Ajmal selection vindicated

After plenty of deliberation,Pakistan left out left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman in favour of offie Saeed Ajmal,keeping in mind that four of West Indies top five were left handers. This wasnt an easy decision,since Rehman had done an efficient job with the new ball in the five group matches he figured in. Leaving him out would not only mean losing a steady performer,but also the need to break up a settled new-ball combination. In the end,the switch worked in every possible way. The West Indies top order had no clue against Mohammad Hafeezs straighter one. The delivery had worked brilliantly in curtailing Australias right handers,and even more so,as an offensive weapon,against the West Indian left handers. He sent back two in one over,both LBW,both defeated by his wide-of-the-crease angle from around the wicket,drift and the lack of turn. After seeing nearly every top-class side open with off spin against them and succeed Johan Botha,Graeme Swann and R Ashwin the West Indians should have been better prepared for the tactic.

Later on,Ajmal came on and tormented the middle order. Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan,who had spent a long time at the crease when he came on,struggled to pick his doosra,and he duly delivered two of them,approximately,every over. It might be unfair to compare across eras,but the West Indians have struggled in the past against Saqlain Mushtaq,a very similar bowler in style to Ajmal giving him 30 wickets in 17 ODIs at an average of 18.00.

Ajmal picked up two wickets in one over,with two magnificent doosras that dropped bewilderingly from an alluring height. Darren Sammy was LBW playing all around his front pad; the left-handed Devendra Bishoo was bowled,the ball dipping on him,turning like a leg break and rushing into the gate. He could have had three and ended Chanderpauls uncomfortable vigil,but Kamran Akmal who had till then had a blameless time behind the wickets failed to complete a regulation stumping.