbow action & later murmur classify him "A GREAT PLAYER WITH LOW SPORTSMANSHIP". I have observed over the years that aussies has now emerged as a great team of indecent sport persons. It is obvious when they are down & the opposing team is performing well. Please tell me if I am wrong.

once again farhat fails while his father-in-law is on the phone as we speak making sure this talentless clueless opener gets yet another free game, free ride and free lunch !
from mohsin and mudassar and sadiq and majid to farhat ? it doesnt get more different - or worse !
why o why does this boy get chance after chance - he even failed in the side matches for gods sake and they still gave him a crack ! he is a walking talking example of its not what you know its who you know - although farhat is walking more then talking most times....back to the pavillion !

IS IT A FASHION OF THE SEASON to prais Afridi for everything. He has it all wrong while selecting the playing 11. Having FARHAT in the team is like playing with 10 players. He won't score more than 10 combined in both innings. YASER HAMID should have played at no. 3 and Azhar Ali should have opend with Butt. VERY BAD CHOICES. Its trying to be showy in taking bold decisions which I,ll call foolish and will cost the match.

OUR BATSMEN NEED TO LEARN SOME BASIC TECHNIQUES. LOOK AT AZHAR ALI PLAYING SO MUCH AWAY FROM HIS BODY AND CONSEQUENTLY LOSING HIS WICKET. FEETS JUST DON'T MOVE

Hello Pakistani team management, may we please know why Yasir Hameed was not in the playing 11 in this test? Was it because of his unbeaten 58 in practice match a few days ago? Or may be because of his dismal record against the aussies as he scored two fifties in the last test that he played against them.

Pakistan either stop playing test cricket or should play only with minows Bangladesh, Zimbabwe etc. They are not at all merit on test cricket level. ICC should ban pakis playing test cricket, should be allowed only in T20 and ODIS.

so its again beda gark..poor paki fans..i m so sorry..so do yu really want a captain like afridi who bats forgetting this is not a T20..i m sure its defeat no..hmm countless against oz..

See for your self how a bad selection decision nullifies bowlers efforts. Younis and Yousef were needed badly today. Foolish decision of playing Azhar and Umar Amin back fired as expected. Afridi should learn to play rolling shots and leaving the balls he should. He may have scored 31 in a low scoring match but you can never expect him to deliver more than that.

Mohammad Asad from USA.....

Good captaincy !!!
Pak may lose this match due to batting inconsistency !!!
Need some confidence for young blood..from batting point of view..
Anyway very good approach so far by captain !!!

When the result of the 1st test will show," Australia won by 145 runs". where will all these commentators of Pakistan's talent and Afridi the great captain ( Like Imran Khan) will go? See the condition of boom boom, scored 31 quick runs and went to pavilian. See the great (Like Lara/Sachin) Umar Akmal's score, you will find what Australia's bowling mean. Now you will see ausis batsmen in the 2nd Innings with 300 runs, and then will see Pak 2nd Innings bundled out for 200 runs or lower.

I hope then Kamran Abbasi writes another blog with Headline," Bring back the two Y's to fight Ausis". I know that will not happen, because Pakistan's selectors and audience can not tolerate superior qualities. Little tough, but that is the fact.

Pakistan team will always be picked based on domicile and who you know, not based on talent and your first class record.

@dmqi You are probably right in your analysis. We pakistanis tend to celebrate too soon. And Mr. Abbassi is no exception. Barely one day of the test match had finished when he started praising Afridi's captaincy. I am sure he must be regretting his decision to praise Afridi's captaincy after watching his irresponsible captain's innings.

Assalamulaikum Kamran vhai, Really fun facts for the miserable Pak selectors who again had proved themselves as an illiterate, poor conception to elect the vital players for this crucial test series against aussie. Umar Amin, Azhar Ali--- who are actually they? Relatives of any Pak selectors!! Saied Ajmal should have been included over immatured Danish who [ Kaneria] actually bowls well only on real spin track. Yasir Hamid, Shoaib Malik & Abdul Razzaq --- these three guys have been avoided by those foolish selectors. It is the hardest true to say that Pakistan cricket is totally progressing in severe dangerous future. Only the legendary Imran Khan could handle and control over the full team management as a permanent official coach/trainer to resolve the certain errors of current Pakistan cricket team.

