PAKISTAN v AUSTRALIA 1988-89

A firm pitch persuaded Pakistan to include the left-arm seam bowler, Saleem Jaffer, at the expense of all-rounder, Aamer Malik, while the Australians brought in Sleep, their leg-spinner, for Taylor, who had back trouble. In the event, the wicket ensured that it would be a match for batsmen rather than bowlers, although the Australian opening attack again struck quickly, Dodemaide taking three wickets as four Pakistan batsmen were sent back in the space of 60 deliveries. Ramiz was lbw to the second ball he faced, and no sooner had Mudassar become the third Pakistan batsman to score 4,000 runs in Tests than he fell to Reid for the second time in consecutive innings.

Miandad, however, arrested the decline and Ijaz Ahmed, three days after his twentieth birthday, saw Pakistan to safety with a splendid maiden Test hundred, having put on 119 with his captain and an unbroken 100 with Salim Yousuf by the close. He was out next morning without adding to his score, having hit seventeen fours and two sixes in his 122. Yousuf soon followed, but dropped catches and an entertaining ninth-wicket stand of 49 between Tauseef and Iqbal Qasim saw the Pakistanis extend their innings beyond lunch and 300. Australia, 66 for two at tea, lost two more wickets before the close, including that of the admirable Marsh, who had played the spin bowlers with more certainty than his colleagues.

That the Australians finished the third day 5 runs ahead on first innings was due to Border's 23rd Test hundred and the support given him by Healy and May. His unbeaten 113, containing eleven fours, occupied 5 hours 28 minutes and placed him behind S. M. Gavaskar (34), Sir Donald Bradman (29), Sir Garfield Sobers (26) and G. S. Chappell (24) in the list of Test century-makers. It was Border's sixth hundred against Pakistan, and on the fourth day Miandad responded with his sixth against Australia, reaching the mark with three successive fours after batting for four hours. Shoaib, as in the First Test, joined him in a major stand of 172, his 74 featuring two sixes and seven fours.

On the final morning Reid took three wickets, including that of Miandad, in thirteen deliveries with the new ball, but Yousuf, supported by Iqbal, regained the initiative. Miandad waited until 45 minutes after lunch before declaring, which left Australia with 90 minutes plus the final twenty overs in which to score 374. It was not a realistic target, and the captains called a halt half an hour after tea before the mandatory twenty overs were started.

Man of the Match: A. R. Border and Ijaz Ahmed (shared).

Close of play: First day, Pakistan 244-5 (Ijaz Ahmed 122*, Salim Yousuf 52*); Second day, Australia 128-4 (A. I. C. Dodemaide 5*, A. R. Border 0*); Third day, Australia 321; Fourth day, Pakistan 264-3 (Javed Miandad 107*, Salim Malik 9*).