If Hauritz can do it at Melbourne, Why not Kaneria at Sydney?

Well after boring two days of play at the Sydney cricket ground, with both Australia and Pakistan losing and 9 wickets respectively on a single day, despite a result being possible, the flavor of a test match had still not been achieved. However, it was fantastic to see the Pakistani bowlers targeting the Aussie batsmen with the right weapon that is spin bowling. Compared to the teams from the sub-continent, Aussies are bad players of spin, which is an indisputable fact. Though late, the word never doesn't seem to go well with this test match for Pakistan. Pakistan might have been playing Australia after a long time but, what if the wait pays!

With just 80 runs lead on the board and just two wickets remaining, the result has already been guessed by everyone including the Australian captain Ricky Ponting. With 9 wickets down on day 2 if the test match for Pakistan, it took the Aussies just 2 more runs to get the final Pakistani wicket. However, the only ray of hope for Australia that is Mike Hussey, batting on 73 can prove something and that too if he is assisted by luck. For, with a bowler like Danish Kaneria on his toes, the result is quite clear cut from the day's play wherein Kaneria takes 4 out of the 8 Aussie wickets that have fallen.

A win in the ongoing second test match for Pakistan against Australia would keep its hopes alive so that Pakistan can atleast dream of a win against Australia and great that it could do so on Australian soil itself. Pakistan has been whitewashed 3-0 in the last three series' that has been played between the two countries. However, two of the three defeats mentioned were in Australia and the third one at UAE in 2002. And before that, in 1998-99, Australia had beaten Pakistan 1-0 in the 3 match test series played at Pakistan. The lone win for Australia coming by an innings and 99 runs.

Statistics suggest that Pakistan have last won a series against Australia (be it at home, away or elsewhere) way back in 1994-95 when Rashid Latif's men took a 1 wicket win against Australia led by Mark Taylor at Karachi. Despite a series loss in the return series, Pakistan were able to snatch a 74 run win at Sydney after losing the first two tests. Though they (Pakistan) have lost their last battle against Australia at Sydney by 9 wickets on their earlier tour, the 1995 history can be expected to repeat itself if the first three days of play are considered. Though, Pakistan don't win the third test, a win in this one can bring smiles back on the faces of a lot many Pakistani fans and cricketers. And likewise, a match win on Australian soil is worth a series win for most nations.