Shabaaash, Imran Farhat...keep the good work up. I am sure u are a better player than Faisal Iqbal, thats what your father-in-law told Miandad when they had this heated discussion. And yes.. don't worry about what people say, they tend to get tired and accept when u persist and then now they have got enough stuff in Azhar and Amin to talk about. feel safe until the next general election and yes I do remember my part of the deal to make you the next captain when Afridi is undressed enough at the end of this tour.

salaam pakistan needs new presdent new manager new coach new whole pcb panel they need the real old guns no.1 IMRAN KHAN no.2 JAVED MIADAD no.3 WASIM AKRAM PEOPLE WHO PLAYED THIER GUTS OUT FOR THIER COUNTRY & HONOUR

Honors for the 2nd day belong to the Aussies. They are a complete package. Their debutantes played good cricket. The wicket keeper showed class. Even if Pak bowlers can by a miracle get the Aussies all out for 150. Pak batting can't chase 200+. Azhar Ali & Umar Amin were not ready to play at one & two down postion. Umar Akmal & Kamran, like their skipper look good only for limited over formats. The frailitiy of batting has proved that the quality of domestic cricket in Pakistan is not up to international standards. Azhar & Umar scored big runs in the domestic cricket, & were in panic mode against the best bowlers in the business. It will be a long summer for Pakistan, unless the kids mature quickly & show they can bat. At test level it was a mistake to play two debutantes & drop Shoaib Malik. Afridi's quick fire 31 smelled of T20. The skipper forgot, he was playing a vital test match and needed to stay on the crease & provide useful support to Salman Butt.

I will still acknowledge the captaincy of Afridi. He may not have the test average of above 50 but certainly has the mind to lead in test cricket simply because he is an attacking figure. I also support the way he batted today..i mean look at the batting card and take out those 31 runs....the score could have been even under hundred. Wining matters more than it what matter is the calculated aggressive approach plus luck and to see players at least intent towards a fighting. The people who are criticizing Afridi now must remember that he is captain because the others failed to play with unity and not him. Also they must remember that Pakistan’s last test triumph against Australia came fifteen years ago on the 3rd of December 1995. so everyone else "so called senior Players" were unable to do it after that they have all failed and its time to give the youngsters more chances that Afridi is doing. They may loose another series but will learn to win InshAllah in near future.......

Much of the fun in playing Pakistan in Test cricket is reading the blog coments of Paki supporters. Over & over again they talk excitedly about how things have changed for Pakistan and how the arrogant Aussies will suffer a humiliating defeat. Even now, after 1 days play, they are at it. Well, it's now the end of day 2 - and Pakistan has to face yet another reality check. 100 behind on the first innings....

I agree pakistani and most sub continent fans celebrate way too early before achieving an actual result. This batting collapse was always going to happen, i don't know the politics behind the PCB debacle but if Yousuf and Khan were there they would have provided the younger batsman with some support and experience in tough conditions, especially at Lords.

Yousuf has been Pakistans and one of the worlds best batsman of the last 10 years, i believe he averages around 58 in the last 10 years, PCB need to sort themselves out.

Im Australian by the way but i'd like to see pakistan sort out their batting and politics, because they have such a talented bowling attack and fielding, batting and politics is not complimenting all the hard work this bowling attack does for the pakistan team. Thats my 2 cents.

