jnaveen1980
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They can consider playing Rizwan ahead of Saud Shakeel assuming he plays the next test too.
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Australia [318 & 262] secure the Benaud-Qadir series with a 79-run win over Pakistan [264 & 237] in the 2nd Test at the MCG
- Thread starter Cricket Warrior
- Start date
Yeah I was thinking the same they need to change both players batting number
I think you are being harsh.
Abdullah has had a stinker and Imam needs to be replaced by Saim for th next game.
Do remember our batters had one innings in a warm up for a tour where we have lost 15 tests in a row.
It's poor planning by the PCB.
The catches have hurt this match but we have shown we can match these Aussies even without our best quick and best spinner.
I'm proud of how we have played this test match and expect the run to end in Sydney now ( if Abrar can play)
Savak
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Need to drop Abdullah to teach him a lesson. Imam needs the boot as well. Need to play 2 spinners at SCG.
Series is lost now. Rest Shaheen and pick Wasim Jr.
Series is lost now. Rest Shaheen and pick Wasim Jr.
CrIc_Mystique
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I would play Abrar, his kind of spin and the bounce he will get in sydney could be the difference..i remember When india toured in 2018 Kulldeep got a 5ver, abrar is similar. as to who to drop - yeah - hasan is the obvious guy....the big pic is one of Shan who is the captain and babar the main player have to score in spades, that will give the backbone for a big score.
jnaveen1980
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Pakistan as a bowling unit did very well in this Test. That is a big plus. Exploited the swing and seam movement better than Australia.
Typical social media over reaction. Joe root has failed so many times in Aus,
Luckily for England they didn't kick him out
Totally -we needed to have proper warm ups. The batters now have had enough in innings but we are 2 down.
This Aus team is not amazing and hopefully we can end the run in Aus in Sydney. I don't really rate any of their players except Cummins and Hazelwood
Tremendous Test match - nothing can be compared with a hard fought close Test Match, that too the Boxing Day fixture at MCG. This is the best I have seen from PAK team in Australian Test in last 27 years (34, if I consider active rubber) & lots of credit should go to Shan & Hafeez.
I think, PAK dropped few crucial catches (but took some brilliant ones as well), conceded too many extras and allowed Australian bottom half to score too many (& too quickly) - eventually ended up with just too much to chase.
BUT, at the end I’ll stick to my day 1 assessment - PAK lost this Test because they (& PP as well) didn’t believe that they can compete with AUS and gifted the initiative - unless it’s a very, very special case, you don’t bowl first at MCG, probably the most difficult place to compete with Aussies, batting second.
I don’t know what experts said about the wicket, but I have seen more Boxing Day Tests at MCG than most and on day 1 that was a very typical MCG track, albeit on in a cloudy day, which provided lots of movement on day 1, but with spongy bounce, which often gives an impression of unplayable conditions, but MCG track gets harder and faster on Day 2, always - it gets tougher on day two as the ball zips through & comes at pace. Also, more than first innings, PAK let the chance to bat on day 3/4 without pressure and bowl on 4th innings with a target to defend - probably a target of 170 could have been tight for Aussies, anything over 225, PAK’s game to loose.
Eventually, match innings were 328, 264, 262 & 237, gradually declining team total with all 10 4th innings wickets taken by Aussie pacers, at least half of those for uneven bounce and Lyon almost made a hundred out of 237, @ 4.5 suggested it was a bat first track.
I think, PAK dropped few crucial catches (but took some brilliant ones as well), conceded too many extras and allowed Australian bottom half to score too many (& too quickly) - eventually ended up with just too much to chase.
BUT, at the end I’ll stick to my day 1 assessment - PAK lost this Test because they (& PP as well) didn’t believe that they can compete with AUS and gifted the initiative - unless it’s a very, very special case, you don’t bowl first at MCG, probably the most difficult place to compete with Aussies, batting second.
I don’t know what experts said about the wicket, but I have seen more Boxing Day Tests at MCG than most and on day 1 that was a very typical MCG track, albeit on in a cloudy day, which provided lots of movement on day 1, but with spongy bounce, which often gives an impression of unplayable conditions, but MCG track gets harder and faster on Day 2, always - it gets tougher on day two as the ball zips through & comes at pace. Also, more than first innings, PAK let the chance to bat on day 3/4 without pressure and bowl on 4th innings with a target to defend - probably a target of 170 could have been tight for Aussies, anything over 225, PAK’s game to loose.
Eventually, match innings were 328, 264, 262 & 237, gradually declining team total with all 10 4th innings wickets taken by Aussie pacers, at least half of those for uneven bounce and Lyon almost made a hundred out of 237, @ 4.5 suggested it was a bat first track.
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Peerless Cummins leads Aussies to big Test win
Pat Cummins completes a 10-wicket match haul in Australia's 79-run win to take an unassailable 2-0 series lead
A contentious caught behind decision that required forensic study of Mohammad Rizwan's right forearm eventually cost the Pakistan keeper-batter his wicket and his team a shot at a drought-breaking Test win in Australia.
In a dramatic final half-hour at the MCG, what loomed as a tense day-five run chase ended as a 79-run win for Australia after Rizwan's removal sparked a complete capitulation in the face of sustained, aggressive fast bowling by Pat Cummins' team.
The win from nowhere was achieved at 6.21pm local time, and came courtesy of a couple of sensational diving catches from Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith as Pakistan's tailenders fended away a relentless bouncer barrage.
Rizwan was looming as the potential hero in an unlikely run chase of 317 for Pakistan's first Test win here since 1995 when he was adjudged caught behind as he attempted to duck a searing Cummins bouncer.
