Missed opportunities to win Test series in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia)

[AliMurtaza]

Test cricket is the ultimate form of cricket for me. Whenever Pakistan loses a test series, at home in particular and a competitive series abroad, it really pains me. In my previous thread, I wrote about Pakistan’s abysmal home test record during the last 22 years. Today, I will look at test series (2 test matches minimum) that could have been won by Pakistan in NZ, Eng, Australia, and South Africa. Happy reading.

New Zealand

Pakistan has a great test record in New Zealand. We have won 5 test series in the country. However, there is one more test series that should have been won.

In the 2009 tour, the test series was drawn 1-1. However, I strongly feel that the first test should have been won by Pakistan. Pakistan were chasing 251 and were 195/5 at one point but collapsed to get all out for 218. Umar Akmal scored 75 in the second innings but like many of this other matches for Pakistan, he couldn’t finish the match. I watched that match live and thought we couldn’t get over the line at the end because of our weak batting mentality.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/series/423771.html


England

Pakistan has a good test record in England. We have won 3 test series besides drawing a few. However, our last test series win in the country was in 1995. I feel that there were 3 more instances where Pakistan missed an opportunity to win a test series.

• The 1971 test series was won 1-0 by England. However, if you look at the scorecards, the series could have been won 2-0 by Pakistan. In the first test match, England were 229/5 in second innings when the match was drawn. However, they were 184/3 at end of day 4 and still 71 runs in deficit to Pak’s first innings total of 608. It seems rain on last day robbed Pakistan of a test win. Then, in the last test match, Pakistan couldn’t chase 241 to win despite being 159/4 at one point. I believe this was Imran Khan’s first test series in England.

• Pak second lost opportunity was in 1982. England won that series 2-1. In the third test match, Pak got out for 199 in the second innings, leaving England a target of 213 which they achieved with the loss of 7 wickets. Few more runs by Pakistan or a better bowling effort up front, England top 3 scored 144 runs, could have resulted in a 2-1 series win for England. Imran Khan mentions this test series in his autobiography and feels it was a missed opportunity for Pakistan to register their first test series win in England.

• Pakistan’s third and most recent lost opportunity was in 2016. The series was drawn 2-2. However, the third Birmingham test should have been drawn. In the second innings, Pakistan had 9 wickets and two sessions to bat in order to draw the test. However, the moment the old ball started to reverse swing, our batsmen fell like pins. This test series was probably watched live by all of us. I still feel that pain of the Birmingham loss.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/england-v-pakistan-2016/engine/series/60436.html

http://www.espncricinfo.com/england-v-pakistan-2016/engine/series/60503.html

http://www.espncricinfo.com/scores/series/8502/pak-in-england-tests-2016


Australia

Pakistan has an abysmal test record in Australia. We have never won a test series in the country and our last test win was 23 years ago. However, there were two instances where Pakistan missed an opportunity to win a test series down under.

• The 1976 test series was drawn 1-1. In the first test at Adelaide, Pak set Australia 284 to chase. Australia ended the last day at 261/6 and the match was drawn. Since I don’t have the advantage of watching the match live, I can only speculate. Some may feel that Australia should have won and drew the curtains down rather quickly. Marsh was at 13 off 77 balls when the match was drawn. Others, like me, may feel that Pakistan should have produced a better bowling effort in second innings. Imran and Sarfaraz together bowled only 13 overs in the second innings and there was no second specialist spinner to partner Iqbal Qasim with Javed Miandad bowling 21 overs. Imran Khan attributes this to Mushtaq Mohammad’s defensive captaincy as he picked only 3 specialist bowers in Sarfaraz, Imran, and Qasim.

• Pakistan’s best chance of a test series win in Australia was perhaps 1979. Most of the Australian players were involved in Kerry Packer series and Australia fielded their A team in the test series. Pakistan won the first match by 71 runs. In the second match at Perth, Australia chased 236 in the 4th innings for the loss of only 3 wickets. In his autobiography, Imran Khan also rues this as a big missed opportunity for Pakistan considering we were virtually playing a second string Australia 11 in this series.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/series/60464.html

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/series/60479.html


South Africa

Like Australia, Pakistan has an abysmal test record in South Africa. We have won only 2 tests in the country, first in 1998 and second in 2007. The 1998 series was drawn 1-1 and the 2007 series was won 2-1 by SA. However, both these two test series could and should have been won by Pakistan.

