Cricket: Gul helps Pakistan rout England in first Test

Pakistan’s cricketer Umar Gul (L) celebrates with his teammate Abdul Rehman (R) after he dismissed England’s Jonathan Trott (unseen) yesterday, during the third day of the opening Test match between Pakistan and England in Dubai

Paceman Umar Gul took 4-63 to help Pakistan beat the world’s best Test team, England, by 10 wickets in the first Test inside three days in Dubai yesterday, gaining a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
The 27-year-old fast bowler dismissed Andrew Strauss (six) before lunch and then accounted for Alastair Cook (five) and Kevin Pietersen (nought) in his hostile nine-over first spell on a spin-friendly Dubai Stadium pitch.
Spinners Abdul Rehman (3-37) and Saeed Ajmal (3-42) – his second 10-wicket haul in Tests – supplemented Gul to help Pakistan bundle out England for 160.
Pakistan notched the required 15 runs in 3.4 overs to hand England their first defeat in 10 Tests, since losing to Australia at Perth in the 2010 Ashes.
England’s batsmen, wrecked by Ajmal’s career-best 7-55 in their first innings of 192, were again clueless against the spin and played some rash shots as they sought to score runs on the pace of Gul.
Jonathan Trott top-scored with 49, but fell to an irresponsible shot, trying to force a short delivery from Gul and being caught by wicket-keeper Adnan Akmal, who finished the match with seven catches.
Trott, who passed the boundary of 2,000 runs when he reached 18 in his 24th Test, hit six boundaries during his 111-ball knock but became Gul’s 150th wicket in his 41st Test.
Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul Haq admitted he had not expected to win so comfortably.
“We didn’t expect that it would come so easily,” he said.
“Ajmal put us in a strong position with his seven wickets in the first innings and we batted well to take a good lead.”
Strauss expressed frustration over his side’s abject surrender.
“Obviously it’s disappointing to lose in this manner,” he said.
England had another disastrous start as Strauss was adjudged caught behind, pushing Gul to the leg side and seeing the ensuing edge well taken by the wicket-keeper.
Strauss instantly challenged the verdict but was left to trudge off the field after television umpire Steve Davis of Australia upheld the original decision.
Soon after the lunch break, Gul produced a sharp rising delivery that caught Cook in two minds as the left-hander gloved it to Adnan, who had no trouble in gathering it.
Kevin Pietersen, who has yet to score big on tour, made it 25-3 when he hooked a Gul bouncer straight into the hands of deep square-leg fielder Abdul Rehman, leaving England in more trouble at 25-3.
Ajmal then got in on the act when he trapped Ian Bell plumb in front of the wicket for four.
Stuart Broad (17) and Graeme Swann (39) delayed the inevitable by putting on 48 for the eighth wicket before Rehman dismissed Broad and Chris Tremlett off successive deliveries.
Ajmal took the last wicket by getting Swann caught, much to the delight of his team-mates and the few hundred people in the stands.
In the morning, Adnan had boosted Pakistan’s lead with a gutsy second Test half-century. Adnan scored a career-best 61, adding another 50 runs after Pakistan resumed at 288-7.
Adnan, who hit eight boundaries during his 129-ball knock, put on a 30-run stand for the ninth wicket with Ajmal, who made 12. His previous best of 53 came against Bangladesh in Dhaka last month.
Swann had Adnan stumped to finish with figures of 4-107.
The second Test starts in Abu Dhabi from January 25, while the third will again be played here from February 3-7.