Australia apply pressure
By Justin Langer
Australian Test batsman
Experience, more than anything else, was the main reason behind our first Test victory against Pakistan here at the Saravanamuttu Stadium in Colombo.
McGrath excerted awesome pressure
On paper it may have looked like Pakistan had the upper hand going into the final day.
Needing 137 runs with seven wickets remaining, most punters would have tipped Pakistan to pull off an historic victory.
But fortunately the game of cricket isn’t played on paper, but rather on grass and deep within the grey matter of the participants in the contest.
Although the figures looked to favour the hosts, experience assured us that Pakistan would have to play brilliantly to steal a victory on a deteriorating pitch.
Pressure is a bigger man than any in Test cricket and we knew that a relentless application of pressure would eventually open up enough cracks to expose the Pakistani tail.
It is impossible to comprehend that there has ever been a quicker bowler
Langer on Shoaib Akhtar
When you have the incomparable Shane Warne and the awesome Glenn McGrath leading your attack, you know that you are always in the contest regardless of the circumstances.
This is a very comforting feeling.
At one stage in the final innings Glenn had bowled 17 overs for just 15 runs, while Shane Warne was spinning the ball at the other end with the precision and effect of a genius.
Feature: Warne breaks new ground
You can never truly describe the extent of this type of unmerciful pressure on the opposition batsmen.
All I know is that when you are in the middle of a Test arena and it is being applied, then the points will almost always fall your way, as they did when the final eight Pakistani batsmen crumbled for only 100 runs.
Throughout the match, which was played in hot and very humid conditions, there were a few highlights that need mentioning.
Shane Warne’s man of the match performance was exceptional, as was the century by Ricky Ponting in our first innings. He batted with the authority of a great Test match batsman.
Shoaib must be the fastest ever
Shoaib Akhtar’s bowling spell in our second innings was a destructive as I have seen for a long time.
You can take it from me as an opening batsman that he is bowling very, very, very fast.
It is impossible to comprehend that there has ever been a quicker bowler to have played the game.
His spell in taking five middle order wickets was potentially match-winning.
Most impressive was the way he went about his business; clean bowling the Waugh brothers and Adam Gilchrist with brutal yorkers that would have deceived any batsman in any conditions.
With the second Test commencing in Sharjah on Friday, the thought of more Akhtar pace is enough to get the feet dancing and the mind into gear.
The youthful Pakistan team put up a good fight in this Test, as we expected, and we know that we will have to employ the same intense pressure for the remainder of the series if we are to secure a series victory.
From Colombo,
JL