• In 1998, Pakistan were leading the series 1-0 coming into the third match at Port Elizabeth. In the first two test matches, Rashid Latif was the captain and the team seemed to have excellent camaraderie. Before the third test, Wasim Akram joined the squad which I feel had a detrimental effect on the team spirit. The 1990s was rife with politics in Pakistan cricket. It rained for a considerable time in the third test match but still De Villiers bowled South Africa to a win in his last test match, taking 8 wickets. Considering day 2 was completely washed out and it rained for a considerable time on day 3 and day 5 (after the match was over), a poor batting effort and a toxic dressing roam (mainly because of Wasim Akram) robbed Pakistan of a golden chance to win a test series in South Africa.

• Pakistan’s second missed opportunity is 2007. Asif was in peak form during those days. The series was tied at 1-1 coming into the last match at Cape Town. Pakistan scored 157 and 183 in the two innings, leaving South Africa with a target of 161. Had it not been for Sami and Shahid Nazir, Pak may have set an ever lower target for South Africa. Kallis and Prince helped South Africa chase 161 for the loss of 5 wickets. Had Pakistan produced a better batting effort in either innings, Pakistan’s two senior batsmen Inzi and Younis failed in both innings, or if we had a decent second fast bowler to partner Asif, Pakistan’s other bowlers with Shahid Nazir and M Sami, we would have won the series 2-1. Like 1998, Pakistan missed another golden opportunity to win a test series in South Africa.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/engine/series/60656.html

http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/engine/series/250056.html

Would love to hear everyone's thoughts. Did I miss any other series in SENA?

 

[hashimafzal]

This wasn't an opportunity to win a series, but a chance to level the series 1-1 and take some momentum forward for the rest of the tour.

And yes, I'm referring to that dreaded Sydney test in 2010. When we couldn't win a single game across 3 formats in Australia.

 

[Rahul1]

Test cricket is the ultimate form of cricket for me. Whenever Pakistan loses a test series, at home in particular and a competitive series abroad, it really pains me. In my previous thread, I wrote about Pakistan’s abysmal home test record during the last 22 years. Today, I will look at test series (2 test matches minimum) that could have been won by Pakistan in NZ, Eng, Australia, and South Africa. Happy reading.

New Zealand

Pakistan has a great test record in New Zealand. We have won 5 test series in the country. However, there is one more test series that should have been won.

In the 2009 tour, the test series was drawn 1-1. However, I strongly feel that the first test should have been won by Pakistan. Pakistan were chasing 251 and were 195/5 at one point but collapsed to get all out for 218. Umar Akmal scored 75 in the second innings but like many of this other matches for Pakistan, he couldn’t finish the match. I watched that match live and thought we couldn’t get over the line at the end because of our weak batting mentality.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/series/423771.html


England

Pakistan has a good test record in England. We have won 3 test series besides drawing a few. However, our last test series win in the country was in 1995. I feel that there were 3 more instances where Pakistan missed an opportunity to win a test series.

• The 1971 test series was won 1-0 by England. However, if you look at the scorecards, the series could have been won 2-0 by Pakistan. In the first test match, England were 229/5 in second innings when the match was drawn. However, they were 184/3 at end of day 4 and still 71 runs in deficit to Pak’s first innings total of 608. It seems rain on last day robbed Pakistan of a test win. Then, in the last test match, Pakistan couldn’t chase 241 to win despite being 159/4 at one point. I believe this was Imran Khan’s first test series in England.

• Pak second lost opportunity was in 1982. England won that series 2-1. In the third test match, Pak got out for 199 in the second innings, leaving England a target of 213 which they achieved with the loss of 7 wickets. Few more runs by Pakistan or a better bowling effort up front, England top 3 scored 144 runs, could have resulted in a 2-1 series win for England. Imran Khan mentions this test series in his autobiography and feels it was a missed opportunity for Pakistan to register their first test series win in England.

• Pakistan’s third and most recent lost opportunity was in 2016. The series was drawn 2-2. However, the third Birmingham test should have been drawn. In the second innings, Pakistan had 9 wickets and two sessions to bat in order to draw the test. However, the moment the old ball started to reverse swing, our batsmen fell like pins. This test series was probably watched live by all of us. I still feel that pain of the Birmingham loss.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/england-v-pakistan-2016/engine/series/60436.html

http://www.espncricinfo.com/england-v-pakistan-2016/engine/series/60503.html

http://www.espncricinfo.com/scores/series/8502/pak-in-england-tests-2016


Australia

Pakistan has an abysmal test record in Australia. We have never won a test series in the country and our last test win was 23 years ago. However, there were two instances where Pakistan missed an opportunity to win a test series down under.

