Reviewing the Pakistan-Australia Test series
Pakistan seemed to have answered at least some of the questions, which were thrown at them by skeptics over the past year or so, in the recently concluded two-Test match series against Australia.
Having been beaten soundly in the first Test, they came back strongly in the next game and managed to square the series and break the jinx against Australia in Test matches. Earlier, they had lost 13 successive Tests against the Aussies.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 in 15 years.
But this series will be primarily remembered for the emergence of Mohammed Aamer as Pakistan’s premier fast bowler. The young pace-man had a splendid series and drew praise from all around the world for the show of maturity beyond his age.
However, questions still remain about Pakistan’s batting. It was woeful in the first Test, and only slightly better in the second Test. The batsmen nearly let the bowlers down once again; as they had done in the first game, when they showed signs of collapsing during the chase in the second Test.
There was some individual brilliance, throughout the series. Butt had a wonderful knock at Lords and followed it up with a fine performance in the first innings of the second Test. Imran Farhat was instrumental in Pakistan’s batting in the second Test and made a well compiled half century in the second innings.
The promise shown by the youngster Azhar Ali, who added some crucial runs with Farhat in that game, will also please the management.
Australia would want to see this series only as an aberration — an aberration they could have done without, especially with the Ashes coming up. Their batsmen did not have a good time and were helped in both the games by timely half centuries from Ben Hilfenhaus and Steve Smith. Only Simon Katich averaged more than 35. The place of Marcus North has already come into question following his horrific showing in the series (two ducks) and Smith’s batting in the second game.
Ricky Ponting however has rubbished saying that it was very early for Smith to shoulder the burden of a number six batsman and that North’s place in the team was not under scrutiny.
Australia would not want to look too much into their batting, at least for the time being. For one, they were troubled by the seam and swing of the Pakistani fast bowlers and they are not going to face an attack of that sort at least for some time. Their next series is at http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 and the current Indian bowling attack lacks any bite and the tracks they will be playing on are going to be different from the ones in England.
They will want to use the flat tracks in India to get their batsmen back into form before the Ashes in November. But they will also want to work on their bowling. The wickets came from the unlikeliest of sources, North’s six wickets in the second innings of the first Test. Doug Bollinger was good but not effective and Johnson looks the shadow of the bowler he was a year and half ago. Their best performer in the series with the ball was Shane http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Watson-c96326 and it should be interesting to see how effective he is in the flat pitches in India.
Pakistan on the other hand, will want to build on this momentum. The bowling looks composed and equipped for all conditions. Aamer and Mohammed Asif are as good as any fast bowling pair in the world. They have contrasting styles and complement each other perfectly. Umar Gul played the role of the first change bowler to perfection, by attacking relentlessly and not bringing down the pressure created by Asif and Aamer.
They are up against England in a four-match series and would want to show that the performance at Headingley was not a flash in the pan. But for that they need their batsmen to up their game and support the bowlers.
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