Pakistan have defeated Australia by 221 runs in Abu Dhabi in the first of a two-match test series in the Arab-Emirates. Beginning the day five wickets down, the Aussies were not expected to last long against the destructive Pakistani spin attack.
They were able to bat into the final session thanks to gritty performances by Steve Smith and Mitchell Johnson. Johnson and Smith both posting half-centuries and batting together for 29 overs.
Smith and David Warner were the only batsmen to show any resolve against spin in the match. Just as Smith looked certain to move toward a memorable total and possibly rescue Australia, he fell paddling a ball to short-leg.
Johnson was given out via a dubious stumping decision by the third umpire. Several camera angles seemed to show inconclusive evidence that his foot had not made it back across the batting crease. Yasir Shah was awarded the stumping, claiming his 7th wicket of the match in an impressive display of leg break bowling.
Peter Siddle was the last man out for Australia, falling to stand-out 2nd innings bowler Zulfiqar Babar. Pakistan were jubilant, ripping stumps from the ground after the final wicket. So much so, the umpire had to bring to the players attention that a review had been called for by Peter Siddle.
The wicket stood, as Siddle had hit the ball onto his pad and been caught by Azir Ali in back pad, alleviating a possible awkward situation for the hosts. Babar secured his five-wicket haul and seventh for the match, equalling Shah.
Misbah-ul-Haq spoke with pride after the match of his sides impressive effort in the face of recent poor performances on the international stage.
“This will really give a lot of confidence to the team and to the youngsters who have just joined the team,” Ul-Haq commented.
Australian captain Michael Clarke was not so chipper.
“They outplayed us in all three facets of the game,” Clarke said.
When asked how he believed Australia would bounce back from such a heavy defeat in the second test, Clarke commented:
“I’m really confident we can turn this around.”
The next test begins on Thursday in Abu Dhabi. The Australians will be hoping to improve their handling of the Pakistani spin while delivering a better bowling performance on the turning wickets.
