Kamran Akmal is a superstar

What an innings by Kamran Akmal. After Pakistan were left reeling at 39 for 6, Kamran Akmal, Abdul Razzaq and Shoaib Akhtar have not only restored respectability to the Pakistani squad, but highlighted the shortcomings of the new entrants in the upper order.

At tea, Pakistan are at 218 for 7, with Akmal at a 101, and Shoaib Akhtar at 31. Akmal and Razzaq put on a solid 115 for the seventh wicket, and they batted with sensibility. Bad balls were dispatched, and good balls were treated with respect. There were some beautiful boundaries and some respectable running between the wickets. Finally, at 154, Abdul Razzaq was unlucky to be dismissed LBW by RP Singh. Since that point, Shoaib Akhtar, with some judiciously cavalier batting, has helped put on 64 for the 8th wicket, and watched Akmal score a century.

Akmal, Razzaq and Akhtar have done what Faisal Iqbal and Imran Farhat could not. Salman Butt, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf were unlucky to be bowled out by superior bowling by Pathan. Faisal Iqbal one could concede was unlucky to be given LBW, but should have offered a shot and treated the delivery with the respect it deserved. Imran Farhat was just reckless, at a stage where he needed to be respectful and cautious.

All in all, a solid fightback for Pakistan. Any score in excess of 200 is better than they would have been hoping for earlier, and any score of 250 will give them a psychological advantage in the field.