Babar, Yasir star as Pak complete win over Australia

[Mirza Ghalib]

Babar, Yasir star as Pakistan complete emphatic win over Australia

By Agencies | Dawn.com - 27.10.14

Updated about 17 hours ago

DUBAI: Pakistan beat Australia by 221 runs to take a 1-0 lead in two-match Test series being played in Dubai.

Australia, set 438 to win, were bowled out for 216 in their second innings with spinner Zulfiqar Babar (5-74) and leg-spinner Yasir Shah (4-50) sharing the bowling honours.

"We really did well in every department of the game; that helped us to put Australia under pressure," said captain Misbah-ul-Haq.

Talking about Babar and Shah's brilliant performance, Misbah said: "These bowlers are young at the international level but have a good experience playing first-class cricket and I must appreciate the temperament they showed against a team like Australia."

"If we play disciplined cricket like this, we can win the series," Misbah said adding, "We just need to be consistent and stick to the basics."

This victory makes Misbah-ul-Haq, 40, the oldest captain after England's W. G. Grace in 1896 to win a Test against Australia.

Australian captain Michael Clarke gave credit to their opponents. "Credit to Pakistan," he said adding, "We didn't bat well and now have couple of days to turn it around in the second Test and I'm sure you will see a different team in the next Test."

After setting an imposing 438-run target, Pakistan rattled the Australians through a brace of wickets apiece from spinners Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah to leave Australia tottering on 59-4 at stumps on the fourth day on Saturday, needing six wickets for a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series.

Australia's best chase to win a Test was way back in 1948 when they made 404-3 against England at Headingley while their best chase against Pakistan was 369-6 at Hobart in 1999.

Australia had raced to 44-0 before Babar struck twice in the 14th over, inducing David Warner, who had scored his third successive test century in the first innings, to come out of the crease for a smart stumping when he was on 29 with his first ball and then trapped Alex Doolan (nought) leg before with his last.

Michael Clarke survived a review leg-before decision on nought off Shah before trapped in front of the wicket in the leg-spinner's next over for three.

Clarke was disappointed at his failure. "I'm really disappointed with my personal performance in this Test match.

"I am not looking to blame anybody else or criticise anybody else. But if you look at all facets of the game we've been outplayed at this stage," said Clarke who made two in the first innings.

Earlier during Pakistan's batting, Younis Khan hit a record-making 103 not out and Ahmed Shehzad 131 to bolster Pakistan to 286-2 declared.

Younis swept Steve O'Keefe to square-leg boundary for his sixth boundary to get to his second hundred in the match following his 106 in Pakistan's 454 in the first innings. Australia conceded a big 151-run lead after being dismissed for 303 in their first knock.

Younis became the seventh Pakistani batsmen, but first against Australia, to score twin hundreds in a Test.

Hanif Mohammad (1964), Javed Miandad (1984), Wajahatullah Wasti (1999), Yasir Hameed (2003), Inzamam-ul Haq (2005) and Mohammad Yousuf (2006) had also achieved the distinction in the past.

With his 26th hundred, Younis also edged ahead of Inzamam (25 hundreds) as the highest Test century maker for his country.

The second and final Test starts in Abu Dhabi on October 30.

http://www.dawn.com/news/1140304/babar- ... -australia

[Mirza Ghalib]

Demoralised Australia fight to save Test after Younis epic
By Agencies | Dawn.com
1.11.2014

ABU DHABI: Australia were left with a daunting task to save the second Test and series after Younis Khan hit an epic double hundred to put Pakistan in command on Friday.

Younis notched a memorable 213 for his fifth double hundred to steer Pakistan to 570-6 declared in their first innings on a flat Sheik Zayed Stadium pitch in Abu Dhabi.

At the close on day two Australia were 22-1 with David Warner on 16 and nightwatchman Nathan Lyon on one, still trailing by 548 runs with nine wickets intact on a day when Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul Haq (101) and Azhar Ali (109) also enjoyed the run feast.

Opener Chris Rogers fell caught behind to paceman Imran Khan for five, putting Pakistan in a strong position to press for their first series win over Australia since 1994.

It was Younis, who hit twin hundreds in the first Test, who once again dominated Australia's hapless bowling during his eight-and-half-hour stay, hitting 15 boundaries and two sixes.

Younis hit Glenn Maxwell for a towering six and, in the spinner's next over, took a single to complete 200. He was finally bowled while playing Peter Siddle across the line and was given a standing ovation by a 12,000 holiday crowd and his team-mates.

When on 181, Younis completed 8,000 runs in his 93rd Test, becoming the third Pakistani batsmen to reach the milestone behind Javed Miandad (8832) and Inzamam-ul Haq (8829).

In all, 28 batsmen in the world have scored 8,000 or more Test runs.

Misbah also completed his hundred with a reverse sweep off Maxwell, taking 166 balls for the mark before he gave a return catch to Steve Smith.