Cummins was convinced he had his man even though umpire Michael Gough denied the appeal, and Rizwan immediately pointed to what he indicated was the point of impact just below his right elbow.
However, television footage indicated the ball had brushed the right-hander much further down and had made contact with the elasticised wristband on his batting glove which – under the Laws of cricket – rendered him out.
The vehemence of Rizwan's defence coupled with the length of time taken for third umpire Richard Illingworth to reach the decision that sent a clearly aggrieved batter on his way ensure the crucial moment in Pakistan's brave chase of victory became enshrouded with conjecture.
Rizwan's capacity to revel in seemingly lost causes was well known to Australia before we went to the wicket today with Pakistan 4-146 and holding dwindling hopes after the dismissal of their most accomplished batter, Babar Azam.
It was the feisty keeper's patient 104 not out on the final day at Karachi in 2022 that prevented Australia closing out a beckoning Test win, and the 95 he scored in a 132-run partnership with Babr at Brisbane on his team's previous tour here provided a rare act of defiance in an otherwise lopsided campaign.
But not even Rizwan's dogged defiance, nor his steadfast reluctance to leave the field after a prolonged third-umpire examination of the evidence after Australia's call for review, could prevent his innings ending on 35.
His displeasure was shared by batting partner Salman Ali Agha who repeatedly pointed to his own forearm while gesticulating to on-field umpires Gough and Joel Wilson, despite the final decision resting in the hands of their off-field colleague.
When confirmation of the dismissal was finally shown on the electronic scoreboards, Rizwan continued to plead his case before eventually retrieving the bat, gloves and helmet he has discarded on pitch edge and stalking from the field in simmering fury.
With him went Pakistan's last realistic hope of reeling in the 97 runs then needed for a remarkable outright win, with only the tailenders to partner Salman in their forlorn quest.
However, no sooner had Rizwan departed than Cummins had Aamir Jamal bunt a return catch off another brutal bouncer, at which point Australia claimed the additional half-hour's play that is offered when a result is imminent.
And during that extended session, as shadows lengthened across the MCG, Cummins completed a 10-wicket haul for the match before Mitchell Starc snared 2-0 from consecutive deliveries as Pakistan's last three wickets fell without adding a run.
Despite Rizwan's obvious confidence that he could carry his team across the line prior to his contentious demise, the truth remained it was always an outside hope after Pakistan's best batting hopes had succumbed earlier in the innings.
Much of that burden lay with skipper Shan Masood and his captaincy predecessor Babar.
After Abdullah Shafique fell to a sharp slips catch by Usman Khawaja – itself, a moment steeped in irony given the far simpler chance Shafique shelled in that position a day earlier – and his opening partner Imam-ul-Haq was trapped lbw, the dream team set off in pursuit of the remaining 268 runs.
It was never going to be a straightforward task.
Only one touring team in the past 15 years has scored more than 317 in the fourth innings to win a Test in Australia, and that was India's history-making 329 to secure a series victory at the Gabba three summers ago.
But Shan, who had begun this tour with a regal double-century against a Cricket Australia XI at Canberra, showed he was up for the fight in a tough start to his innings.
The left-hander was struck a painful blow to the midriff by a Hazlewood short ball having scored just one, and added only 11 more before it seemed his defiance had met a premature end.
Masood was adjudged lbw by umpire Wilson in spinner Nathan Lyon's first over of the innings, but eventually opted to invoke captain's privilege with a review that most onlookers deemed to be speculative at best.
But to the surprise of many and the incredulity of a few – most notably Lyon, who slapped a hand to his head in silent shock – ball tracking technology showed the delivery bouncing well over the stumps even though it made contact with the knee roll of the batter's front pad.
When Cummins belatedly brought himself into the attack immediately after lunch, he got a fearsome short ball to climb at Shan's neck and in an instinctive move to deflect it away on the leg side the skipper copped a painful thud on the fingers.
However, having weathered that latest storm and the loss of Imam – who was fortunate to survive a confident lbw shout from Cummins but not so lucky against a second one two balls later – Shan began to blossom and Pakistan fans dared to dream.
At the other end, Babar was finally finding the sort of touch that earned him the title of Pakistan's best contemporary Test batter but which he had found frustratingly elusive across a handful of low scores in the series.
Like his captain, Babar was subjected to a reviewed lbw shout (from Hazelwood) early in his innings, but again the technology confirmed a ball the Australians felt was destined for the stumps was, in fact, clearing them quite comfortably.
More importantly, Babar seemed to have tightened up the defensive flaw that allowed Cummins to rattle his stumps in the first innings of this match, when the Australia skipper scythed what he described as "a dream ball" between his bat and pad.
And Cummins' capacity to produce those wicket-taking deliveries when most needed again came to the fore when his relentless targeting of the Pakistan pair's front pad led Shan to edge a low catch to second slip where Smith gleefully hung on.
And just as speculation began to simmer that Babar might reach 50 for the first time in the series and push on further to put his team within sight of triumph, the technical flaw exposed in the first innings reappeared and was duly exploited.
This time it was Hazlewood who landed a ball on the challenging length that lured Babar half-forward but not so committed that his front pad protected his stumps.
As a result, when Hazlewood extracted exaggerated movement from the well-grassed surface the sight of Babar's stumps being dismantled played out in near identical circumstances to Wednesday evening and the Australians' celebration was equally animated.
At 4-146, the goal of 317 was disappearing fast in the distance and became significantly further beyond reach when Shakeel – who had begun his maiden Australia campaign with a lofty Test average above 80 – was caught behind trying to uppercut a lifter from Starc.
