Pakistan's band of travelling showmen made Edgbaston their home stage with a thrilling performance of fast bowling and big hitting that had a noisy crowd recreating the atmosphere of Lahore or Karachi. At times it felt as if the only members of the 13,000 crowd cheering Australia at this Twenty20 international were the 11 in yellow. Australians are used to getting the bird over here from English fans but last night it was.
Pakistanis revelling in their discomfort. You cannot blame them for enjoying the moment. This was the first time Pakistan had beaten Australia in 13 matches. With half of Edgbaston a building site – the Pavilion End has been levelled for a new development – the crowd did their best to bring down the rest with some ground-shaking noise.
This has been the summer of the vuvuzela and Edgbaston last night was filled with the noise of thousands of klaxons which rarely fell silent. There is no greater sight in cricket than a fast bowler running in and bowling inswinging yorkers and Umar Gul is one of the art's best practitioners. His late burst of wickets blew away Australia after Umar Akmal had made 64 off 31 balls to rescue a typical Pakistani innings that fulfilled the stereotype – brilliant if at times farcical.
The run out of Kamran Akmal, when set on 23, sparked a collapse as three wickets fell in six balls including that of Shahid Afridi, lbw missing a full toss.
But Umar has fast hands matched with power, bringing to mind a right-handed Eoin Morgan. His best shot was when he picked one of Mitchell Johnson's slower balls and was able to recalibrate in time to steer it low through backward square for four.
Johnson then stood perplexed as Umar defied the angle of a left-hander bowling to a right-hander and pulled him powerfully over midwicket for six as he reached fifty off only 21 balls, the fastest in Twenty20 by a Pakistani.
Michael Clarke needed a breakthrough and turned to Tait. His first ball was a snorter. Fast reverse swing spread Razzaq's stumps but in the next over he proved he has guile, dropping his pace by 25mph to beat Umar with a slower-ball yorker.
Tait was the clear winner of the battle with Shoaib Akhtar, whose first five balls went for four but who at least matched Tait for speed.
Australia were in control but Gul and Afridi made scoring hard in the middle period and frustration cost both David Warner and David Hussey their wickets. It was the chink of light Pakistan needed. Afridi took a stunner to dismiss Cameron White and Gul then let fly with his toe crushers to remove Mike Hussey and Tim Paine. Saeed Ajmal, the man Mike Hussey thumped into oblivion to win the World Twenty20 semi-final in the final over, brought it all to an end. The only downside for the Pakistanis was the claim that some of the Australians had been hit by plastic bottles thrown by over-exuberant fans.
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