Pakistan win first series against Australia in 20 years

ABU DHABI: Pakistan achieved their first series win over Australia in 20 years with a thumping 356-run win in the second Test in Abu Dhabi on Monday, taking the two-match series 2-0.

The elusive win lifts Pakistan to number three in International Cricket Council´s Test rankings behind number one South Africa and Australia.

Spinners Zulfiqar Babar (5-120) and Yasir Shah (3-44) rocked Australia once again for 246 in the second innings soon after lunch at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

Pakistan won the first Test by 221 runs in Dubai.

Pakistan had taken a big step forward after scoring a mammoth 570-6 declared in their first innings and getting a 309-run lead by dismissing Australia for 261.

That never allowed Australia to stage a comeback and avoid series defeat for the first time since losing 1-0 in Pakistan in 1994.

The defeat was Australia´s third worst in all Test cricket behind their 675 run loss against England in Brisbane in 1928 and by 408 against the West Indies at Adelaide in 1980.

In contrast Pakistan registered their biggest win in terms of runs, beating their 341-run victory over India at Karachi in 2006.

Pakistan had to fight hard in the morning session as Steven Smith defied Pakistan during his resolute knock of 97, but once Smith departed, leg-before by Shah, Australia lost their last four wickets for the addition of just eight runs.

Smith added an invaluable 107 for the fifth wicket with Mitchell Marsh, who fell after scoring 47.

Smith missed a sharp turner from Shah who also bolwed Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc to finish with 12 wickets in the series.

Babar had Nathan Lyon caught for his second fifth wicket haul, following up his first in the first Test in Dubai.

Babar finished with 14 wickets in the series as Pakistan did not miss ace spinner Saeed Ajmal´s absence who is suspended due to illegal bowling action.

Before lunch Smith batted resolutely, using his feet against the spinners during his 204-ball knock and hitting a dozen boundaries.

Smith reached his eighth Test fifty with two boundaries off spinner Zulfiqar Babar, who failed to add to his three wickets on Sunday.

Marsh, who top-scored with 87 in Australia´s first innings, played Pakistan´s pace-cum spin attack confidently and he and Smith added 55 runs in the first hour.

But Mohammad Hafeez provided the breakthrough when he had Marsh caught by Asad Shafiq off an uppish flick. His 130-ball innings included six boundaries.

Hafeez finished with 2-38.

The win is also special for skipper Misbah-ul Haq who equalled the most wins record by a Pakistani captain with 14. Imran Khan and Javed Miandad also won 14 Tests as captains.

Misbah set the world record for the fastest half-century and equalled the feat of fastest century in all Test cricket during his 101 not out on Sunday, capping a memorable Test match. (AFP)

Analysis: Misbah joins Viv Richards in Hall of Fame

On Saturday, Misbah smashed the joint fastest century in terms of balls (56) faced in Test history. PHOTO: AFP

KARACHI: 

Misbahul Haq has spent an entire career tagged ‘Tuk Tuk’ but in one hour of the most exhilarating batting display, he shook off the unenviable label by smashing the joint fastest century in terms of balls (56) faced in Test history.

The knock just couldn’t have been timed better by Misbah as his team razed to the ground an Australian team renowned for its ruthlessness and never-say-die attitude.

Only a fortnight ago, Misbah’s future was under the scanner after he opted out of the third ODI—perhaps disappointed by the ‘Go Misbah, Go’ chants that echoed at the Dubai International Stadium, following Pakistan’s loss in the second ODI.

On the eve of the Dubai ODI, Aussie wicket-keeper Brad Haddin was chuffed to bits when told that Misbah had moments earlier in his own media briefing admitted that he was short on confidence. Haddin had cheekily stated: “Let me quickly tell my team” and gave a feeling that the men from down under were ready to go for the jugular in the games ahead.

Shahid Afridi, an aspiring leader led the team in the Abu Dhabi game, but a few days later the PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan quashed doubts about Misbah’s future by retaining him captain till at least next year’s World Cup.

In hindsight Shaharyar’s backing served as the right tonic for Misbah. The outstanding batsman-ship from Younus Khan and Azhar Ali—magical spells by Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah, gave Misbah the licence to finally unleash himself on the Australians, especially since he had regained his own form too—courtesy his flowing first innings century.