It left renowned counter-puncher Rizwan as Pakistan's last recognised batter, with only spin-bowling allrounder Salman and four seamers with questionable batting credentials to find the 155 runs needed.
That goal would have been decidedly less imposing if not for Carey's invaluable half-century earlier in the day, and the 73 runs he was able to add with Australia's tailenders after his team resumed on 8-187 this morning.
Carey's output with the bat since back-to-back half centuries in the first two Tests of Australia's World Test Championship final and Ashes sojourn earlier this year has come under increasing scrutiny, despite his glovework – the skill for which he is selected – being mostly flawless.
However, on a pitch where more credentialled batters have struggled throughout this Test, the 32-year-old was rarely troubled as he took the lead in productive alliances formed productive alliances with Starc (partnership of 22), Cummins (28), Lyon (12) and Hazlewood (13).
Pat Cummins completes a 10-wicket match haul in Australia's 79-run win to take an unassailable 2-0 series lead
A contentious caught behind decision that required forensic study of Mohammad Rizwan's right forearm eventually cost the Pakistan keeper-batter his wicket and his team a shot at a drought-breaking Test win in Australia.
In a dramatic final half-hour at the MCG, what loomed as a tense day-five run chase ended as a 79-run win for Australia after Rizwan's removal sparked a complete capitulation in the face of sustained, aggressive fast bowling by Pat Cummins' team.
The win from nowhere was achieved at 6.21pm local time, and came courtesy of a couple of sensational diving catches from Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith as Pakistan's tailenders fended away a relentless bouncer barrage.
Rizwan was looming as the potential hero in an unlikely run chase of 317 for Pakistan's first Test win here since 1995 when he was adjudged caught behind as he attempted to duck a searing Cummins bouncer.
Cummins was convinced he had his man even though umpire Michael Gough denied the appeal, and Rizwan immediately pointed to what he indicated was the point of impact just below his right elbow.
However, television footage indicated the ball had brushed the right-hander much further down and had made contact with the elasticised wristband on his batting glove which – under the Laws of cricket – rendered him out.
The vehemence of Rizwan's defence coupled with the length of time taken for third umpire Richard Illingworth to reach the decision that sent a clearly aggrieved batter on his way ensure the crucial moment in Pakistan's brave chase of victory became enshrouded with conjecture.
Rizwan's capacity to revel in seemingly lost causes was well known to Australia before we went to the wicket today with Pakistan 4-146 and holding dwindling hopes after the dismissal of their most accomplished batter, Babar Azam.
It was the feisty keeper's patient 104 not out on the final day at Karachi in 2022 that prevented Australia closing out a beckoning Test win, and the 95 he scored in a 132-run partnership with Babr at Brisbane on his team's previous tour here provided a rare act of defiance in an otherwise lopsided campaign.
But not even Rizwan's dogged defiance, nor his steadfast reluctance to leave the field after a prolonged third-umpire examination of the evidence after Australia's call for review, could prevent his innings ending on 35.
His displeasure was shared by batting partner Salman Ali Agha who repeatedly pointed to his own forearm while gesticulating to on-field umpires Gough and Joel Wilson, despite the final decision resting in the hands of their off-field colleague.
When confirmation of the dismissal was finally shown on the electronic scoreboards, Rizwan continued to plead his case before eventually retrieving the bat, gloves and helmet he has discarded on pitch edge and stalking from the field in simmering fury.
With him went Pakistan's last realistic hope of reeling in the 97 runs then needed for a remarkable outright win, with only the tailenders to partner Salman in their forlorn quest.
However, no sooner had Rizwan departed than Cummins had Aamir Jamal bunt a return catch off another brutal bouncer, at which point Australia claimed the additional half-hour's play that is offered when a result is imminent.
And during that extended session, as shadows lengthened across the MCG, Cummins completed a 10-wicket haul for the match before Mitchell Starc snared 2-0 from consecutive deliveries as Pakistan's last three wickets fell without adding a run.
Despite Rizwan's obvious confidence that he could carry his team across the line prior to his contentious demise, the truth remained it was always an outside hope after Pakistan's best batting hopes had succumbed earlier in the innings.
Much of that burden lay with skipper Shan Masood and his captaincy predecessor Babar.
After Abdullah Shafique fell to a sharp slips catch by Usman Khawaja – itself, a moment steeped in irony given the far simpler chance Shafique shelled in that position a day earlier – and his opening partner Imam-ul-Haq was trapped lbw, the dream team set off in pursuit of the remaining 268 runs.
It was never going to be a straightforward task.
Only one touring team in the past 15 years has scored more than 317 in the fourth innings to win a Test in Australia, and that was India's history-making 329 to secure a series victory at the Gabba three summers ago.
But Shan, who had begun this tour with a regal double-century against a Cricket Australia XI at Canberra, showed he was up for the fight in a tough start to his innings.
The left-hander was struck a painful blow to the midriff by a Hazlewood short ball having scored just one, and added only 11 more before it seemed his defiance had met a premature end.
Masood was adjudged lbw by umpire Wilson in spinner Nathan Lyon's first over of the innings, but eventually opted to invoke captain's privilege with a review that most onlookers deemed to be speculative at best.
But to the surprise of many and the incredulity of a few – most notably Lyon, who slapped a hand to his head in silent shock – ball tracking technology showed the delivery bouncing well over the stumps even though it made contact with the knee roll of the batter's front pad.
When Cummins belatedly brought himself into the attack immediately after lunch, he got a fearsome short ball to climb at Shan's neck and in an instinctive move to deflect it away on the leg side the skipper copped a painful thud on the fingers.
