Pakistan fightback to restrict Australia to 187/6 at Stumps on Day 3 of the 2nd Test

The 2017 CT and this series (regardless of the outcome) should serve PCB a lesson on the importance of having a competent captain lead the side.

The difference between previous teams led/coached by Misbah from the 2013 CT -> 2017 CT and the 2015/16 + 2019/20 Aus tours till now is immeasurable.

It dispels the myth propagated by the likes of Mamoon regarding Babar being the only suitable captain of the Pakistan side and that changing the captain would make no difference.
Credit to shan bro

He didn’t really give up and actually went to learn how to lead sides. Credit to Pakistan for backing him even though his case was very weak, and guys like Shaheen and Rizwan had a monopoly on the Pakistan team to lead after Babar because of the unquestionable tactics that only suited these 3 players whilst others had to play out of their skins to remain a part of the team.

Let’s hope the PCB going forward can learn from their mistakes. They need to identify 8-10 young candidates now and make sure they are groomed and ready to take over when the time comes.

They should use the case study of Babar v Shan as their way to go in the future. A safe player who doesn’t have the mental capacity to build strategies versus a questionable player that can actually use his brain to implement the strategies that his management want from him.
 
Credit to shan bro

He didn’t really give up and actually went to learn how to lead sides. Credit to Pakistan for backing him even though his case was very weak, and guys like Shaheen and Rizwan had a monopoly on the Pakistan team to lead after Babar because of the unquestionable tactics that only suited these 3 players whilst others had to play out of their skins to remain a part of the team.

Let’s hope the PCB going forward can learn from their mistakes. They need to identify 8-10 young candidates now and make sure they are groomed and ready to take over when the time comes.

They should use the case study of Babar v Shan as their way to go in the future. A safe player who doesn’t have the mental capacity to build strategies versus a questionable player that can actually use his brain to implement the strategies that his management want from him.

Indeed, the PCB had a very tough decision to make.

Rizwan and Shaheen appeared to be the obvious choices but I’m glad to see (perhaps for the first time) PCB think outside the box.

Shan has captained 2 x county sides in very quick time. A testament to his leadership skills and the cricketing mind he possesses.

A good short-term appointment by the PCB. As you say, they need to work out who out of the upcoming players can be groomed to be the next captain.

Like yourself, I don’t want to see Rizwan nor do I want to see Shaheen or anyone who was a part of Babar’s clique lead the side.

Imad should have been appointed as T20 captain.

Having said all that, if Pakistan are serious about grooming leaders for the future they must eliminate the culture that came about during Misbah’s reign. The cake cutting and the tuk tuk approach is still holding Pakistan cricket back.
 
In tests played in Australia, Pakistan have had a minnow track record for a long time. Imagine what Shan could do if he was leading a half decent team.
 
This game is done. Sorry but if you have a team 16/4 you need to bowl them out for less than 100. 187/6 is letting them off the hook

In general the bowling has been decent

The lame middle order batting in 1st inns by Pakistan was inexcusable
 
Its going to be very difficult to chase a total in the 4th innings with Lyon and Cummins bowling. But stranger things have happened . Pakistan need to get the remaining 4 wickets for 20 runs
 
This game is done. Sorry but if you have a team 16/4 you need to bowl them out for less than 100. 187/6 is letting them off the hook

In general the bowling has been decent

The lame middle order batting in 1st inns by Pakistan was inexcusable
They can make amends

This is where great players are made. Babar and Saud need to lock down and put on a 150 run partnership
 
The game is indeed over — the highest total ever chased in the fourth innings at the MCG, to win a Test, was about 320 and that was by England in the 1920s.

Realistically, on a wearing pitch with helpful conditions, anything above 200 would have been a challenge

But Pakistan have put in a decent performance nonetheless and those of us with long memories will remember far less competitive games over the years (even tbough the Pakistan teams of those eras had more illustrious stars).

Whilst they will still lose all the Tests, the most we could have hoped for on this tour was for the team to be competitive and they have been.
 
IMO Shan should open the batting in the second innings.

Imam will just put pressure on the team with his 15 off 70 balls and not allowing the scoreboard to tick.

Might as well get Rizwan to bat before Babar as well
I agree imam just gets stuck can’t rotate the strike
 
They can make amends

This is where great players are made. Babar and Saud need to lock down and put on a 150 run partnership

And there is no pressure at all. Pakistan have fought well in this test. Just go out with a mindset to win the match instead of looking for ways to delay the inevitable.
 
Imagine if Pakistan wins this test. Would love to hear Langar saying….

“never ever underestimate the Pakistanis, 220m playing in Pakistan and you play in the senior team, you have to be really tough”
 
Cummins apart the attack is wildly overrated
Starc and hazlewood are average away from home. Home bully machines.

