Scorecard at the Beginning of 5th Day: Australia 460 Runs Behind with 6 wickets at Hand.
Pakistan 570 / 6 [ Younis Khan 213 , Azhar Ali 109 , Misbah Ul Huq 101 ,Mohammad Hafiz 45,Mitchel Starc 2/86 ] and 293 /3 [ Misbah Ul Huq 101* , Azhar Ali 100* , M G Johnson 2/45 ] , Australia 261 all out [ MR Marsh 87 ,MJ Clark 47 , Imran Khan 3/60, Rahat Ali 2/41 ,Yasir Shah 2/49, Zulfiqur Babar 2/94 ] and 143 /4 [ DA Warner 58 , SPD Smith 38* , MR Marsh 28* , Zulfiqur Babar 3/65 ,Mohammad Hafiz 1/ 33]
Records Tumbled as Pakistan Kept Punishing Awful Australians at UAE. After winning the first test at Dubai by a huge margin of 221 runs Pakistan is on the verge of yet another bigger victory at Abu Dhabi and a series white wash.
Pakistan declared in both innings 576/6 and 293/3. Australia was crashed for 261 all out in the first innings and was crumbling at 143 / 4 in the second innings. 
Indomitable Younis Khan continued his great form scoring his third consecutive century of the series and this time a double century 213 in the first innings inscribing his name beside Sir Donald Bradman and Bert Sutcliff. Azhar Ali scored twin centuries (109 and 100*) and great leader Misbah Ul Haq also scored century in either innings (101 and 101*). Only one occasion in the past in test two players of a team Greg Chappel and Ian Chappel achieved this rare feat.
Misbah scored the fastest test fifty in 21 balls and went on equaling the fastest hundred in 56 balls that was scored by Sir Vivian Richards against England.
56 balls Misbah-ul-Haq required to complete his 100 is the joint-fastest century in history of Test cricket. His innings equaled the mark set by West Indian legend Viv Richards, also scored 100 in the same number of balls against England at Antigua in 1986. The next fastest century was from 57 balls by Adam Gilchrist against England at the WACA in 2006.
The record of the slowest century also belongs to Pakistan – Mudassir Nazar (off 419 balls against England at Lahore in 1977). Misbah’s hundred was also second fastest in respect to minutes taken, with the Pakistan captain reaching three figures in 74 minutes – that’s 1.3 runs in every minute - and just four minutes short of the world record set by Australia’s Jack Gregory (70) in 1921 against South Africa.
Misbah’s half-century was the quickest in the history of red-ball cricket, breaking Jacques Kallis’ record of 24-ball 50 against Zimbabwe at Cape Town in 2005.
The previous Pakistan record was by Shahid Afridi who whacked fifty off 26 balls against India at Bangalore in 2005.
Misbah’s half-century was the quickest in the history of red-ball cricket, breaking Jacques Kallis’ record of 24-ball 50 against Zimbabwe at Cape Town in 2005.
The previous Pakistan record was by Shahid Afridi who whacked fifty off 26 balls against India at Bangalore in 2005.
It is a massive turn around and major change of inconsistency of an otherwise unpredictable Pakistan team. A series white wash will elevate them from the seventh to third position in ICC test ranking and they may still climb higher as their next opponent in the desert will be another country from down under New Zealand .
Australia started the Cricket series against Pakistan at UAE as a far superior side. Pakistan before the series started was as low as seventh among the ten test playing countries ICC ranking. The suspension of their ace bowler Saeed Aajmal served deadly blow to their cause as he was their desert king.
Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan and Wahab Riaz were also unavailable for injury. Pakistan got hammered in T20 and ODI series. They had no option but to go for a very raw bowling attack. Veteran batsman Younis Khan had to be persuaded to change his resolve of not playing test after being ignored for the ODI team .Misbah dropped himself voluntarily from the final ODI for a run of poor form. Stop gap captain in charge Shahid Khan Afridi after losing a close third ODI for diabolic batting collapse sounded very frustrated in stating,” How could one take such a team in pathetic state to ICC World Cup? “In a matter of two weeks how things turned around for Pakistan? With their back to the wall the team bounced back very strongly. Strong Australia was humiliated, humbled and embarrassed in the first test at Dubai by a huge margin of 221 runs. It is not only Pakistani batsmen mercilessly punished Australian toothless bowling attack on a slow low dead surface but also raw Pakistani bowling attack played hell with clueless Australian batting.
Champion batsman Younis scored centuries in both innings, Asad Shafique, Ahmed Shehzad, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Misbah Ul Huq batted with authority. Zulfiqur Babar and Yasir Shah teased and tormented the Aussie batsmen. Even Rahat Ali and Imran utilized the wicket much better than the Australians.
Just to prove that Dubai was not a rare one off for the Paksitanis who had rarely shown consistency over the years Pakistan carried their great form to Abu Dhabi test. On the fifth and final day they are anchored on an impregnable position for another major win and a series brown Wash for the Kangaroos. Pakistan requires taking the last 6 wickets of the demoralized Australians. Australia is still 460 runs behind. There are no chances for winning and it is almost impossible to play out 90 overs for saving the grace.