However, having weathered that latest storm and the loss of Imam – who was fortunate to survive a confident lbw shout from Cummins but not so lucky against a second one two balls later – Shan began to blossom and Pakistan fans dared to dream.
At the other end, Babar was finally finding the sort of touch that earned him the title of Pakistan's best contemporary Test batter but which he had found frustratingly elusive across a handful of low scores in the series.
Like his captain, Babar was subjected to a reviewed lbw shout (from Hazelwood) early in his innings, but again the technology confirmed a ball the Australians felt was destined for the stumps was, in fact, clearing them quite comfortably.
More importantly, Babar seemed to have tightened up the defensive flaw that allowed Cummins to rattle his stumps in the first innings of this match, when the Australia skipper scythed what he described as "a dream ball" between his bat and pad.
And Cummins' capacity to produce those wicket-taking deliveries when most needed again came to the fore when his relentless targeting of the Pakistan pair's front pad led Shan to edge a low catch to second slip where Smith gleefully hung on.
And just as speculation began to simmer that Babar might reach 50 for the first time in the series and push on further to put his team within sight of triumph, the technical flaw exposed in the first innings reappeared and was duly exploited.
This time it was Hazlewood who landed a ball on the challenging length that lured Babar half-forward but not so committed that his front pad protected his stumps.
As a result, when Hazlewood extracted exaggerated movement from the well-grassed surface the sight of Babar's stumps being dismantled played out in near identical circumstances to Wednesday evening and the Australians' celebration was equally animated.
At 4-146, the goal of 317 was disappearing fast in the distance and became significantly further beyond reach when Shakeel – who had begun his maiden Australia campaign with a lofty Test average above 80 – was caught behind trying to uppercut a lifter from Starc.
It left renowned counter-puncher Rizwan as Pakistan's last recognised batter, with only spin-bowling allrounder Salman and four seamers with questionable batting credentials to find the 155 runs needed.
That goal would have been decidedly less imposing if not for Carey's invaluable half-century earlier in the day, and the 73 runs he was able to add with Australia's tailenders after his team resumed on 8-187 this morning.
Carey's output with the bat since back-to-back half centuries in the first two Tests of Australia's World Test Championship final and Ashes sojourn earlier this year has come under increasing scrutiny, despite his glovework – the skill for which he is selected – being mostly flawless.
However, on a pitch where more credentialled batters have struggled throughout this Test, the 32-year-old was rarely troubled as he took the lead in productive alliances formed productive alliances with Starc (partnership of 22), Cummins (28), Lyon (12) and Hazlewood (13).
Peerless Cummins leads Aussies to big Test win | cricket.com.au
Pat Cummins completes a 10-wicket match haul in Australia's 79-run win to take an unassailable 2-0…
www.cricket.com.au
Dantheone
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Thinking again, one can't blame on one drop catch to lose the match. Yes it was a major chance but who knows then later any other player went on to score big? Aus should have been taken out with less than 100 despite the opportunities, with that kind of start. Also, the batting needs to be better - specially from the known players like Babar. Only Shan and Rizwan played positively but even they couldn't stay on. Rizwan is any day better than Sarfaraz but he needs to also play longer innings. Hassan Ali doesn't even deserve a place - he's a gone case.
Yes it was wrong decision at the toss but we would have found other ways to lose
That was a critical critical drop. I don't know of a cliche that's more true than "catches win matches"
However for me that collapse from 124-1 to 150-5 was where the match was lost right then
Dr_Bassim
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As I said earlier, Pakistan dominated this Test but lost it in one moment of madness in the 1st innings when they collapsed from 124-1 to 150-5.
That, there was the end of this Test.
DeadlyVenom
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I may be criticised for having low standards but I'm reasonably pleased with this.
shaz619
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In hindsight you’re right, but Australia were not their fluent selves either. Going by Pakistan’s batting on tour, it is quiet possible they would have suffered a low total due to the lateral movement. Would they seriously have a chance scoring 150-200 in the first innings? am not sure, that’s a lot of catching up to do.
It was a good fight though all things considered by their standards.
Amjid Javed
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Self inflicted defeat
Poor bowling on 1st day
Pathetic batting by middle order when 130/1
Pathetic bowling / fielding after Aussies 16/4
Middle order get set in and out in final inns
Gift wrapped test match for Aussies from Pakistan
Poor bowling on 1st day
Pathetic batting by middle order when 130/1
Pathetic bowling / fielding after Aussies 16/4
Middle order get set in and out in final inns
Gift wrapped test match for Aussies from Pakistan
Flat_Track_Bully
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Can they give Saim a debut in the dead rubber now.
How can Abdullah perform, We need his talent self to practice more in the nets.
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gibsyhesperis
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A fine Test and Pakistan were competitive which is as much as anyone (other than the deluded) can hope for.
At the start of the series it was clear to anyone, with any insight and knowledge of Test cricket, that the series would end 3-0 to Australia, but we hoped that the games would be competitive.
Well done Pakistan for achieving this.
At the start of the series it was clear to anyone, with any insight and knowledge of Test cricket, that the series would end 3-0 to Australia, but we hoped that the games would be competitive.
Well done Pakistan for achieving this.
Maliq_Mudasir
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Unless the Aus captain is Tim Paine
2018 series Aus really were reeling after sandpaper gate but 2020 was a remarkable series Victory. Got to appreciate that
Who won the series in Australia when Tim paine was the captain? Anyone
Slim
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Pakistan got three major opportunities to win this test.
First, it was in the first innings when the middle order collapsed after Shan and Abdullah set foundation.
