Aus Pak ODI 2: Symonds Raises Aussie Hopes

It may not be too early to call it the series of the all rounders. If Shahid Afridi was the star comeback kid in the first match, Andrew Symonds showed he was not entirely out of his depth yet.
Andrew Symonds was barely given a lifeline before the series started. He knew this could be curtains if he did not get it going this time. This was not just speculation. Andrew Hilditch spelt it out himself. But to his credit, Symonds rose above the early pitfalls in the first ODI to make the second one in Dubai count.
It was crucial as well that an old Australian hand stood up to count because the spinners had the better of the Australians in the first game and it needed experience to show how the same mistake could be thwarted a second time, even for the stand in captain Michael Clarke.
First Symonds bowled tight for two overs with outcome of two for twelve as he halted a rampant Shoaib Akhtar, who made twenty-five runs off fourteen, in his tracks and did not allow Pakistan a late reprieve. If Pakistan did get to cross the 200 mark, it was because of Salman Butt (57) and captain Younis Khan (28) who tried to see off the new ball bowlers Nathan Bracken and debutant Doug Bollinger. But the cutting loose thereafter did not really happen and even Shahid Afridi, who made a forty-one ball forty, was forced to innovate and capitalize on quick singles and handy runs.
Pakistan found it difficult to break through the Australian ranks as Australia did the game before but 200 was still quite a handful to test the Australian after their fragile batting the other night.
James Hopes tried to stamp his authority in absence of Shaun Marsh and its forty-eight was certainly instrumental is getting Australia off the blocks. Cameo knocks from Shane Watson and Michael Clarke helped it along but it was Symonds who proved to be the cog that allowed Australia to perform like a well oiled machine to look beyond Pakistan’s score and start the second part of the ODI series in Abu Dhabi on an equal footing.

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