Pakistan is obviously deep in trouble at 97-8 in response to Australia's 429 all out at Brisbane.
But I actually think today was pretty even. It was yesterday when Pakistan lost the Test - not today.
On Day 2:
Australia was 141-7 in daylight.
Pakistan was 97-8 under lights.
It is important that Misbah and Mickey Arthur get the team to understand that that isn't so terrible. And that batting is always harder in the first hour under lights.
It's absurdly simplistic for people to talk about scoring rates. The problems are actually much, much deeper.
And by the same token, the solutions are not to be found in this squad.
My current problem list is:
1. Batsmen are playing shots outside offstump which are foolish.
2. Younis and Misbah are too old to succeed in Australia.
3. Asad Shafiq has lost it mentally, and needs a break from Test cricket.
4. The third seamer - Rahat Ali - has lost his action.
5. The right-arm quicks in the squad are not good enough.
6. There is no fourth seamer option who can bat at 7 below Sarfraz.
7. Three left-arm quicks was fine against the left-handers, but the damaging partnerships were Smith-Handscomb and Bird-Lyon who are right-handers.
8. Sami Aslam has a dangerous, potentially life-threatening, vulnerability to short-pitched bowling.
It is crucial that we understand that there are no solutions, no answers, in the selected squad.
Sharjeel Khan is not selectable because his off-side game is even worse. He can cut, but has never had any off-side strokes for full deliveries.
Mohammad Rizwan showed in NZ that he struggles outside off-stump too.
I have often seen Pakistan improve with reinforcements in Australia.
Imran Khan and Sarfraz Nawaz stopped the losing trend in 1983-84. Salim Malik strengthened the team in 1995-96.
And Mike Denness dropping himself strengthened England in 1974-75.
We all saw today that Father Time has made Younis and Misbah into liabilities in Australian conditions, and that youngsters like Sami Aslam and Babar Azam offer more, even Sarfraz Ahmed and Mohammad Amir offer more with the bat.
The best thing that Misbah and Younis could do is make themselves unavailable for the last two Tests. Batting reinforcements would hugely strengthen this team: Salman Butt averages 42 in Australia and Umar Akmal averages 33. Even at their career averages in Australia, the score would be 168-8 instead of 97-8. Or more likely, it would be 110-4.
If Misbah and Younis don't declare themselves unavailable, then Misbah needs to tell Younis that after 11 failures in 12 innings outside Asia since mid-July he is dropped. No team can carry such a consistently hopeless Number 4, but his advanced age also means that this is not a "form is temporary, class is permanent" situation but rather a "time waits for no man" one.
The failure to drop Younis Khan is starting to move from being "quaintly loyal" to "cowardly and unprofessional." Shafiq is playing just as badly, but at least he will return to form and to the team at some point in the future. Younis is just too old to improve now.
Only one currently active Pakistan batsman has a fluent enough offside game to succeed in Australia, and that's Salman Butt. Ideally he would open with Sami, with Azhar dropping to 3, Babar dropping to 4 in place of Younis and Umar Akmal replacing Shafiq at 6 if Misbah won't fall on his sword.
With Younis finished by age and Shafiq mentally disintegrated, Salman Butt and Umar Akmal strengthen this batting line-up immeasurably in Australian conditions.
In terms of the bowling, a right-armer must replace Rahat Ali. I agree with Arthur and Misbah's conclusion that Sohail Khan and Imran Khan are unselectable. I would call up Mohammad Asif, and if that is deemed impossible I'd call up Hasan Ali.
Australia has lost 5 of its last 6 Tests since July. And their performance on Day 2 was barely better than Pakistan's.
Pakistan can fight back. But they need to understand that the weapons they require are not currently in this squad.
But I actually think today was pretty even. It was yesterday when Pakistan lost the Test - not today.
On Day 2:
Australia was 141-7 in daylight.
Pakistan was 97-8 under lights.
It is important that Misbah and Mickey Arthur get the team to understand that that isn't so terrible. And that batting is always harder in the first hour under lights.
It's absurdly simplistic for people to talk about scoring rates. The problems are actually much, much deeper.
And by the same token, the solutions are not to be found in this squad.
My current problem list is:
1. Batsmen are playing shots outside offstump which are foolish.
2. Younis and Misbah are too old to succeed in Australia.
3. Asad Shafiq has lost it mentally, and needs a break from Test cricket.
4. The third seamer - Rahat Ali - has lost his action.
5. The right-arm quicks in the squad are not good enough.
6. There is no fourth seamer option who can bat at 7 below Sarfraz.
7. Three left-arm quicks was fine against the left-handers, but the damaging partnerships were Smith-Handscomb and Bird-Lyon who are right-handers.
8. Sami Aslam has a dangerous, potentially life-threatening, vulnerability to short-pitched bowling.
It is crucial that we understand that there are no solutions, no answers, in the selected squad.
Sharjeel Khan is not selectable because his off-side game is even worse. He can cut, but has never had any off-side strokes for full deliveries.
Mohammad Rizwan showed in NZ that he struggles outside off-stump too.
I have often seen Pakistan improve with reinforcements in Australia.
Imran Khan and Sarfraz Nawaz stopped the losing trend in 1983-84. Salim Malik strengthened the team in 1995-96.
And Mike Denness dropping himself strengthened England in 1974-75.
We all saw today that Father Time has made Younis and Misbah into liabilities in Australian conditions, and that youngsters like Sami Aslam and Babar Azam offer more, even Sarfraz Ahmed and Mohammad Amir offer more with the bat.
The best thing that Misbah and Younis could do is make themselves unavailable for the last two Tests. Batting reinforcements would hugely strengthen this team: Salman Butt averages 42 in Australia and Umar Akmal averages 33. Even at their career averages in Australia, the score would be 168-8 instead of 97-8. Or more likely, it would be 110-4.
If Misbah and Younis don't declare themselves unavailable, then Misbah needs to tell Younis that after 11 failures in 12 innings outside Asia since mid-July he is dropped. No team can carry such a consistently hopeless Number 4, but his advanced age also means that this is not a "form is temporary, class is permanent" situation but rather a "time waits for no man" one.
The failure to drop Younis Khan is starting to move from being "quaintly loyal" to "cowardly and unprofessional." Shafiq is playing just as badly, but at least he will return to form and to the team at some point in the future. Younis is just too old to improve now.
Only one currently active Pakistan batsman has a fluent enough offside game to succeed in Australia, and that's Salman Butt. Ideally he would open with Sami, with Azhar dropping to 3, Babar dropping to 4 in place of Younis and Umar Akmal replacing Shafiq at 6 if Misbah won't fall on his sword.
With Younis finished by age and Shafiq mentally disintegrated, Salman Butt and Umar Akmal strengthen this batting line-up immeasurably in Australian conditions.
In terms of the bowling, a right-armer must replace Rahat Ali. I agree with Arthur and Misbah's conclusion that Sohail Khan and Imran Khan are unselectable. I would call up Mohammad Asif, and if that is deemed impossible I'd call up Hasan Ali.
Australia has lost 5 of its last 6 Tests since July. And their performance on Day 2 was barely better than Pakistan's.
Pakistan can fight back. But they need to understand that the weapons they require are not currently in this squad.