Second, when we had them at 16-4, and Abdullah dropped the catch and couldnt capitalise further.
Even then, they managed to get them out, and then Abdullah, Saud, Imam (the nightwatchman), Babar etc. failed.
Imam, Abdullah and Saud are the biggest culprits in this match.
First, it was in the first innings when the middle order collapsed after Shan and Abdullah set foundation.
Second, when we had them at 16-4, and Abdullah dropped the catch and couldnt capitalise further.
Even then, they managed to get them out, and then Abdullah, Saud, Imam (the nightwatchman), Babar etc. failed.
Imam, Abdullah and Saud are the biggest culprits in this match.
I still can't believe we won the series there last time and especially the Gabba test without Kohli, Bumrah, Shami, Ashwin and Jadeja. It is mind boggling how a bowling attack of T.Natarajan, Siraj (on debut), Shardul and Washington Sundar beat a full strength Australian team with players at their prime.
Looking at the way Aussies always decimates England and now Pakistan is sitting at 16 consecutive test loses, those two series win by India, especially the one in 2020 makes it even more special. I am sure it will be spoken and remembered for a very long time.
Looking at the way Aussies always decimates England and now Pakistan is sitting at 16 consecutive test loses, those two series win by India, especially the one in 2020 makes it even more special. I am sure it will be spoken and remembered for a very long time.
The Scorer
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Hasan looked like a club bowler 125k low bounce. The other seamers bowled well and that's something to build on. Saud and Iman-al-Haq don't have the ability to bat at this level away from home against a big side. Agha Salman, Jamal, and Hamza have shown unexpected promise and should get chances. Hasan, Imam, and Saud should be out don't pick them again. Shan has done a reasonable job as captain and batted quite well.
aboveandbeyond
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Suleiman
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Good chance BCCI paid them off. Even you as a hardcore fan still can’t wrap your mind around how they did it, so it shows that those victories could happen 1 way only.
At least one of those wins was paid for. Perks of having a filthy rich board. Also them visiting Australia every single year made it so like they were playing in their vacation home.
Pak played way better in test 2 after being used to Aussie conditions. If Pakistan showed up every year, they too would win 1 series eventually.
Maliq_Mudasir
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During his tenure only India (twice), Pak, SL and Nz travelled to Australia. Two strong test teams, Eng and SA didn't tour to Australia during his time. They could have won.
Maliq_Mudasir
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Yes, undoubtedly India played exceptionally well after humiliating 36 all out. But Tim Paine was equally bad as a captain. Any other captain like Cummins would have made it extremely difficult for India.
You don't know what you have just watched for 4 days.
Pakistan have played well and the difference has been the fielding and Cummins.
Do remember we are playing without our first choice fast bowler and quick.
And you are not supposed to come to Australia and start dominating, that can only happen if you come a month early and play tour games
We need to end the streak. We can match these guys and I would rather end the streak against this Aus team then the lesser team we will be facing when we next have a tour (given all the players who will have retired)
Imam for Saim and Hasan for Abrar.
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One time Aus batting was decimated after sandpaper gate,
The other time we had Wade as a batter and Haris in the Aus line up.
The Aus team became a beast when Khawaja moved upto open. India never played this team (though I do think they are beatable with quite a few batters now ready to retire)
Of course it was a great performance.
We have also proved we can take 20 wickets with second choice bowlers which is good.
There are 2 other main differences to how and why you got over the line. This Australian batting line up is better than what you faced. Smith is slightly worse than 2021 but everybody else bar Warner is better and they had Matthew Wade playing as a batter as well as Harris. Since Khawaja moved up their batting definately is stronger. Carey is also better than Paine.
The other thing is the amount of time your batters have to acclimatise. India played T20s, ODIs, and tour games before playing 4 tests (and it was the 4th test in which the series was won on each occasion)
This meant your batters were at their best coming into the decider.
That is not actually true- because whilst it was a total cock up -they recovered from that cock up with useful contributions from Jamal and Shaheen and then reducing Aus to16-4 second time out.
They created the opportunity to be 100 behind with 5 Aus wickets remaining, so to be chasing around 220 and they didnt take it- and that is ultimately why the game was lost.
Of course there is ebb and flow over 5 days but being 150-5 definately did not end the test as we had and did recover the lost ground, and created the opportunity to move ahead in the game which was not taken. Then the game was taken away from us and we were always behind from the drop catch onwards
BCCI wale bhi na.
After buying the test series win in 2018, they should have bought one of the WCs. Maybe the 2023 WC final. They ran out of cash probably?
Australia are not invincible at home. They are of course very strong but this Aussie team also collapses and looks flat for long stretches. Problem is in Tests you need to capitalize on the weaknesses. Pakistan wasnt able to deliver the finish blow when they needed to and let them escape.
At 16-4 this match was very very winnable but letting them get to 264 was a huge failure
At 16-4 this match was very very winnable but letting them get to 264 was a huge failure
Actually it is the other way round. This Australian batting line up with retiring Warner and declining Smith is worse than the one they played against India in 2020. Most of the Australian batting line up were at their prime back then. Also, the bowling line up was better then with inform and relatively younger Lyon, Starc, Hazelwood etc. Australian team is an ageing side now and will be going through a transition phase starting next year. This was the golden opportunity for Pakistan to win a test match but they failed to do so.
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Highlights of Day 4Peerless Cummins leads Aussies to big Test win
Pat Cummins completes a 10-wicket match haul in Australia's 79-run win to take an unassailable 2-0 series lead
A contentious caught behind decision that required forensic study of Mohammad Rizwan's right forearm eventually cost the Pakistan keeper-batter his wicket and his team a shot at a drought-breaking Test win in Australia.
