A defiant Steve Smith tried to delay the inevitable before Pakistan crushed Australia by 356 runs in the second and final Test to complete a 2-0 series victory in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, yesterday.
Having set the visitors an improbable 603-run victory target, Pakistan claimed the remaining six wickets in a little over a session on the final day to secure their first Test series victory against Australia in 20 years.
The win also saw them leapfrog England, Sri Lanka and India to rise to No. 3 in Test rankings, behind South Africa and Australia.
Photo: AFP
Smith (97) added 107 runs with Mitchell Marsh in a rare display of resistance for Australia in the two-match series, before his post-lunch dismissal triggered a collapse, with the visitors losing their last five wickets for only eight runs to be all out for 246.
“I think Misbah-ul-Haq and his team played some outstanding cricket in both Test matches and we’ve certainly been outplayed,” Australia captain Michael Clarke said at the presentation ceremony.
“In all three facets — batting, bowling and fielding — we probably let ourselves down. We were not good enough against the very good and experienced Pakistan team,” he said.
Zulfiqar Babar (five for 120) and Yasir Shah (three for 44) once again laid bare Australia’s spin frailties, even though Pakistan were without their main spinner Saeed Ajmal, who has been banned for an illegal action.
Pakistan captain Misbah was adjudged man of the match for his twin centuries in the match, the second of which equaled Viv Richards’ record for the fastest Test century in 56 balls.
Run-machine Younus Khan, who hit two centuries and a double-century in his four innings, was the obvious choice for the man-of-the-series award.
Resuming on 143-4, Smith and Marsh (47) frustrated the Pakistan bowlers with a century stand, showing the stomach for a fight that was missing in their teammates.
Marsh, playing only his second Test, proved the perfect foil for Smith, whose decisive footwork against the spinners and positive intent stood out in an otherwise batting capitulation.
Marsh was looking set for his second half-century of the match when the 23-year-old walked into a leg-slip trap, flicking off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez straight into the hands of Asad Shafiq.
Smith hit Babar for successive boundaries to bring up his eighth Test half-century and meted out the same treatment to the spinner in the final over before lunch to cruise into the 90s.
Yasir denied the 25-year-old Smith his fifth Test century, trapping him leg before wicket with the second delivery after lunch, which opened the flood gates and Australia collapsed in a heap.
“It’s a really special series for me, because every individual performed,” Misbah said. “That’s a sign of a good team and I’m really happy.”
Smith hit 12 fours in his 204-ball knock which proved there were no real demons in the dry and dusty pitch at the Zayed International Cricket Stadium.
Comprehensively beaten in the first Test in Dubai, nothing went right for Australia in the second Test either.
Not a single Australia player managed a century, while Misbah and Azhar Ali got centuries in both innings and Younus struck 213 in the first.
Australia’s bowling limitations were also exposed as they could not bowl out their opponents even once, managing nine wickets in the match and bleeding 863 runs.
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