When he walked in to bat 24 minutes before lunch on Sunday, he was greeted by a friendly full-toss from Steven Smith, which was duly dispatched for a four.

The next ball was a miscued big hit that should have been snaffled by Peter Siddle in the covers, but since this was meant to be Misbah’s day the ball was floored by the pacer.

The drop should have made Misbah circumspect, but the very next over he taught Smith a batting lesson by launching him for three sixes and one four.

Nothing was to stop Misbah now and by the time lunch was served Misbah had posted the world record for the fastest fifty both in terms of balls faced and minutes spent at the crease.

Few people would have predicted at that juncture that the records would be erased in the next few minutes as Misbah was indeed eyeing the fastest century record.

The energy sapped fast bowling duo of Mitchell Starc and Siddle (admonishing himself for dropping Misbah) tried their best to tie down the blazing bat of a man who had acquired the reputation of being an old school grafter in the longest format of the game.

But the reputation was shredded by the man himself. After some nervy moments Misbah scored eight runs of two consecutive balls from Starc to join no other than the original master blaster Sir Vivian Richards as the joint record holder for the fastest Test century of all time.

Tributes have been pouring in from some of the greats of the game including Adam Gilchrist, Anil Kumble, VVS Laxman, Michael Vaughan, and Shane Warne. Misbah’s bewitching innings it seems has finally made the pundits take note of his pedigree too.

The Pakistan captain is now at the twilight of his career, after scalping the mighty Australians he has a World Cup in mind. One hopes that he can bat with the same uncluttered mind for the rest of his career, since Misbah’s uncluttered mind can wreak havoc in the opposition camp.

Younis has silenced his critics forever: Asif Iqbal

KARACHI: Applauding Younis Khan for his glorious batting in the ongoing Test series against Australia, former Pakistan captain Asif Iqbal on Friday said the coveted achievements made by the seasoned batsman should shut up his critics forever.

“Younis’ performance in the UAE should forever silence all his critics. Not only has he equalled Herbert Sutcliffe’s 89-year record of three hundreds against Australia in three consecutive innings, but has done so at a time when his career and the image of Pakistan cricket were in serious need of rejuvenation,” Asif said when approached by Dawn.

“Remember, his great feat started after a disastrous series against Sri Lanka and an equally dismal thrashing at the hands of Australia in the T20 and ODI series [prior to the ongoing Test rubber]. Younis was excluded from the ODI squad as the national selectors had made it clear that as far as ODIs were concerned he was not in the frame.

“Then came the Test series against Australia in which a straight Pakistan whitewash was expected and when Pakistan were reduced to 7 for 2 in the first half an hour of the opening Test, everything appeared to be going according to the prediction and popular expectation — or would apprehension be a better word? Few would have expected Pakistan to get more than 150.

“It was at this point that Younis walked in. The determination with which he played showed that he had a point to prove and he proved it in the best possible way — with his bat,” Asif, who played 58 Tests between 1964 and 1980, added.

“Too many cricketers resort to media to reply to the criticisms levelled against them but it never really works. This is the way to do it. Younis’ runs have come at an excellent rate too and anyone now trying to exclude him from Pakistan’s World Cup squad would be considerably less than intelligent,” reckoned Asif who led Pakistan in the 1975 and 1979 World Cups.

Asif believed Younis’ Pakistan record of Test centuries would remain intact for quite some time.

“His [Pakistan] record of 27 hundreds is destined to stand for a very long time. More importantly he has infused confidence into a brittle middle order and given that the World Cup is only a few months away, his supreme effort could not have been better timed,” Asif emphasised.

“Perhaps it may even be argued that his feat is that much more admirable given that he was batting in a line-up that has still to prove itself at the international level,” the former Pakistan skipper said of Younis who on Friday in Abu Dhabi converted his century into double hundred.

“Records are meant to be broken and the longer Younis plays the more records he will smash. And he will because he is playing better than those whose records he is breaking,” Asif opined about the right-handed batting maestro who on Friday also became the third Pakistan batsman — after legends Javed Miandad and Inzamam-ul-Haq — to cross 8,000-run mark in Test cricket.

Interestingly, Younis after his marathon 213-run knock on Friday also lifted his Test runs tally exactly equal to that of great Sir Gary Sobers (8,032) of the West Indies with both of them having featured in 93 Tests.