Despite taking four wickets in the first Test in Dubai, Yasir Shah went into the second Test against Australia knowing he had something to prove given that last week’s display was nowhere near the level he can normally produce.
The 32-year-old bowled two overs in the final over of the opening day, going wicketless but showed his potential on Wednesday.
The Sheikh Zayed Stadium has proved to be a happy ground for the leg-spinner, taking 27 Test bowlers – the most by any bowler in just four matches.
Here, we analyse his performance from the second day:
STATISTICS
OVERS BOWLED: 19
WICKETS: 1
RUNS CONCEDED: 59
MAIDENS: 3
ECONOMY RATE: 3.10
30-SECOND REPORT
Yasir had to wait eight overs before being given the ball with Sarfraz Ahmed unleashing pacer Mohammad Abbas and spin debutant Mir Hamza in the opening hour of play. But when he did bowl, he played the turning wicket to his advantage and didn’t give much room for the batsmen to attack for a boundary. While he conceded two sixes and three fours, he was rewarded with the scalp of Mitchell Marsh with a peach of delivery that gave the Australian no chance, while also running out Marnus Labuschagne.
GOT RIGHT
Started strongly by being consistent from the very first ball. That forced the Australian batsmen to defend rather than attack at a time when they lost two early wickets. Whether it was bowling outside the wicket or full stump, Yasir was gradually showing signs that he can still be a competitive force for Pakistan. That was evident with his dismissal of Marsh as well as his sharp reaction to run-out Labuschagne after lunch.
GOT WRONG
Although he bowled a total of 77 dot balls, he still finished as Pakistan’s most expensive bowler on day two. His 19 overs was six less than Abbas, who took five wickets but lapses of concentration from the experienced spinner saw him pay the price for poor deliveries. On two occasions, his high tosses presented an opportunity for batsmen to go for the six while three loose balls resulted in boundaries.
VERDICT – 6 out of 10
It wasn’t the best of Yasir Shah that we’re used to seeing but he did a decent job with a wicket and a run-out. Despite starting brightly, he was sometimes off colour with the Australians happy to defend given he wasn’t the most threatening bowler they had to face. With more innings, Yasir will gradually improve and rediscover his form that made him one of the world’s best bowlers.