BRISBANE: Pakistan’s captain Azhar Ali could not make any headway, as team performance remained dismal against Australia that outclassed the visitors in the first Test.Pakistan faced defeat with one innings and five runs. Australia went one up in their two-Test series against Pakistan as they defeated Pakistan by an innings and five runs at the Gabba in Brisbane on Sunday.After beginning their second innings 340 runs behind Australia and then losing three cheap wickets in the afternoon session on Saturday, the Pakistanis put up stern resistance Sunday before finally succumbing late in the final session.Babar Azam scored a magnificent century and Mohammad Rizwan fell five runs short of his first as Pakistan were dismissed for 335 late on the fourth day.Leg-spinner Yasir Shah also made his highest Test score with a fighting 42 to allow the Pakistanis to head to the second Test in Adelaide with some momentum despite the loss.But there was to be no denying an Australian attack on Sunday which probed and struck at vital moments, whenever Pakistan seemed to be getting the upper hand.Josh Hazlewood was the pick of the Australian bowlers with 4-63, while Mitchell Starc took 3-73, Pat Cummins 2-69 and Nathan Lyon 1-74. Earlier, Azam reached his second Test century -- and his first in Australia -- with an impressive knock.The elegant right-hander had been in excellent form in the lead-up games, but was out to a disappointing shot in the first innings for just one.He was a different player in the second innings, however, and never looked in trouble until he edged Nathan Lyon to wicketkeeper Tim Paine to fall for 104.He shared partnerships of 68 with Shan Masood and 132 with Rizwan as Pakistan battled hard throughout the first two sessions.Rizwan, playing just his second Test, brought up his first half-century off 86 balls with nine boundaries.The defeat drew sharp criticism form cricket experts and former players.Former captain Salman Butt criticised Pakistan’s selection policy. Speaking to media in Karachi, Salman Butt said Pakistan should not have opted to test new players for this tough series which was also a part of ICC Test Championship.“This is an important series of ICC Test championship, you should have picked your best-experienced players for the tour,” Butt told media ahead of his side’s Quaid-i-Azam Trophy match.Butt who has represented Pakistan in 33 Tests and 78 ODIs, said that you cannot do experiments in an important series like this one.“This is not the time to test those who will play for Pakistan regularly after a few years, this was time to go with your best players as the series was part of ICC Test Championship,” he said.Former cricketer and expert Sikandar Bakht took strong exception to exclusion of Mohammad Abbas from the playing eleven despite his exceptional record. Earlier, former captain Wasim Akram had criticised bowler Mohammad Amir over his Test retirement.Mohammad Wasim, former cricketer and a member of the selection committee, defended the team, saying that the young team will give good performance in coming times.
11-25-2019, 09:41 AM
Pakistan team and captain misfire against Australia
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