For the Pakistan Cricket Team, the story in Australia seems to be stuck on a familiar script, one that hasn’t seen a victory since 1995. The ongoing three-match Test series down under is just another chapter in this everlasting tale of struggle and unfulfilled aspirations. Pakistan would be utterly disappointed after losing the match as they were in quite a dominant position.
As the team currently finds itself trailing 2-0 in the series, the ghosts of past tours Down Under have returned to haunt them. The dry spell in Australia, now spanning almost three decades, reflects the challenges Pakistani cricketers face playing on the bouncy tracks and challenging conditions of the Australian pitches.
Struggles Down Under
Despite the emergence of new talents, the infusion of fresh blood into the squad, and changes in the coaching staff, the Australian challenge remains a steep hurdle for Pakistan. Since their last success in Australia in 1995 under the captaincy of Wasim Akram, Pakistan has come close to victory on several occasions but failed to perform in crucial junctures of the game.
Back in 1999, the memorable partnership between Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden helped Australia successfully chase down a formidable target of 369 in the fourth innings with both batters scoring remarkable tons. Fast-forward to the 2009-10 series, Pakistan found themselves crumbling for a mere 139 runs in pursuit of a target of just 176 runs. Nathan Hauritz’s five-wicket haul and Mitchell Johnson‘s three-wicket contribution played pivotal roles in bundling out the visitors.
Lastly, In 2016, Pakistan faced an uphill task of chasing 489 and fell just 39 runs short despite Asad Shafiq’s standout performance with a brilliant 137. Shafiq’s heroic efforts were cut short by Mitchell Starc handing Pakistan their 10 consecutive test defeat in Australia.
Pakistan’s performance in the ongoing series
Pakistan performed well in several phases of the two tests but they lacked consistency. Pakistani bowlers created the chances but they failed to hang on to the catches. The batsmen too threw away good starts they got playing horrible shots.
These first two Tests have exemplified the struggles faced by the Pakistani team of not performing in crucial junctures of the game. The bowlers have toiled hard, and the batsmen have showcased moments of brilliance but struggled to put together a comprehensive performance that leads to a victory. Australia, with their familiarity with the conditions, has exploited every opportunity to assert dominance.
Pakistan currently have a great opportunity ahead to break the losing streak and there is no better place with the third test to be played in Sydney Cricket Ground(SCG) the ground where they last tasted victory in Australia. The final test will commence on January 3rd. A victory in the final test of the series will not only break the streak but will also give Pakistan crucial WTC points which gives them a huge boost in confidence ahead of their Home test series.