The Australia vs Pakistan Series can be best summed up based on the fourth day of the second test. Kamran Akmal dropped four catches on the day, and a test which Pakistan should have won easily, was handed out on a platter to the Aussies. After having taken a 206 run lead in the first innings, all Pakistan had to do was bowl sensibly, keep up the pressure on the Aussies, and make sure that they held onto catches which a kindergarten kid wouldn’t drop. Instead, they did what the Pakistan side has been famous for all these years: commit hara-kiri. Even apart from the poor fielding by Akmal, the most baffling aspect of the fourth day’s play was the bizarre captaincy by Mohammed Yousuf. On a day when Pakistan should had tightened the screws by keeping attacking fields and not giving away easy singles, they almost seemed to be in awe of Hussey’s and Siddle’s batting prowess. By the time Pakistan came out to chase the stipulated target of 176, it was a foregone conclusion that they would end up losing the game and that they would truly require a miracle to save it.
This loss was ofcourse sandwiched between two more losses by even bigger margins. But I guess it is the loss in the second test that must have hurt Pakistan a lot. Not many teams apart from Africa have had the Aussies on their knees at home the way Pakistan did. And yet no other team must have squandered such an opportunity to crush Australia at home from such a comfortable position as Pakistan did. The blame game began immediately ofcourse; with everyone from Yousuf, to Akmal, to the selectors getting blamed. Even T20 cricket wasn’t spared as Pakistan’s abysmal collapse was attributed to the influence of the newest member of the cricketing fraternity. Ofcourse the Australian team got the credit for scripting such a comeback, but everyone – including the Australian team – knew that Pakistan had lost the test rather than Australia winning it. The victory margins in the 1st and the 3rd tests – 170 runs and 231 runs respectively – are a testimony in itself of how the tests would have been played out. Both the tests played out to an almost similar script; Australia getting a big total in the first innings, Pakistan floundering in their first innings, trying to make a comeback with some good bowling performances in the second innings, only to see their batting give way again.
All in all, there were very few positives for the Pakistani team in this series. All the four pacemen who played in the series – Mohammed Asif, Mohammed Aamer, Umar Gul, and Mohammed Sami – impressed at one point or another during the series. But none of them, barring Aamer to some extent, could put in consistent performances. Amongst the spinners, Saeed Ajmal, who was supposed to trouble the Aussies, came out to be a cropper. But Kaneria, who was picked up from the second test, managed to put in some good spells. Like their bowling, the Pakistani batting too lacked in consistency. Apart from Salman Butt, none of the other batsman could come up with decent scores. Umar Akmal promised a lot, but failed to deliver. But perhaps the biggest disappointment for Pakistan, in the batting department, was the form of Yousuf. For Pakistan to have even some chance in the series, Yousuf had to display the form that had made him one of the best batsman of the last decade. But unfortunately he failed to do so and hence the Pakistan team were always found wanting in crunch situations. But more than their inconsistent batting and bowling, more than even the four dropped catches by Akmal, what hurt Pakistan most was Yousuf’s captaincy. Agreed he was under tremendous pressure, and being a captain of the Pakistan Cricket team is a specialized job in itself, but there were times when he himself seemed to have given up. And when that happens, it’s difficult for the captain to pick up the team.
For Australia, the biggest concern at the beginning of the series was the form of Ricky Ponting. But by the time the series ended, even that issue had been resolved for the Aussies. The rest of the batting lineup clicked for the Aussies time and again; except ofcourse the disastrous first innings of the Sydney test. A word about Michael Hussey here. He began his career with a near-Bradmanesque average, which has fallen to a more moderate 53, yet he remains the go-to man whenever Australia is in trouble; and this he demonstrated very aptly in this series. The only man who will have some concerns about his place in the side is Michael North. The only man who got less runs than him was Bollinger. And North knowing the Aussie system, North cannot hope to survive on his Ashes exploits for long. Amongst the bowlers, Bollinger continued his fine run in international cricket picking up handy wickets consistently. Johnson not only picked up wickets, but was economical too. His two wickets in a single over in the first over of the last day in the Melbourne test – when Akmal was threatening a turnaround with Yousuf – really set up the Aussies for a big win, and a bigger mental advantage as was evident in the next test. Siddle battled on bravely despite not being completely fit, and Hauritz proved that while he is nowhere as good to fill in the hole left by Warne, he can still turn some matches on his own. His performance must certainly have come as a fitting answer to those who think that he is not test material. But the man of the series – and he was actually awarded the ‘Man of the Series’ award – was undoubtedly Shane Watson. He was rock solid at the top, patiently building the innings when required, and blasting the bowlers when the situation demanded, he well and truly came of age in this series as an all-rounder with some very tidy spells and important wickets to make sure that Australia did not miss a fourth seamer.
