The Pakistan vs Australia test series started off on the wrong foot for the tourists, as Pakistan won by 221 runs.
The two-match Twenty20 and three-match ODI series in Pakistan’s “second home”, the UAE, saw Australia come out on top; the Twenty20 series was drawn 1-1, but Australia won all three One Day Internationals, including a memorable one-run victory in the final match, which saw Mohammad Irfan dismissed and Pakistan bowled out on the final ball of the match.
However, even though Pakistan were without influential spinner Saeed Ajmal, currently banned for an illegal bowlning action, Australia were outclassed in all departments and were duly thrashed.
Ajmal’s replacements, young spinners Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babah, took seven wickets each in the match as they tore through the Australian batting line-up. The strength in depth in Pakistan’s spin department is something the likes of England could only dream of.
In the first innings Pakistan battled back from 7-2 to record 454 all-out. The middle order put in a staggering performance: Azhar Ali scored 53; Misbah ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq scored 69 and 89 respectively; Younus Khan and Sarfraz Ahmed both made centuries. By the time Pakistan’s lower-order collapsed from 442-6 to 454 all-out the damage was already done.
As Australia went out to bat a brilliant 133 from opener David Warner was not enough to help Australia respond as they ended up 303 all-out: no other batsman was able to even make a fifty. There was no stand out performer from the bowlers—Yasir Shah managed three wickets—and all five of them performed admirably in what was very much a team effort.
The hosts batted for a second time, looking to build an unassailable lead whilst giving themselves enough time to bowl out Australia. Openers Ahmed Shehzad and Azhar Ali scored 131 and 30 respectively—quite an improvement on the three and nought they recorded in the first innings—and the former and Younus Khan put on a partnership of 168. Pakistan declared 286-2, setting Australia 438 to win, after Younus Khan made history by breaking the Pakistan record for most test hundreds. Khan equalled and went past Inzamam Al-Haq’s record of twenty-five centuries during the match and now lies equal-sixteenth with Garry Sobers on twenty-six in the all-time test rankings.
In the final innings Yasir Shah’s and Zulfiqar Babah’s talent came to fruition: Shah took 4-50; Babah 5-74. Australia were humbled by the spinners and swashbuckling fifties from Steven Smith and Mitchell Johnson were not enough to get the tourists even close to their target. Pakistan won the test by 221 runs and go into the second and final test at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on the 30th October with a great chance of winning the series.
Australia found themselves unable to deal with the spin of Pakistan—as have many teams in recent years when coming to the UAE, most notably England—and it seems that their main priority going into the second test will be defending themselves properly against the slower bowlers, as well as dealing with the straight balls more effectively; a problem which has plagued Australian Cricket recently. Coach Darren Lehmann said:
“This is a very good cricket wicket and we didn’t adapt well enough and didn’t play well enough. When you are talking about learning how to play in these conditions we got beaten on the other side—with less spin. You would think it would spin more. We got beaten with straight balls, I think five or six dismissals throughout the game.
“We have to get better at hitting the straight ball, watching the ball for a start, but they are things the guys will work on. Have we learnt anything? I think as long as you are learning all the time. The wickets are certainly different than those wickets I saw in 2013, they are better wickets here.”
Should Pakistan win the second test, Misbah Al-Haq will equal the Pakistan record shared by Imran Khan and Javed Miandad for most test victories as captain—fourteen.
One should not write off the Australians going into the second test: they are a strong side with players capable of producing Cricket which can beat any side in the world. However, much improvement is needed if the tourists are to draw this series.
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