Inzi hails important victory for Pakistan

MULTAN—Pakistan Captain Inzamam-ul-Haq compared Wednesday’s first Test win over England to his team’s memorable recent wins over India.
“It is surely one of our best wins. It is nice to win against a team that has beaten Australia and won the Ashes and it can be compared to our wins over India in Lahore and Bangalore in recent times. It is memorable,” he said.
“It is nice to beat a strong team like England but this victory does not mean we have won the series. They are a very good team and they are still two games to go,” he cautioned.
It was only the sixth win for Inzamam as Captain in 15 Tests and his third in the last four Tests played by Pakistan against India, West Indies and England.
“We knew it wouldn’t be easy against them today but I knew (Danish) Kaneria would get turn because he has been really bowling well for the last year and has won us matches,” said Multan-born Inzamam.
Kaneria, who has now taken 137 wickets in 29 tests, took four for 64 on the final day to help bowl out England for 175 when they were chasing 198 to win.
Opening batsman Salman Butt was named man of the match for his scores of 74 and 122.
“They (England) are a good side but we were confident after working very hard over the last 12 months.
“I would love to carry this form into the next test (at Faisalabad starting on Sunday),” said left-hander Butt.
England’s Acting Captain Marcus Trescothick, standing in for knee-injury victim Michael Vaughan, acknowledged that his team’s batting had failed on the final day.
“Coming into the final day I thought we would knock the runs off comfortably. I thought we would face a few problems here and there against the leg spinner on a last day pitch. But it is disappointing to lose after having played well for four days.
“We lacked application today and we should have occupied the crease and the runs would have come easily,” said Trescothick, who top-scored in the match with his first-innings 193.
“We needed one good partnership in the middle. But it didn’t happen. They bowled very well and Kaneria is a world class spinner.
“Kaneria broke the back of it really by taking a couple of quick wickets. Then, you’ve got to face people like Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami bowling pretty quick balls at 90mph. Unless you get in as a batsman, they are very hard to face.
“The defeat is not going to knock us down. There are still two games to go and we can come back if we play like we have done since last year,” he said.
“Our team has character and we can always fall back on it”.
Trescothick said he was hopeful Vaughan would be fit to return in Faisalabad.—Agencies