The ODI series starts soon and Pakistan must be hoping that the inclusion of their ODI specialists will infuse them with the much needed zest. But for that to happen, they must clear the cobwebs in their heads. Because a mentally fit Pakistan side can take on any comers and crush them at will.
This loss was ofcourse sandwiched between two more losses by even bigger margins. But I guess it is the loss in the second test that must have hurt Pakistan a lot. Not many teams apart from Africa have had the Aussies on their knees at home the way Pakistan did. And yet no other team must have squandered such an opportunity to crush Australia at home from such a comfortable position as Pakistan did. The blame game began immediately ofcourse; with everyone from Yousuf, to Akmal, to the selectors getting blamed. Even T20 cricket wasn’t spared as Pakistan’s abysmal collapse was attributed to the influence of the newest member of the cricketing fraternity. Ofcourse the Australian team got the credit for scripting such a comeback, but everyone – including the Australian team – knew that Pakistan had lost the test rather than Australia winning it. The victory margins in the 1st and the 3rd tests – 170 runs and 231 runs respectively – are a testimony in itself of how the tests would have been played out. Both the tests played out to an almost similar script; Australia getting a big total in the first innings, Pakistan floundering in their first innings, trying to make a comeback with some good bowling performances in the second innings, only to see their batting give way again.
All in all, there were very few positives for the Pakistani team in this series. All the four pacemen who played in the series – Mohammed Asif, Mohammed Aamer, Umar Gul, and Mohammed Sami – impressed at one point or another during the series. But none of them, barring Aamer to some extent, could put in consistent performances. Amongst the spinners, Saeed Ajmal, who was supposed to trouble the Aussies, came out to be a cropper. But Kaneria, who was picked up from the second test, managed to put in some good spells. Like their bowling, the Pakistani batting too lacked in consistency. Apart from Salman Butt, none of the other batsman could come up with decent scores. Umar Akmal promised a lot, but failed to deliver. But perhaps the biggest disappointment for Pakistan, in the batting department, was the form of Yousuf. For Pakistan to have even some chance in the series, Yousuf had to display the form that had made him one of the best batsman of the last decade. But unfortunately he failed to do so and hence the Pakistan team were always found wanting in crunch situations. But more than their inconsistent batting and bowling, more than even the four dropped catches by Akmal, what hurt Pakistan most was Yousuf’s captaincy. Agreed he was under tremendous pressure, and being a captain of the Pakistan Cricket team is a specialized job in itself, but there were times when he himself seemed to have given up. And when that happens, it’s difficult for the captain to pick up the team.
For Australia, the biggest concern at the beginning of the series was the form of Ricky Ponting. But by the time the series ended, even that issue had been resolved for the Aussies. The rest of the batting lineup clicked for the Aussies time and again; except ofcourse the disastrous first innings of the Sydney test. A word about Michael Hussey here. He began his career with a near-Bradmanesque average, which has fallen to a more moderate 53, yet he remains the go-to man whenever Australia is in trouble; and this he demonstrated very aptly in this series. The only man who will have some concerns about his place in the side is Michael North. The only man who got less runs than him was Bollinger. And North knowing the Aussie system, North cannot hope to survive on his Ashes exploits for long. Amongst the bowlers, Bollinger continued his fine run in international cricket picking up handy wickets consistently. Johnson not only picked up wickets, but was economical too. His two wickets in a single over in the first over of the last day in the Melbourne test – when Akmal was threatening a turnaround with Yousuf – really set up the Aussies for a big win, and a bigger mental advantage as was evident in the next test. Siddle battled on bravely despite not being completely fit, and Hauritz proved that while he is nowhere as good to fill in the hole left by Warne, he can still turn some matches on his own. His performance must certainly have come as a fitting answer to those who think that he is not test material. But the man of the series – and he was actually awarded the ‘Man of the Series’ award – was undoubtedly Shane Watson. He was rock solid at the top, patiently building the innings when required, and blasting the bowlers when the situation demanded, he well and truly came of age in this series as an all-rounder with some very tidy spells and important wickets to make sure that Australia did not miss a fourth seamer.
The ODI series starts soon and Pakistan must be hoping that the inclusion of their ODI specialists will infuse them with the much needed zest. But for that to happen, they must clear the cobwebs in their heads. Because a mentally fit Pakistan side can take on any comers and crush them at will.
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