I agree with this notion of attack over defence, as it really narrows the advantage to your opponent in Test Cricket. Afridi really showed exceptional leadership approach in the first two days at Lords, no matter whatever the final result will be. I have observed a marked improvement in the attitude of our players after a long time. You must give credit to shahid for injecting much needed fighting spirit in this otherwise confused squad of pakistan team. Hardwork pays as we all believe, so lets keep our fingers crossed for the next two nail baiting days of test cricket to come. Good luck Afridi and Ccompany

I cannot believe every one is beating drums with one day for Paki bowlers, where a lot of dumb decisions were made by Afridi, such as strange field placings and allowing singles easily at the time when a stranglehold was to be maintained. Afridi has a lot to earn as yet as a captain, so let us not inflate his stature without any super performance from him. he failed yesterday as a bowler and today he forgot he was playing a test match, not a T20 game. The need of the hour was to stay at the wicket not just 'boom boom' and back to pavilion as if he had to finish his cup of tea he had left while going to bat. Team selection was appalling, putting untested kids in front of tried and tested men was mind boggling. It is always good to give a chance to new players, but not playing against Australia or England. The team is already young and putting younger players is not going to give any confidence to the team building. it appears there is no common sense applied while team is selected.

LORDS TEST : FEAR OF LOSING LEADS TO NO VICTORIES Pakistan's batting strength is 60 runs short of Australia's batting.even if Pakistan gets austalia out under 200,lead will be of 300, Pakistan will lose the test by 100 runs.For Pakistan,in order to win this test, which is very possible, Pakistani batsmen should stand half a bat outside the crease,left& righr batting order combinatin,four batsmen sould be assigned to attack,as playing a oneday innings,rest should play straight.pull,hook, and cut shots will bring all the runs in this kind of environment,condition and pitch.play like its a lost cause,It will eliviate the stress element.Pakistan's bowling is two fold better then Australi but feild setting is not as aggressive as the it should be.if i were the skipper, i would have put three short fielders around mike hussy in the first innings because a cricket ball does not distinguishes or fear whether its ponting or johnson on the crease.MORAL OF THE STORY IS*MIND OVER MATTER*.

its just a suggession to the Pakistani cricket team to avoid weired face making after beating a batsman or missing a run out. spacially,fast bowlers with big noses,seems so Mahala Cricket jesture.A professionls'job doesnot end by merely beating a batsman but getting his wicket and staying focus till the task is completed.acting as planes, flying saucers,and what not impresses or get out no batsman. All the smiles,expressions are more meaningful after accomplishing and achieveing objective,thanks and best of luck.

hmm so I was spot on when i worried that this lineup wont even cross 200 ... and now i would like to see the comments from all those who were actually comparing Afridi to Imran khan and deeming this team near to unbeatable.
So Mr Kamran, I hope we know now where this team stands. No doubt Azhar played and negotiated well to what was offered him, but he is in a very early stage of his career. He might not had come across this quality swing bowling in his nightmares. Coz nightmares on Paki pitches would be much negotiable.
If we want to see any improvement in this group of cricketers we need to analyse things on a much fair basis. Even if selected the 2 debutants should not be coming at those positions and that too one after the other. It should all be a common sense for afirdi the captain. Akmals might had fallen to the pressure of early wickets as early wickets can put best of the batsmen under pressure. And do we really have to talk about Afridi's responsible show with the bat?

Seriously speaking Kamran, I am not a cricketer but I have played the sports in my childhood days like all others do. But I do have the sense and feeling that we as a cricketing nation are heading a very wrong path. If our management boards and 500+ ministers does not have the sense how to run a board and groom talent then step down and let the proper candidate do the job. I wish I had the say in any of our departments in our country.
We just need to see what made us produce Miandad or Imran khan or their likes. Why we are having a team of blind hitters?? Its just system which produces players. During those days there was no ODI cricket. If you need to play for Pak, you have to be good at Test match level. When you are good at test level you can be good at ODI level and can work out for T20 level. Thats what we need to do. Select players based on Test credentials and we will get our ODI team
This is to you guys to raise the voice who have a say. Our administrators lack the common sense

What an irresponsible innings from Afridi. Someone should read the riot act to him. He is not playing in a T20 preliminary against Bermuda. He demotivated all those that followed.

