An excellent rear-guard action by Michael Hussey set up the win for Australia. His 123-run ninth-wicket partnership with Peter Siddle, turned the tide and the Australian bowlers were good enough to get the Pakistani batsmen out in the pressure cooker atmosphere.
Followers of Pakistan cricket know that they are a temperamental side and their capitulation today was in a way expected.
Clearly as today’s events reveal, Ponting’s reluctance to put Pakistan in on winning the toss helped the Pakistani’s dominate the first three days. Instead, Australia chose to bat first and promptly collapsed for only 127 runs on a fresh and frisky 1st day pitch.
Pakistani batsmen followed up their bowling performance by making 333 in their first foray to the batting crease. Their bowlers then once again had the Australians by the scruff of their neck before Hussey and a benign pitch bailed Australia out.
As recounted earlier, the Australian bowlers used the pressure cooker atmosphere, exploited the inherent inconsistencies in the Pakistan batting line-up and snuffed out their challenge.
With this series win, the Australian media may give Ponting and his men breathing space. Coming to Pakistan, their cricketers yet again succumbed to pressure and without learning how to handle it; even Younis Khan cannot save them.
7 comments:
not till they will continue to stick to some 'expired' seniors...
Pan,
That seems to be typical sub-continental disease - unnecessary and unfounded belief on seniors.
Pak snatched defeat from jaws of victory. ;)
used to be so typical of India earlier.
Liju,
Its a relief that we have overcome that phase.:)
This is the way only Pakistan can do and that also on a regular basis. I am still perplexed with Yousef's bizarre field placings on the 4th morning and that ultimately cost them the match. Catching was awful and batting was reckless.
Baiju,
In short they played inexplicable cricket.:)
Unny,
Welcome and thanks for the link.
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