Cricket Update: Pakistan breaks the Aussie Vodoo and wins a test match against Australia after 15 years
Pakistan finally broke the Australian voodoo and beat them in a test match after 15 years. The win until the last run was scored was still not certain. Well that is Pakistan team for you. During the last 5 years in which Pakistan played 13 test matches against Australia there were number of times, when Pakistan could have actually won the match but just snatched defeat from the jaws of Victory.
Sydney test match comes to mind in Pakistan’s tour of Australia. After dismissing the Aussies for just 26 runs in the first innings, Pakistan let go of the match in the 4th day, and with just 175 to chase the men in green faltered.
Looking at the first test match in this series, Pakistan did have a good chance of victory at Lords too. It Australia’s last 3 wickets added 150 runs in their 2nd innings, and that was the margin of defeat for Pakistan.
There were a lot of similarities between Leeds test match and the one in Sydney. Pakistan bowled out Australia for 126 on that occasion and here it was even better. Aussies were knocked over for their 7th lowest test total of just 88 runs. Pakistan did not make optimum use of the bowling performance in the first innings. Once again, there was the sense of overpowering the Mighty Australians that seems to make young Pakistan team nervy on every occasion.
Salman Butt and Imran Farhat guided the team to a good start, but there was that fragile middle order once again that could not deliver when needed. Salman Butt, who was the top scorer in both innings at Lords, was once again the best of the lot with 45 runs.The difference between the 2 teams is not in just one department obviously, but one area where Pakistan falls heavily behind is the ability of the tail-enders to last at the wicket.
Pakistan folded in the first innings for 258 handing Australia a lead of 170 runs. In reply, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 began cautiously and slowly began to impose. It had started to look like the same old story once again; Sydney flashbacks started coming back to Pakistan team like Vietnam flashbacks haunt the American Army.
An 89 run stand between Ponting and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120 looked to be taking the match away from Pakistan; it was once again the young stallion Muhammad Aamer who came to the rescue claiming 3 quick wickets and accounted for Ponting, Hussey and North. The balance looked to be shifting again towards Pakistan, but there was once more twist to come. Australian lower order was stubborn as ever, wicketkeeper Paine added some valuable runs and in the end, it was the leg Spinner Steven Smith who put up a brilliant rear guard action and smashed quick fire 77 runs to take the lead to 179.
As soon as the target for Pakistan crossed 150, it was always going to be tricky, in the chase a nervy captain, Salman Butt left early but a rare drop catch from Aussies saw Imran Farhat get a new life. Farhat cashed in and played some good strokes. Young Azhar Ali also showed composure and the pair played at more than 4 runs per over.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 got to 137 for the loss of one wicket close to the end of play on day 4, there was a consensus that Pakistan would take the option of extra half an hour to finish the match. However, 2 quick wickets of Farhat and Umar Amin set them back.
Pakistan went in at day 3 at 140/3 needing further 40 runs to win, final day was never going to be a formality and so it proved. Azhar Ali left early after completing his fifty. Umar Akmal followed soon and Aussies could smell blood. Kamran Akmal played couple of delightful cover drives and brought the target closer. Shoaib Malik was dismissed while playing a drive and with just one run needed, Kamran Akmal was also caught. Finally, Umar Gul hit the winning run to send the entire Pakistan nation into ecstasy.
The 15 year drought of test wins against Australia was finally broken; the young Captain Salman Butt finally brought some luck to the team. Pakistan had almost forgotten how to win a test and one can hope that this would be first of many to come.
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