Misbah hit 10 boundaries and a six and added 181 runs with Younis to further hit Australia badly.

At 63 Misbah also became the highest scorer as Pakistan captain, beating Imran Khan's 2408 runs in 48 Tests. This is Misbah's 31st match.

The Younis-Misbah stand flourished in the afternoon after the Australian bowlers toiled hard in the morning session to get only one wicket, that of Ali.

Pakistan added 101 in an extended two-and-a-half-hour session due to Friday prayers after resuming at 304-2.

Younis added 236 with Ali to erase the previous highest third-wicket stand against Australia of 223 held by Javed Miandad and Taslim Arif from a 1980 match in Faisalabad, Pakistan.

Australia had another unusually sloppy day in the field as David Warner failed to hold a sharp chance at point from Younis's push off paceman Mitchell Johnson in the third over of the day. Younis was then batting on 112.

Nine runs later Younis edged a Siddle delivery which fell short of Brad Haddin, who hurt his right shoulder in an attempt to hold the catch.

Haddin had to walk off the field and Warner, who replaced him behind the stumps, spurned a stumping chance off spinner Lyon as Younis was well out of his crease on 125.

But Warner made amends as he took a good catch off Ali's glance off paceman Mitchell Starc for a consolation wicket. Ali's 250-ball knock had six boundaries, while Starc was the best bowler with 2-86.

[Mirza Ghalib]

2nd Test: Pakistan whitewash Australia after 32 years
By AFP / News Desk / Nabeel Hashmi
Published: October 30, 2014
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Pakistan team pose with the winning trophy of the Test series. PHOTO: AFP
ABU DHABI:

Pakistan achieved their first series win over Australia in 20 years with a thumping 356-run win in the second Test in Abu Dhabi on Monday, taking the two-match series 2-0.

The elusive win lifts Pakistan to number three in International Cricket Council’s Test rankings behind number one South Africa and Australia.

Spinners Zulfiqar Babar (5-120) and Yasir Shah (3-44) rocked Australia once again for 246 in the second innings soon after lunch at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

Pakistan won the first Test by 221 runs in Dubai.

Pakistan had taken a big step forward after scoring a mammoth 570-6 declared in their first innings and getting a 309-run lead by dismissing Australia for 261.

That never allowed Australia to stage a comeback and avoid series defeat for the first time since losing 1-0 in Pakistan in 1994.

The defeat was Australia’s third worst in all Test cricket behind their 675 run loss against England in Brisbane in 1928 and by 408 against the West Indies at Adelaide in 1980.

In contrast Pakistan registered their biggest win in terms of runs, beating their 341-run victory over India at Karachi in 2006.

“It’s really an honour for me to lead this side, the way everybody played,” said Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq.

“Every individual performed and I’m really happy about that. I can’t describe my feelings.

“We were working really hard and playing good cricket but not winning, so it’s really good.”

Australian skipper Michael Clarke heaped praise on Pakistan, saying they had ‘played outstanding cricket in both Tests’.

“And we have been outplayed, unfortunately,” he said. “It’s been the track record of Australian cricket [in Asia] for a long time, unfortunately.”

It was Australia’s sixth Test defeat in a row in Asia after they lost 4-0 in India early last year.

Pakistan had to fight hard in the morning session as Steven Smith defied Pakistan during his resolute knock of 97, but once Smith departed, leg-before by Yasir, Australia lost their last four wickets for the addition of just eight runs.

Smith added an invaluable 107 for the fifth wicket with Mitchell Marsh, who fell after scoring 47.

Smith missed a sharp turner from Yasir who also bowled Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc to finish with 12 wickets in the series.

Babar had Nathan Lyon caught for his second five-wicket haul, following up his first in the first Test in Dubai.

Babar finished with 14 wickets in the series as Pakistan did not miss ace spinner Saeed Ajmal’s absence who is suspended due to illegal bowling action.

Before lunch Smith batted resolutely, using his feet against the spinners during his 204-ball knock and hitting a dozen boundaries.

Smith reached his eighth Test fifty with two boundaries off spinner Babar, who failed to add to his three wickets on Sunday.

Marsh, who top-scored with 87 in Australia’s first innings, played Pakistan’s pace-cum spin attack confidently and he and Smith added 55 runs in the first hour.

But Mohammad Hafeez provided the breakthrough when he had Marsh caught by Asad Shafiq off an uppish flick. His 130-ball innings included six boundaries. Hafeez finished with 2-38.

The win is also special for skipper Misbah who equalled the most wins record by a Pakistani captain with 14. Imran Khan and Javed Miandad also won 14 Tests as captains.

Misbah, declared man-of-the-match, equalled the feat of fastest century in all Test cricket during his 101 not out on Sunday, capping a memorable Test match.

Younis Khan was named man of the series for his 468 runs in two Tests.

Final Result

Pakistan defeat Australia by 356 runs and claim the series 2-0.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/783441/paki ... alia-test/