• The 1976 test series was drawn 1-1. In the first test at Adelaide, Pak set Australia 284 to chase. Australia ended the last day at 261/6 and the match was drawn. Since I don’t have the advantage of watching the match live, I can only speculate. Some may feel that Australia should have won and drew the curtains down rather quickly. Marsh was at 13 off 77 balls when the match was drawn. Others, like me, may feel that Pakistan should have produced a better bowling effort in second innings. Imran and Sarfaraz together bowled only 13 overs in the second innings and there was no second specialist spinner to partner Iqbal Qasim with Javed Miandad bowling 21 overs. Imran Khan attributes this to Mushtaq Mohammad’s defensive captaincy as he picked only 3 specialist bowers in Sarfaraz, Imran, and Qasim.

• Pakistan’s best chance of a test series win in Australia was perhaps 1979. Most of the Australian players were involved in Kerry Packer series and Australia fielded their A team in the test series. Pakistan won the first match by 71 runs. In the second match at Perth, Australia chased 236 in the 4th innings for the loss of only 3 wickets. In his autobiography, Imran Khan also rues this as a big missed opportunity for Pakistan considering we were virtually playing a second string Australia 11 in this series.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/series/60464.html

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/series/60479.html


South Africa

Like Australia, Pakistan has an abysmal test record in South Africa. We have won only 2 tests in the country, first in 1998 and second in 2007. The 1998 series was drawn 1-1 and the 2007 series was won 2-1 by SA. However, both these two test series could and should have been won by Pakistan.

• In 1998, Pakistan were leading the series 1-0 coming into the third match at Port Elizabeth. In the first two test matches, Rashid Latif was the captain and the team seemed to have excellent camaraderie. Before the third test, Wasim Akram joined the squad which I feel had a detrimental effect on the team spirit. The 1990s was rife with politics in Pakistan cricket. It rained for a considerable time in the third test match but still De Villiers bowled South Africa to a win in his last test match, taking 8 wickets. Considering day 2 was completely washed out and it rained for a considerable time on day 3 and day 5 (after the match was over), a poor batting effort and a toxic dressing roam (mainly because of Wasim Akram) robbed Pakistan of a golden chance to win a test series in South Africa.

• Pakistan’s second missed opportunity is 2007. Asif was in peak form during those days. The series was tied at 1-1 coming into the last match at Cape Town. Pakistan scored 157 and 183 in the two innings, leaving South Africa with a target of 161. Had it not been for Sami and Shahid Nazir, Pak may have set an ever lower target for South Africa. Kallis and Prince helped South Africa chase 161 for the loss of 5 wickets. Had Pakistan produced a better batting effort in either innings, Pakistan’s two senior batsmen Inzi and Younis failed in both innings, or if we had a decent second fast bowler to partner Asif, Pakistan’s other bowlers with Shahid Nazir and M Sami, we would have won the series 2-1. Like 1998, Pakistan missed another golden opportunity to win a test series in South Africa.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/engine/series/60656.html

http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/engine/series/250056.html

Would love to hear everyone's thoughts. Did I miss any other series in SENA?

Regarding your point about the series in Australia in 1979, it just shows how difficult it is to win in Australia even if they field their 2nd XI.

 

[AliMurtaza]

This wasn't an opportunity to win a series, but a chance to level the series 1-1 and take some momentum forward for the rest of the tour.

And yes, I'm referring to that dreaded Sydney test in 2010. When we couldn't win a single game across 3 formats in Australia.

I have looked at all series as a whole and not at any match in isolation. Thus, the 2010 and the 1999 test series in Australia don't count for me because we were comprehensively beaten in the third test matches

 

[AliMurtaza]

Regarding your point about the series in Australia in 1979, it just shows how difficult it is to win in Australia even if they field their 2nd XI.

And you guys will achieve just that next week. Really envious of the Indian cricket team and nation right now. Will be India's greatest test triumph ever

 

[CadPakFan]

I say we had a decent chance to draw against Australia in 2017, we nearly won the first test coming back from nowhere and one test we should've drawn but failed to do so.

 

[ahsan17]

I have looked at all series as a whole and not at any match in isolation. Thus, the 2010 and the 1999 test series in Australia don't count for me because we were comprehensively beaten in the third test matches

You are kind of looking at the last test matches in isolation then. If the series was 1-1 going into 3rd test, the morale might have been different and Pakistan might have drawn or won those tests.

 

[AliMurtaza]

I am assuming you are saying that I should consider the 1999 and 2010 series in Aus as lost opportunities becuase if we had won the second test, result would have been different in the third test. However, I feel that rationale brings a lot of Ifs in the analysis and we begin to speculate. My reason for picking the above series is simple that they involve 1 or 2 test matches that could or should have been won by Pakistan, resulting in outright series victory, without the need of a what-if scenario.

 

[hadi123]

I felt we really could have won that tour in 2016, that third test we were on top for majority of the game but for a shocking final day collapse.