Pakistan Never Wanted To Win The Hobart test

Well as expected, Australia defeated Pakistan by needless to say 231 runs in the third and final test at Hobart. This, if statistics need to be given a serious look, is the fourth time in succession that Australia has defeated Pakistan in a test series by winning all the three games that were scheduled. So, it would not be wrong to conclude that Pakistan are no match for the Aussies whatsoever. This was more so after their 36 run loss to the same in the previous test at Sydney when Pakistan let go a golden opportunity after Australia were bowled out for 127 on the first day and Pakistan took a 200+ lead there after.

Added to that, in the third test at Hobart, Pakistan went in without their wicket keeper batsmen Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan, Saeed Ajmal and Mohammed Sami who were all decent players in test cricket. And moreover, it was Mohammed Sami along with Mohammed Asif who ripped apart the Aussie batting line up when Aussies lost all their batsmen for 127 runs on board. On the other hand, someone like Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammed Aamer who are aged 22 and 17 years respectively made it to the squad. Can anyone guess the reason for the same? MohammedAamer had until then played just 7 matches until then and it was Safraz' debut test.

Is it because that the Pakistanis had already lost the test series to Australia and a win or a loss in the Hobart test would have hardly made any difference to the Pakistanis that they went in for such a change? Or is it because Pakistan were less likely to win the test match at Hobart irrespective of whoever makes it to the squad that the playing eleven was chosen like that? The third reason for such a change that one can imagine is Pakistan had already got used to losing test matches after a they had a year without playing a single test match in 2008 and more so against Australia, wherein Pakistan had lost 3 earlier test series'.

If anyone could take pains to go through the Pakistan scorecard, only five Pakistani batsmen players were found crossing the double digit mark, with two of them being tailenders in Mohammed Asif and Umer Gul who scored 29 and 38 respectively. However, the 7 match old Mohammed Aamer could bowl 31 overs returning with figures of 2/97 that included the price wicket of Ricky Ponting but not before the Aussie captain could score yet another double hundred. So, if these things are taken into consideration, it looks like Pakistan had decided well before the Hobart test started to lose the game or may be gift the game to the Aussies.

A Bad 2nd day after the worst 1st day at Sydney

As my earlier post reveals, there is neither Steve Bucknor nor Mark Benson who can help the Aussies at Sydney this time in the ongoing second test against Pakistan. And most of the mess that could have been possible was done on day one itself by the Aussie batsmen. Neither were the Pakistani pacemen viz Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Sami were at their all time bowling best nor were the Aussies so bad to lose all their 10 wickets for a partly score of 127. Even the West Indies team that had played Bangladesh and lost as well didn't fare so badly.

Not only because it was Bangladesh they were playing against but also in the ICC Champions Trophy, they made life tough for Pakistan by claiming 5 wickets en route their successful run chase with just above 150 on the board. At the end of the day's play, Pakistan finished at 331-9 and the lead of 200+ need not be highlighted specially whatsoever. The Aussie bowling which have won their team a lot of matches in the past was found giving room like anything. Or else how would some 20 year old Umar Akmal smash 5 boundaries in 7 balls from the moment he gets on to the field with his bat?

And on the other hand, even the Pakistani batsmen were not found playing a truly professional test cricket on the second day. Similar to the Aussies, even the Pakistani batsmen lost all their 10 wickets on a single day itself. The only difference being that the Pakistani batsmen had piled up 204 runs more than the Australian batsmen could do on day 1. Each and every Pakistani batsmen was found approaching the Aussie bowlers with an attacking style as compared to a more responsible one that makes test cricket great to watch. Hardly any Pakistani batsmen could spend time on the crease which is quintessential in test cricket.

I now can guess what Mohammed Yusuf meant a week back after his team lost the first test at Melbourne. Yusuf had blamed the T20 cricket to be responsible for his team's debacle in the first test when he said that "T20 will finish Pakistan cricket". Pakistani batsmen are found approaching the test cricket similar to the way T20 cricket is approached. And this has been the way the Pakistani batsmen were found playing in the past too. The best example for this would be the so called dashing batsmen-Shahid Afridi who has a batting average like a tail end batsmen and a strike rate which can raise eye brows. A little bit of planning by the Pakistani players would have ensured them an innings win.

At the end, it would not be wrong to say that it is an Aussie loss than a Pakistani gain. Thats all for today. Do come back for more tomorrow.

Ricky Ponting misses Steve Bucknor & Mark Benson

Whenever a team finds itself in shambles, the first person to face the axe is the captain of the team. And it is more so in case of the Australian captain Ricky Ponting who had no choice but to be at the receiving end when his team was all out for a partly total of 127 in the second test at Sydney against Pakistan. Tongues have already started wagging against the Australian skipper's favor when he chose to bat first in the so called green top in Sydney, which Ponting did otherwise. Whatever may be the reason, Australia's score card can never read anything else if not for the truth.

However, everyone (including me) would be shocked indeed when a team like Australia loses its first 7 wickets at a score less than 75. And as it is in front of us, Australia's final score reads 127 all out. I just wonder as to how many people would have died all over the world from heart attack after the Aussie batsmen did such an unbelievable feat and that too at Sydney! Though Australia are not with the greats like Adam Gilchrist, Damien Martyn, Simon Katich, Justin Langer and others, Australia are still the opposition to beat by most of the teams around.

Australia still have Mike Hussey, Ponting himself along with Shane Watson who can make a decent batting line up. And another reason for the Aussies to kick themselves is the fact that they have been bought down to their knees by a team that have not played a single test match in the year 2008. Scorecard reveals that the highest run getter in the first innings of Australia was Mitchell Johnson who scored 38 runs and added to that was the fact that he was the lone six hitter in the innings and also the batsman who hit five boundaries that was more than anybody else in the Australian first innings.

And it was not Danish kaneria who posed some problems for Aussie batsmen who are bad players of spin comparatively. But, it was some Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Sami, the former who was suspected of doping charges and the latter who has come back to play test cricket after more than two years, since the ICL was a failure. All that the Pakistan team needed to demolish the Aussie batting line up was four bowlers, out of which the ten wickets were shared by the three fast bowlers viz Sami, Asif and Umar Gul. And yes, this was the venue where the onfield umpires viz Steve Bucknor & Mark Benson played for Australia to get them their 16^th consecutive test win 2 years ago.

I hope Ponting would surely recall the moment and miss the services of these two men more than someone like McGrath & Warne.