Cricket: Taylor and Slater fire up Australia: Pakistan toil in second Test as limited overs game takes new turn

Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .305-3

Pakistan

A RECORD 176-run opening partnership put Australia in a comfortable position on 305 for 3 on the first day of the second Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi yesterday.

Sent in on a grassy wicket thought to be difficult to bat on, Australia's openers, Michael Slater and captain Mark Taylor, dominated the bowlers after some anxious early moments. Slater was the more aggressive in scoring 110, his third Test century.

Taylor preferred to graft for his runs on a damp strip, scoring after completing an ignominious 'pair' in the first Test, which ended in defeat on Sunday on his debut as Australia's captain.

Mohsin Kamal, playing in a Test match for the first time in seven years, sent back both openers either side of the tea interval. David Boon, Australia's centurion in Karachi, failed to stay for long. He fell for four to the leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed.

Australia's previous highest first-wicket partnership in a Test against Pakistan was 134 by Alan Turner and I C Davis at Melbourne during the 1976-77 series.

At the close, Mark Waugh and Michael Bevan had reached a 100- run partnership for the fourth wicket at a rate of a run a minute to deny any further success to the toiling Pakistanis.

Both Waugh and Bevan reached their half-centuries against a Pakistan attack unable to call on their former captain Wasim Akram after tea because he was suffering from a stiff back. 'Akram was not completely fit today but is expected to bowl tomorrow,' the Pakistani team manager, Intikhab Alam, said.

Earlier the Pakistanis wasted the initiative that came their way when they won the toss by dropping easy chances offered by both openers off Waqar Younis when each had scored just two runs.

Taylor, who had scored only five runs in four outings on the tour, was put down by Inzamam- ul-Haq at second slip and Slater survived a spooned chance to point which Mohsin failed to hold.

Pakistan won toss

AUSTRALIA - First Innings

*M A Taylor lbw b Mohsin Kamal. . . . . . . . . .69

M J Slater c Inzamam-ul-Haq b Mohsin Kamal. . . 110

D C Boon b Mushtaq Ahmed. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

M E Waugh not out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

M G Bevan not out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Extras (b3 lb1 w3 nb2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Total (for 3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .305

Fall: 1-176 2-181 3-198.

To bat: S R Waugh, I A Healy, S K Warne, C J McDermott, J Angel, D W Fleming.

Bowling (to date): Wasim Akram 13-2-33-0 (1nb); Waqar Younis 21-3-75-0; Mohsin Kamal 15-3-64-2; (3w, 1nb); Mushtaq Ahmed 20-0-88-1; Aamir Sohail 7-0-25-0; Aamir Malik 5-2-16-0.

PAKISTAN: Salim Malik*, Aamir Sohail, Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Zahid Fazal, Aamir Malik, Rashid Latif, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Mushtaq Ahmed, Mohsin Kamal.