Page 20 - Pakistan Link - October 20, 2017

P20 – PAKISTAN LINK – OCTOBER 20, 2017 COMMENTARY

n By Danyal Rasool How Pakistan’s Winning Streak Screeched to a Halt stan bowled. With Sri Lanka 96 for 7

on to bowl. Six balls later, the part-
he UAE had been Pakistan’s in their second innings, Haris came
desert oasis, their home timer had finished the innings off.
Taway from home, since well
before it was forced to become Pace attack out-performed
their actual home. It had begun Selection errors in the bowling
to feel that way since one April department don’t excuse the perfor-
evening in Sharjah - when Javed mance of the Pakistan seamers who
Miandad’s last-ball six secured were selected. Throughout the two
their most famous win against In- games, they were out-bowled by Sri
dia - and continued right through Lankan, not a nation particularly fa-
the next two decades. Their win mous for its plethora of fast bowlers.
percentage in the UAE, until the But they appeared fitter, more con-
attack on the Sri Lankan team sistent and more capable of making
in Lahore meant it became their the older ball talk than Pakistan.
long-term home, was 68.3% - as If anything, they were slightly
opposed to an overall winning unlucky throughout the series, per-
percentage of 47.2%. haps not rewarded with as many
While those numbers almost wickets as their performances de-
exclusively comprised ODI results, served; this was especially the case
Pakistan had translated limited- for debutant Lahiru Gamage in the
overs ascendancy to Test match in- second Test. His ability to move the
vincibility, never losing a series in ball back into the right-handers was
the Emirates until Tuesday. consistent batsman over the last few able to convert into a bigger score or Zulfiqar Babar invariably accom- particularly impressive.
The desert dominance years, dropping him to No.3; he had - both openers failed to reach 40 panying Saeed Ajmal, before Yasir Pakistan’s pacers clearly lacked
screeched to a halt against Sri Lanka, opened since the fourth Test against again in the series. As such, moving Shah. Aside from those, Moham- fitness, with Hasan Ali being ruled
who rained on a Pakistani parade England last year. That promotion what was beginning to look like a mad Hafeez regularly opened the out after the first Test, and Amir’s
that had threatened to escape from had been remarkably successful, world-class opener out of that po- bowling, and they still had Shoaib injury on the second day reducing
a series loss, following the heroics with Azhar averaging 63.09, scor- sition was a questionable strategy Malik left over. their attack to three bowlers. Wahab
of Sarfraz Ahmed and Asad Shafiq ing five fifties and four hundreds - from Pakistan, especially since they But in this series, Pakistan might have been their best bowler in
on Monday night. It was thoroughly including unbeaten innings of 302 struggle in that position more than opted for a pace-heavy attack, with Dubai, but he has been far too in-
unexpected, with Sri Lanka in abys- and 205. anywhere else. three fast bowlers accompanying consistent. No matter how impres-
mal form coming into the series. Pakistan have struggled to find Everyone knew Pakistan’s UAE Yasir in both games. Without Malik sive his performance in Sri Lanka’s
It’s worth looking at how Pakistan a consistent opener since Saeed An- formula, yet no one could do a thing or Hafeez as part-time spin options, second innings was, the enduring
found themselves at the wrong end war retired 14 years ago. They de- about it. With the pitches offering not only did Yasir have to bowl a memory of this Test will be the left-
of a whitewash. cided to go with Shan Masood - who limited assistance to the fast bowl- ridiculous number of overs - 151.5 armer pulling out of his run-up five
has the lowest Test average among ers, Pakistan were always sure to over the two games - but Sarfraz also times in a row, and the apoplectic
Opening gambit openers in the last five years who stock up on spin options, stifling found himself depending on the expressions of his coach each time
The retirements of Misbah-ul- have played at least 20 innings - and and strangling the opposition out, likes of Shafiq and Haris Sohail to he stopped in his tracks.
Haq and Younis Khan left a gaping Sami Aslam for this series, with the especially on days four and five. get through overs. Add to that Mo-
hole in Pakistan’s middle order, and pair having never opened together When England were skittled out hammad Amir’s injury, and the folly Worrying slide in form
the way it was plugged would de- before. for 72 in Abu Dhabi in 2012, 33.1 of of going with a 3-1 pace attack was This series may simply be part
termine how successfully Pakistan Other than half-centuries in 36.1 overs were bowled by spinners. damningly exposed. of a general trend. Since becoming
could move on. They opted for the the first innings of the Abu Dhabi Two specialist spinners were a guar- Further proof - as if it was re- the world’s top Test side last year,
safety of Azhar Ali - Pakistan’s most Test - which neither batsman was antee, with one of Abdur Rehman quired - came in the last over Paki- CRICKET, P28

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