CAPTAIN COURAGEOUS

 

Image Credit- ESPN CricInfo.

Venue- Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore [March 2022].

In the summers of 2022, Australian Cricket Team toured Pakistan to play 3 Tests, 3 ODIs and 1 T20. The Aussies were in red hot form as they blew the English 4-0 and retained the Urn. On the other hand, Pakistan too hammered Bangladesh in their home. As a result, everyone was expecting a tight contest between the two powerhouses of the game. Furthermore, the series between these two sides were now to be known as the Benaud-Qadir Series. This was done to honor the two legendary spinners Richie Benaud and Abdul Qadir who hailed from Australia and Pakistan respectively.

The first two tests of the series ended in a draw and the action now shifted to Lahore which was supposed to host the final test of the series. It is pertinent to note that pitch of the first test at Rawalpindi was rated below average by the match referee as the wicket was dead and benign. Across the first test, Pakistan's aggregate score was 728/4. So, one can figure out the nature of the pitch. However, the Australians were on the cusp of victory in Karachi, but Pakistani Skipper Babar Azam saved the game by scoring a gritty 196.  Hence at Lahore it was a must win game for both the sides if they wanted to lift the trophy. 

Australian Captain Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bat first. Riding upon Usman Khawaja's 91, the Aussies ended up scoring 391 in their first innings. Apart from Khawaja, Steven Smith, Cameron Green and Alex Carey too scored vital 50s. Whereas for the hosts, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah picked up 4 wickets each.  In response the Pakistanis were bowled out for 268 in their first innings. Abdullah Shafique was the highest run-scorer for the hosts as he scored a solid 81 of 228 deliveries. Apart from him, Azhar Ali and Captain Babar Azam scored important fifties for their side. For the visitors, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc were the leading wicket takers as they picked up 5 and 4 wickets respectively. 

The pitch was a batting paradise and Aussies had no difficulty in scoring runs against the Pakistani Pace Attack. However, to everyone's surprise Aussie Skipper Pat Cummins declared at a score of 227/3. This meant Pakistanis needed 351 runs to win the match and the series. Many including the author of the post felt that it was big gamble played by the Aussie Captain. It is because Pakistanis in the previous test did score 443 runs in the second innings. So, there was a high possibility that they can chase down 351. 

Furthermore, the Pakistanis started of very strongly as in the 27 overs of Day 4 they scored 73 runs for the loss of no wickets. Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq were looking rock solid and determined to win this test for their country. However, on Day 5 everything changed. The Aussies kept on picking wickets in regular intervals and Pakistanis struggled to build a strong partnership. Despite the half centuries of Imam and Babar, Pakistanis were ultimately bowled out for 235 in their second innings. For the visitors, Nathan Lyon and Pat Cummins picked up 5 and 3 wickets respectively and thereby broke the Pakistani dream of winning the series. 

The Aussies won the game by 115 runs and series 1-0. However, the same could not have happened without the courageous decision and skillful bowling of Pat Cummins. As a result, Pat Cummins was awarded the man of the match award, whereas Usman Khawaja was awarded the man of the series award for scoring 496 runs in 3 test matches.   

To watch the highlight of 5th Day, Click Here.