Lyon is good. It's 2 bowlers.
But they are playing home, and both of them are not bad at all away from home either.
 
Great effort from the bowlers but in the end it was that one moment I'm sure no one here needs reminding about.

As soon as it went down I called it as a turning point, that Marsh is now going to bat us out of the game and his 96 did just that.

Looking very tough for pakistan once again, another day where they dominated for large parts but if you come against the WTC champs you've got to be clinical through and through. Their capable tail will take the lead past 300 tomorrow at which point things will be done and dusted.

That drop will be talked about like the drops in Sydney 2010, where we had a chance to break the curse down under but ultimately it wasn't to be once more.
 
They can make amends

This is where great players are made. Babar and Saud need to lock down and put on a 150 run partnership
No amends here, after being 130/1 in 1st inns, against a ball which had gone soft, Pakistan should have been looking at 350-400 at least. This is 2nd test now where in 1st inns the batters have been given a platform and failed miserably

Batting last here on now an uneven pitch chasing 200+ will be tough.

Won't be shocked if there is usual tame collapse
 
If Pakistan can bowl them out for 300 we still have a game on our hands.
 
Slow poison it is for Pakistan again 52 extras, dropped catches how can you expect to win with such blunders shame the team doesn't have a reliable slip fielder pathetic
 
Pakistan is not totally out yet, but what a miss. Match was almost in the bag but body language was poor after the catch drop.

It was really poor to not show intensity after the drop. In normal flat deck, Pakistani bowlers would have no chance in Aus, but here game was almost won. Just had to show some intensity.

Anyway, not totally out yet, 250 runs can be chased. Not easy but doable.
 
Unfortunately for middling sides like Pakistan, S Lanka, W Indies etc (and sometimes S Africa), the collapses are quite often and so are the costly drops against top opposition.

Another sad fact, these sides will never catch up because of the lack of opportunity to play top teams.

It is what it is...
 
Imagine if Pakistan wins this test. Would love to hear Langar saying….

“never ever underestimate the Pakistanis, 220m playing in Pakistan and you play in the senior team, you have to be really tough”
Nope. After sydney 2010, i dont trust cricket in Australia. Even Asad Shafiq gave us hope and than we lost.

Unless we need 10 runs with 5 wickets in hand the game can go either way
 
Nope. After sydney 2010, i dont trust cricket in Australia. Even Asad Shafiq gave us hope and than we lost.

Unless we need 10 runs with 5 wickets in hand the game can go either way

I think match has already slipped from our hands as Australia has reached to a safe total that Pakistan can't chase specially on day 5 wicket
 
Forget the win

The target is to draw

It will be tough because Australians will come at us very hard

I reckon team will be bowled out for 150-180

If only butterfingers had held on to that marsh catch
 
Forget the win

The target is to draw

It will be tough because Australians will come at us very hard

I reckon team will be bowled out for 150-180

If only butterfingers had held on to that marsh catch

How the hell can you draw? We have 2 whole days left.

Teams have scored runs in the 4th innings at the MCG. Pakistan can chase around 300.

If you look at 2019, New Zealand scored 240 in the 4th innings.
If you look at 2018, Australia scored 260 in the 4th innings.
If you look at 2015, West Indies scored 282 in the 4th innings.
 
How the hell can you draw? We have 2 whole days left.

Teams have scored runs in the 4th innings at the MCG. Pakistan can chase around 300.

If you look at 2019, New Zealand scored 240 in the 4th innings.
If you look at 2018, Australia scored 260 in the 4th innings.
If you look at 2015, West Indies scored 282 in the 4th innings.

Two key points though
1) In none of these cases you cite did these teams actually win. The chance of winning creates pressure.

2) Also the wickets were behaving differently to the one in this game — in the first game in 2019 Aus scored over 450 in first innings, in the second in 2018, India scored over 400 and in the last in 2015, Aus scored over 550 in first innings.

This is a spicier wicket and in a low scoring game there is no way Pakistan will chase down even the current lead of 241 let alone 300. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Pakistan are bowled out for 150-200.
 
The dropped catch of Marsh was utter pathetic, then the bowlers lost their heads bowling short and wide to him every ball. This guys a mediocre player, but another who has been made to look good this series.

The middle order batting and catching has just been been atrocious from Pakistan
 
Counter attacking batters like Warner, Head, Marsh are a big plus in test cricket
 
I don't understand why Abdullah is in slips..He drop almost all catches in first test and again u put him in slips in 2nd test. Stupid decision...

Yeah the fielder is never going to come up to the captain and say I want to field somewhere else. Masood should have had enough awareness to know it's time to move Shafique away from the spotlight in the slips.
 
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