In a dramatic final half-hour at the MCG, what loomed as a tense day-five run chase ended as a 79-run win for Australia after Rizwan's removal sparked a complete capitulation in the face of sustained, aggressive fast bowling by Pat Cummins' team.
The win from nowhere was achieved at 6.21pm local time, and came courtesy of a couple of sensational diving catches from Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith as Pakistan's tailenders fended away a relentless bouncer barrage.
Rizwan was looming as the potential hero in an unlikely run chase of 317 for Pakistan's first Test win here since 1995 when he was adjudged caught behind as he attempted to duck a searing Cummins bouncer.
Cummins was convinced he had his man even though umpire Michael Gough denied the appeal, and Rizwan immediately pointed to what he indicated was the point of impact just below his right elbow.
However, television footage indicated the ball had brushed the right-hander much further down and had made contact with the elasticised wristband on his batting glove which – under the Laws of cricket – rendered him out.
The vehemence of Rizwan's defence coupled with the length of time taken for third umpire Richard Illingworth to reach the decision that sent a clearly aggrieved batter on his way ensure the crucial moment in Pakistan's brave chase of victory became enshrouded with conjecture.
Rizwan's capacity to revel in seemingly lost causes was well known to Australia before we went to the wicket today with Pakistan 4-146 and holding dwindling hopes after the dismissal of their most accomplished batter, Babar Azam.
It was the feisty keeper's patient 104 not out on the final day at Karachi in 2022 that prevented Australia closing out a beckoning Test win, and the 95 he scored in a 132-run partnership with Babr at Brisbane on his team's previous tour here provided a rare act of defiance in an otherwise lopsided campaign.
But not even Rizwan's dogged defiance, nor his steadfast reluctance to leave the field after a prolonged third-umpire examination of the evidence after Australia's call for review, could prevent his innings ending on 35.
His displeasure was shared by batting partner Salman Ali Agha who repeatedly pointed to his own forearm while gesticulating to on-field umpires Gough and Joel Wilson, despite the final decision resting in the hands of their off-field colleague.
When confirmation of the dismissal was finally shown on the electronic scoreboards, Rizwan continued to plead his case before eventually retrieving the bat, gloves and helmet he has discarded on pitch edge and stalking from the field in simmering fury.
With him went Pakistan's last realistic hope of reeling in the 97 runs then needed for a remarkable outright win, with only the tailenders to partner Salman in their forlorn quest.
However, no sooner had Rizwan departed than Cummins had Aamir Jamal bunt a return catch off another brutal bouncer, at which point Australia claimed the additional half-hour's play that is offered when a result is imminent.
And during that extended session, as shadows lengthened across the MCG, Cummins completed a 10-wicket haul for the match before Mitchell Starc snared 2-0 from consecutive deliveries as Pakistan's last three wickets fell without adding a run.
Despite Rizwan's obvious confidence that he could carry his team across the line prior to his contentious demise, the truth remained it was always an outside hope after Pakistan's best batting hopes had succumbed earlier in the innings.
Much of that burden lay with skipper Shan Masood and his captaincy predecessor Babar.
After Abdullah Shafique fell to a sharp slips catch by Usman Khawaja – itself, a moment steeped in irony given the far simpler chance Shafique shelled in that position a day earlier – and his opening partner Imam-ul-Haq was trapped lbw, the dream team set off in pursuit of the remaining 268 runs.
It was never going to be a straightforward task.
Only one touring team in the past 15 years has scored more than 317 in the fourth innings to win a Test in Australia, and that was India's history-making 329 to secure a series victory at the Gabba three summers ago.
But Shan, who had begun this tour with a regal double-century against a Cricket Australia XI at Canberra, showed he was up for the fight in a tough start to his innings.
The left-hander was struck a painful blow to the midriff by a Hazlewood short ball having scored just one, and added only 11 more before it seemed his defiance had met a premature end.
Masood was adjudged lbw by umpire Wilson in spinner Nathan Lyon's first over of the innings, but eventually opted to invoke captain's privilege with a review that most onlookers deemed to be speculative at best.
But to the surprise of many and the incredulity of a few – most notably Lyon, who slapped a hand to his head in silent shock – ball tracking technology showed the delivery bouncing well over the stumps even though it made contact with the knee roll of the batter's front pad.
When Cummins belatedly brought himself into the attack immediately after lunch, he got a fearsome short ball to climb at Shan's neck and in an instinctive move to deflect it away on the leg side the skipper copped a painful thud on the fingers.
However, having weathered that latest storm and the loss of Imam – who was fortunate to survive a confident lbw shout from Cummins but not so lucky against a second one two balls later – Shan began to blossom and Pakistan fans dared to dream.
At the other end, Babar was finally finding the sort of touch that earned him the title of Pakistan's best contemporary Test batter but which he had found frustratingly elusive across a handful of low scores in the series.
Like his captain, Babar was subjected to a reviewed lbw shout (from Hazelwood) early in his innings, but again the technology confirmed a ball the Australians felt was destined for the stumps was, in fact, clearing them quite comfortably.
More importantly, Babar seemed to have tightened up the defensive flaw that allowed Cummins to rattle his stumps in the first innings of this match, when the Australia skipper scythed what he described as "a dream ball" between his bat and pad.
And Cummins' capacity to produce those wicket-taking deliveries when most needed again came to the fore when his relentless targeting of the Pakistan pair's front pad led Shan to edge a low catch to second slip where Smith gleefully hung on.