Javaid M Malik
Yes you are wrong. It was Ahmer who was censured not Ponting!
Perhaps the difference is that Pakistan hopes for success, Australia plans for it

JUST A THOUGHT: Shoaib malik, Abdul razzaq,are they still

For the record, just see my previous post yesterday, I said australia will score 300 in the second innings and Pakistan will loose by 145 runs. Now check australia's second innings: 1st 5 did not contribute as much as they should, but the last 5 responded. Even the aus bowlers knew how to face the Pak bowlers to score 100 plus runs.That is what a team is. See the Pak bowlers. It looks like they forgot (specially the Mr. celebration, Amer) how to take wicket. Now you, who celebrate after every boudary and every wicket by Pak players need to make a sound judgement, Does Pakistan can come close to Auatralia in anything: batting, bowling, fielding and professionalism?
By the way, I am from the Indian subcontinent and was a big fan of Miandad and Wasim Akram. But not anymore as all the Pakistani players, present and past are involved in too much in fight.

I hope good sense will come back to Afridi and the selectors for the selection of second test team.

now its tooooo heavy for Afridi to lift sleepy pakistan..is it not mr. Kamran..poor chap

@dmqi
@rext
You both are not correct look to the replay of Ponting carefully what he did. Can anyone expect from a great player to do like what he did against the very young and inexperience person. Yes I know Australia is big team but on the other hand they have no sportman spirit. Further Aamir has talent but he is still very young he need some experience.

Well, I want systems in Pakistan ..... I want Pakistan to Organize .......PPL in neutral venue to ensure a separate league focusing the Pakistani players and also import players from ENGLAND, SA and AUS etc even second tiers will help .....need Strong personality like lalit Modi ...........

Pakistan have lost more games than the oppositions winning it. Pak players lack the will to believe they can win even against Aust.
I think Pak could have scored the 440 runs, most of their wicket was handed to the Aussie bowlers. One good news came out of this test, one less idiot (Afridi) will be playing test cricket for the Pak. For the next test it would be wise to drop Kaneria and Farat. Kaneria takes the odd wickets but gives away too many runs. Farat is another fool in this Pak line up, plays flashy ill advised shots.
For next test drop Kaneira and Farat and bring in Malik and Yaser Hamid. Pak tail is too long, Aamir comes in at the fall of 6th wicket is a joke.

Mr.REXT,
Neither you read my comments properly nor you watched the replay of the Aamir/Ponting incident. I invite you to watch the replay of the incident & listen to the comments of neutral commentators. Furthermore,they also replayed an incident of Aamir/Clarke from T20 match in which Aamir collided with Clarke & offered his apology immediately which was gracefully accepted by Clarke. While in the other incident Aamir turned prior to any collision & Ponting took out his elbow which struck him. Instead of offerring an apology like a gentleman he started murmurring which reflected his sportsmanship.
With regard to my comment "Please tell me if I am wrong" I had written: "I have observed over the years that aussies has now emerged as a great team of indecent sport persons. It is obvious when they are down & the opposing team is performing well". An actual scenario prevailed on the day the comment was made. Please review my comments in the light of the game on the day & then comment.

Mr.dmqi,
Your comment: "Does Pakistan can come close to Auatralia in anything: batting, bowling, fielding and professionalism"? You seems to be true at this moment of time. But you forget one of their most important characteristic & ie; POOR & LOW SPORTSMANSHIP TO BE AT PAR WITH OTHER FACTORS YOU MENTIONED.

Well Looks like Afridi chickened out....or his IQ level is so low that it took him a decade to realise he cant or is not fit to play proper TEST cricket. Finally he retires...But then again temporary retirement is so common in the Pakistani land.

Well Looks like Afridi chickened out....or his IQ level is so low that it took him a decade to realise he cant or is not fit to play proper TEST cricket. Finally he retires...But then again temporary retirement is so common in the Pakistani land.

So true. Hoentsy and everything recognized.