Australia is in all sorts of bother both with the bat and the ball. In the two tests so far at UAE the Australian bowlers have managed taking only 20Pakistani wickets at an average of 80.15 per wicket. Never in their 137-year Test history,have the Australians leaked so many runs per wicket in a series, including one-off Tests. It is nearly twice as bad as when they were crushed 4-0 last year in India, where each breakthrough cost them 43.80 runs. It is worse than India's worst, than Pakistan's worst, than England's worst, than West Indies' worst, and much worse than South Africa's worst. They have been so toothless it is hard to imagine they ever had teeth at all.
Australia, a team not in distant past were dominating world cricket in all formats everywhere looked pretty ordinary while batting and fielding as well. It was shocking to see Australia dropping catches, missing run out opportunities. Batting was totally disappointing. Only Warner could score a century on these unresponsive wickets where Pakistanis scored as many as nine centuries in two tests. Chris Rogers struggled against raw Pakistani opening attack. Warner had few starts but could not concentrate for carrying on. Alex Dollan was a big disappointment; Michael Clark looked awfully out of form.
Maxwell in my opinion was wrongly drafted to bat at number three at test line up. May be Hughes could be better choice. Haddin had no clue .Only Smith and debutant Mitch Marsh looked promising. Australia with this batting line up will definitely struggle against South Africa in ODI and India in tests and ODI although playing surfaces and environment will be very different.
Australia has to rethink its coaching and mentoring strategies. The team must have abilities to adjust to all wickets and environment. Selection of players may need scrutinizing.
In state level there are so many players of potential. But only very few get the favor. We hope that after this humiliating disgrace at the hands of Pakistanis Cricket Australia will have serious brain storming. They need to think something different, something new. Business as usual will not take them anywhere.
Paksitan on the other hand is on a roll.
They batted like champions. Shehzad batted aggressively, Azhar Ali looked well composed and solid, Younis was classy and all quality, Misbah was the terminator, Asad Shafique and Sarfraz cashed on the opportunities .Rahat Alai and Imran Khan bowled accurately and reversed. Zulfiqur Babar was deadly with his guiles. Debutant leggie Yasir Shah impressed even legend Shane Warne. His run up is like Shane and delivery is like another legend Abdul Qadir. Yasir has a future. When front line bowlers are ready again if only Pakistan can maintain its focus they will prove difficult side to beat anywhere.
Off course batting has some areas to improve yet especially on pacey bouncy wickets. The strong Paksitan performance is great for world cricket.
Pakistan in all probabilities will win and win big today. It will be a series white wash. Cricket in Paksitan will definitely get a big boost. It is a great team effort where all contributed their bit .But leader Misbah deserves the main share of credit for leading the team out of ruins.
BDST: 0745 HRS, NOV 03, 2014
Australia, a team not in distant past were dominating world cricket in all formats everywhere looked pretty ordinary while batting and fielding as well. It was shocking to see Australia dropping catches, missing run out opportunities. Batting was totally disappointing. Only Warner could score a century on these unresponsive wickets where Pakistanis scored as many as nine centuries in two tests. Chris Rogers struggled against raw Pakistani opening attack. Warner had few starts but could not concentrate for carrying on. Alex Dollan was a big disappointment; Michael Clark looked awfully out of form.
Maxwell in my opinion was wrongly drafted to bat at number three at test line up. May be Hughes could be better choice. Haddin had no clue .Only Smith and debutant Mitch Marsh looked promising. Australia with this batting line up will definitely struggle against South Africa in ODI and India in tests and ODI although playing surfaces and environment will be very different.
Australia has to rethink its coaching and mentoring strategies. The team must have abilities to adjust to all wickets and environment. Selection of players may need scrutinizing.
In state level there are so many players of potential. But only very few get the favor. We hope that after this humiliating disgrace at the hands of Pakistanis Cricket Australia will have serious brain storming. They need to think something different, something new. Business as usual will not take them anywhere.
Paksitan on the other hand is on a roll.
They batted like champions. Shehzad batted aggressively, Azhar Ali looked well composed and solid, Younis was classy and all quality, Misbah was the terminator, Asad Shafique and Sarfraz cashed on the opportunities .Rahat Alai and Imran Khan bowled accurately and reversed. Zulfiqur Babar was deadly with his guiles. Debutant leggie Yasir Shah impressed even legend Shane Warne. His run up is like Shane and delivery is like another legend Abdul Qadir. Yasir has a future. When front line bowlers are ready again if only Pakistan can maintain its focus they will prove difficult side to beat anywhere.
Off course batting has some areas to improve yet especially on pacey bouncy wickets. The strong Paksitan performance is great for world cricket.
Pakistan in all probabilities will win and win big today. It will be a series white wash. Cricket in Paksitan will definitely get a big boost. It is a great team effort where all contributed their bit .But leader Misbah deserves the main share of credit for leading the team out of ruins.
BDST: 0745 HRS, NOV 03, 2014