And just as speculation began to simmer that Babar might reach 50 for the first time in the series and push on further to put his team within sight of triumph, the technical flaw exposed in the first innings reappeared and was duly exploited.
This time it was Hazlewood who landed a ball on the challenging length that lured Babar half-forward but not so committed that his front pad protected his stumps.
As a result, when Hazlewood extracted exaggerated movement from the well-grassed surface the sight of Babar's stumps being dismantled played out in near identical circumstances to Wednesday evening and the Australians' celebration was equally animated.
At 4-146, the goal of 317 was disappearing fast in the distance and became significantly further beyond reach when Shakeel – who had begun his maiden Australia campaign with a lofty Test average above 80 – was caught behind trying to uppercut a lifter from Starc.
It left renowned counter-puncher Rizwan as Pakistan's last recognised batter, with only spin-bowling allrounder Salman and four seamers with questionable batting credentials to find the 155 runs needed.
That goal would have been decidedly less imposing if not for Carey's invaluable half-century earlier in the day, and the 73 runs he was able to add with Australia's tailenders after his team resumed on 8-187 this morning.
Carey's output with the bat since back-to-back half centuries in the first two Tests of Australia's World Test Championship final and Ashes sojourn earlier this year has come under increasing scrutiny, despite his glovework – the skill for which he is selected – being mostly flawless.
However, on a pitch where more credentialled batters have struggled throughout this Test, the 32-year-old was rarely troubled as he took the lead in productive alliances formed productive alliances with Starc (partnership of 22), Cummins (28), Lyon (12) and Hazlewood (13).
Peerless Cummins leads Aussies to big Test win | cricket.com.au
Pat Cummins completes a 10-wicket match haul in Australia's 79-run win to take an unassailable 2-0…
sweep_shot
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10-fer in the game for Cummins (5/48 and 5/49). Great performance from him.
Pakistan fought well in this game but fell short by 79 runs.
Pakistan fought well in this game but fell short by 79 runs.
17th loss in a row Aus were probably bored of thrashing Pak took this game easily.
Reminds me of David Lloyd's "we flippin murdered them" after England drew to Zimbabwe when he was coach.Hafeez claimed that Pakistan were the superior of the two sides at the Test match: “I will sum up: our Pakistan team played better than the other team in general. Our batting intent was better. Our bowling was hitting in the right areas.
Pak played way better than expected way better actually. But in cricket it's always the basics no matter what level you play. Take your catches be positive in your batting and bowl disciplined lines. Easier said than done though. But pak gave a cracker of a test though. Kudos for that . Still 3-0 loading though. Pak has too many deficiencies to cover up. Hoping they fight hard and give another exciting game
Kianig89
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Routine defeat for Pakistan nothing unusual all going according to the rule we are destined for whitewash unless something extraordinary happens
batandballbattle
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Well fought lads, we've had a much better showing compared to the absolute mauling we got last time we toured.
Can't help but thinking a chance at history slipped right through our fingers though, but even so there are a good few positives we can take away from our efforts.
Can't help but thinking a chance at history slipped right through our fingers though, but even so there are a good few positives we can take away from our efforts.
The end result 3-0 was never in doubt. It's the journey that matters. Can be a boring one or an exciting one. Like a road trip. Destination is the same - how you get there makes it interesting
This AUS team is already beatable with their talismanic trio of quicks ageing. Maybe Head would open after Warner's gone to keep the shock and awe factor intact up top. But Smith has been milquetoast lately and Marnus has proven to be a chinese imitation of SS. Batting lacks steel and durability, forget the intimidation factor of past.
If Cummins is ever unavailable then this team is ripe to be whitewashed at home. Just like India, this is a team in transition.
If Cummins is ever unavailable then this team is ripe to be whitewashed at home. Just like India, this is a team in transition.
I think therfore I am
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If you do the maths then the dropped catch of Marsh was the the massive turning point.
sweep_shot
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Are you saying they do not have good replacements? They have a good system in place. They should be okay even after these current guys retire.
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Imam in the Oz series has scored 11 runs every hour. If you look at his scores that is insane.
Pak bowlers have proven you don't need pace to compete against OZ. However give away 52 extras in first innings is disgraceful.
Get rid of Imam, saud and agha
Pakistan cricket is in its last stage of complete destruction. Lost test series at home against ful strength Oz and Eng. Disaster in the Asia cup and world cup and now this. Terrible
Pak bowlers have proven you don't need pace to compete against OZ. However give away 52 extras in first innings is disgraceful.
Get rid of Imam, saud and agha
Pakistan cricket is in its last stage of complete destruction. Lost test series at home against ful strength Oz and Eng. Disaster in the Asia cup and world cup and now this. Terrible
Dr_Bassim
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Actually that is quite not true.
If you expect sides to collapse from 16-4 to 100 all out then your expecation is way too high.
Good teams will always find a way to score 200 to 250 odd runs from 20 for 4.
The onus was on batsmen to somehow bat out of their skin and gain a memorable victory.
Bowlers can only do so much and dropped catch while bad still asked Pakistan to chase 300 for a historic win.
jnaveen1980
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Lesson from this dramatic test for Pakistan is getting rid of Warner early makes them more competitive. 2 of their main guys are in atrocious touch. Pakistan has clearly done the home work against Head. Yes he can take the game away. He will also give you chances which pakistan grabbed. Quietening these two has made their attack more potent Then it is a matter of grinding out against Australian bowling.
I disagree. Yes good teams at home will often find a way to crawl out of a hole. But that's where Pakistan needed to pick up another wicket quickly.
