DUBAI - Pakistan brought Australia down to the earth by comprehensively outplaying them on the penultimate day of the first Test Saturday.
Australia, who were on a winning spree in Tests with Ashes victory and overpowering of South Africa, looked quite shabby as Pakistan batsmen and bowlers continued to dictate terms.
First Ahmad Shahzad and Younus Khan made them toil and later in the day, they were caught in the spin web laid by left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar and leggie Yasir Shah. After setting an imposing 438-run target, Pakistan rattled the Australians through a brace of wickets apiece from spinners Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah to leave Australia tottering on 59 for 4 at stumps on the fourth day, needing six wickets for a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series.
Chris Rogers (23) and Steven Smith (3) were at the crease as Australia need another 379 for an unlikely win. Australia's best chase to win a Test was in 1948 when they made 404 for 3 against England while their best chase against Pakistan was 369-6 in 1999.
Australians were quick in scoring before Zulfiqarstruck twice in the 14th over, to remove first innings centurion David Warner, who was trying to unsettle the bowlers with his aggressive play but was caught into his own ploy while trying to go for a big hit. As Warner dared once again to come out of the crease he was beaten by the spin and Sarfraz was quick to remove the stumps when he was on 29.Zulfiqar then trapped Alex Doolan (0) leg before on the last ball of his over.
Michael Clarke survived a review leg-before decision on Zero off Yasir before trapped in front of the wicket in the legspinner's next over for three. Yasir made it 49 for 4 catching nightwatchman Nathan Lyon in front of the wicket on a day dominated by Pakistan.
Younus was in form of his life as he continued his historic and memorable record-breaking spree in the desert. When Younus hit the boundary on the last ball of the 78th over bowled by Steve O’Kefee, he zoomed past Inzamam-ulHaq’s 25 centuries in just 92 Testsand has scored 7819 runs at an outstanding average of 52.41.
Prior to this Test match, Younus was tied with former Pakistan batsman Mohammed Yousuf (24) centuries. JavedMiandad (23) is the only other Pakistan batsman who had scored more than 20 centuries in Test cricket.
His landmark 26th century was also the first time in 40 years that a batsman hit tons in both innings of a Test match against Australia. Last time, Aussies conceded twin centuries by a batsman in a Test was in 1974 and the honour was for New Zealand’s Glenn Turner, who scored 101 and 110 not out in Christchurch Test to lead Kiwis to victory.
Younus in 75th player to achieve this feat of crossing 100 mark in bot innings of a Test and seventh Pakistani to do so. Hanif Muhammad, Mianadad, WajahatulahWasti, YasirHameed, Inzamam and Yousuf are other Pakistan players who have achieved this feat in the Test cricket.
With the 151-run lead and a solid start courtesy to Shehzad and Azhar Ali, who scored 30, Australia lost control as early as the first session completed on the fourth day. The bowlers toiled hard in the heat and humidity. O’Keefe, the debutant left-arm spinner, picked up both Pakistan wickets to fall in the second innings.
Resuming after lunch at 116 for 1, Shehzad and Younus cut loose on a flat pitch. Shehzad smashed a four and a six off O’Keefe, and then hit Mitchell Marsh twice to the ropes to enter the 90s. He soon reached the three-figure mark, the second Test hundred of his career, by driving Peter Siddle towards long-on for his eighth four. Shehzad continued plundering Siddle, smashing two fours and a six off the paceman to take the lead past 370. In all, Shehzad had ten fours and four sixes during his 228-ball knock.
In the morning, Australia had looked to stop the flow of runs and had a good chance of breaking through early, but Brad Haddin failed to grasp a low catch off O’Keefe when Shehzad edged one on to the pads, which popped out of wicketkeeper’s hands. But O’Keefe got his reward when he induced an edge off Azhar straight into the hands of Haddin, with the score at 71. Shehzad reached his half-century off 128 balls with a single, while Younus took 102 balls to get to the landmark, hitting a six off Nathan Lyon and driving Mitchell Johnson to the cover boundary.
Scoreboard
PAKISTAN IST INNINGS: 454
AUSTRALIA 1ST INNINGS: 303
PAKISTAN 2ND INNINGS:
Ahmed Shehzad lbw b O'Keefe 131
Azhar Ali c Haddin b O'Keefe 30
Younis Khan not out 103
Sarfraz Ahmed not out 15
EXTRAS: (b2, lb3, w2) 7
TOTAL: (two wkts, 78 overs dec) 286
FOW: 1-71, 2-239.
BOWLING: Johnson 12-2-34-0, Siddle 14-5-44-0 1, Lyon 18-0-72-0, O'Keefe 27-3-112-2, Marsh 7-1-19-0
AUSTRALIA 2ND INNINGS:
C. Rogers not out 23
D. Warner st Ahmed b Babar 29
A. Doolan lbw b Babar 0
M. Clarke lbw b Shah 3
N. Lyon lbw b Shah 0
S. Smith not out 3
EXTRAS: (lb1) 1
TOTAL: (for four wkts; 23 overs) 59
FOW: 1-44, 2-44, 3-49, 4-49
BOWLING: Khan 1-0-6-0, Rahat 1-0-10-0, Hafeez 5-2-12-0, Babar 9-3-22-2, Shah 7-1-8-2
TOSS: Pakistan
UMPIRES: Richard Kettleborough (ENG) and Marais Erasmus (RSA)
TV UMPIRE: Nigel Llong (ENG)
MATCH REFEREE: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)