The tail cant string together a 200 partnership often, but one middle order batsman can play anchor and score and build small partnership with multiple other lower order bats. You need to make the kill shot at 16-4. Even if they reached 150 odd, the chase would have looked very different. Cummins would have to spread the field to avoid giving up boundaries and allowed easier singles in the process
Shoaib Akhtar 100 MPH
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Shoaib Akhtar 100 MPH
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100 Bro
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Credit to Shan and Hafeez for making the right decision to bowl first. The 2.5 degree swing on offer on the first day would've only ensured Pakistan ended up 70 all out and the match to be over in 2 and a bit days.
Michael Hussey (who I'm pretty sure is more knowledgeable than all of us here about Australian conditions) said that the best time to bat was Day 2. Pat Cummins at the toss wanted to bowl first. But what do they know?
I don't know which MCG Boxing Day Test matches you watched but surely you did not watch last year's Boxing Day Test Match where Australia won the toss and fielded first against SA winning by an innings and 182 runs. Also, you probably did not watch the Ashes test in 2021 at the MCG where again Australia won the toss and fielded only to win by an innings and 14 runs. You also probably did not watch Australia vs India in 2020 where Australia won the toss but this time decided to bat first and duly lost to India by getting bowled out for 195 on the first day.
The MCG pitch was completely revamped after the 2017 season when it was rated as poor. Even Azhar Ali managed a 200 in 2016 and Pakistan scored so much that they declared. Since 2017, the MCG pitch is not a batting first pitch and the results show as I have listed above.
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Mesozoic
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Just caught the highlights...I think Pak performed much much better than what I or most people expected them to here. Probably the most competitive boxing day Test in a long long time, that had a result.
Savak
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You cannot compete in Australia without counter attacking batting. Accumulated grinding does not work if you have 5-6 batsmen playing the same role.
The secret to India's batting success in 2018 & 2021 is that only Pujara was playing that role but everyone else around him batted freely with their natural game.
Also you need to have a complete team team ie 2-3 super fit fast bowler, 2 super fit competent all rounders and a world class spinner backed up by world class fielding and fitness.
Any weak links and Australia will exploit them.
The secret to India's batting success in 2018 & 2021 is that only Pujara was playing that role but everyone else around him batted freely with their natural game.
Also you need to have a complete team team ie 2-3 super fit fast bowler, 2 super fit competent all rounders and a world class spinner backed up by world class fielding and fitness.
Any weak links and Australia will exploit them.
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Here are a few of my observations:
1. I enjoyed watching the pace bowling, especially from the Pakistani bowlers.
2. Pakistan as a team should believe they can defeat Australia in Australia. I thought that self-belief was missing in the first innings.
3. Pakistan showed a better fight than how India did vs. South Africa. This team is young and brighter days ahead for Shan and the team. When Naseem comes back it will get even better.
4. I believed a good spinner could have made a difference when Marsh and Smith were batting.
1. I enjoyed watching the pace bowling, especially from the Pakistani bowlers.
2. Pakistan as a team should believe they can defeat Australia in Australia. I thought that self-belief was missing in the first innings.
3. Pakistan showed a better fight than how India did vs. South Africa. This team is young and brighter days ahead for Shan and the team. When Naseem comes back it will get even better.
4. I believed a good spinner could have made a difference when Marsh and Smith were batting.
jnaveen1980
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About toss decision that was a good call fielding first on this surface. May not work everywhere as Australia can completely bat Pakistan out of the Test in some places. Having said that if Warner gets going against Pakistan it would not matter batting first or batting second. Pakistan can totally wilt. His dismissal made the contest even.
I agree Warner is the absolute key wicket.
And I've lost count of the times we have dropped him early in his innings.
An entertaining and enthralling Test match every single day in Australia. Sucks Pakistan couldn't win but huge credit to Pakistan for how well they've played. Expectation was this bowling group would get put to the sword in these conditions but they have been really solid. They even took 20 wickets for once in Australia and if Abdullah doesn't drop those catches, there's a realistic chance Pakistan win this match.
Bowlers have done a good of a job as they can and barring the 1st session in both matches, the bowling has been exceptional IMO. Despite the lack of pace, the pacers have really hit the right line/length and troubled Aussie batsmen. Helps that Australia hasn't prepared complete flat decks, which they could have. But these are the perfect type of pitches that make a Test match so compelling.
Outside of the dropped catches, I would say the biggest difference is our best player in Babar has been very pedestrian. If he had played well, Pakistan may have won regardless of the dropped catches.
Bowlers have done a good of a job as they can and barring the 1st session in both matches, the bowling has been exceptional IMO. Despite the lack of pace, the pacers have really hit the right line/length and troubled Aussie batsmen. Helps that Australia hasn't prepared complete flat decks, which they could have. But these are the perfect type of pitches that make a Test match so compelling.
Outside of the dropped catches, I would say the biggest difference is our best player in Babar has been very pedestrian. If he had played well, Pakistan may have won regardless of the dropped catches.
Nikhil_cric
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4 wins and 22 losses against Australia since 1996.
Pakistan succumbing to yet another heart breaking loss against the Aussies.
Pakistan succumbing to yet another heart breaking loss against the Aussies.
Savak
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You cannot fight fire with fire without quality and resources.
Shoaib Akhtar 100 MPH
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We got ourselves in a winning position despite limited resources so what does that tell you.
If a boxer had your mindset they would loose all their fights.
you should be positive, aggressive and assertive regardless.
It should be see ball hit ball regardless of whose bowling and their so called status.
if the ball is in your zone smash it and assert yourself on the opposition.
Nikhil_cric
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Rain saving Pakistan from 3-0? 
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