November 2014 saw Pakistan finally winning a Test series against Australia as they whitewashed them 2-0 in the Test series in a comprehensive display in the UAE.
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In the annals of Pakistan cricket history, the contests against Australia will have a feeling of immense pain. From the 1950s till at least the mid-90s, both Australia and Pakistan had a sense of equality in contests. Until 1995, Pakistan and Australia had a very close head-to-head record. Australia did not win a series in Pakistan for close to three decades. Pakistan, on the other hand, did not win a single series Down Under.
From 1956 to 1995, Australia had a 14-11 head-to-head advantage against Pakistan. But, all that changed with the captaincy of Steve Waugh. Under Waugh’s captaincy, Australia began a campaign of ruthless domination of Pakistan. In 1998, Australia won a series in Pakistan after 38 years thanks to Waugh and Mark Taylor’s triple century. From 1998 onwards, the term whitewash came to be associated with Pakistan’s contests against Australia.
In 1999, Australia hammered Pakistan 3-0 Down Under. During the 2002 series that was played in the UAE and Sri Lanka, Australia continued its dominance. The peak of the domination came in Sharjah when Pakistan was bowled out for 59 and 53 in a two-day Test. Pakistan went to Australia in 2004 and 2009 but was hammered. In 2010, Pakistan finally broke the jinx as they snapped a 13-Test losing streak to win the match in Leeds by three wickets.
The win in Leeds was like a small silver cloud amidst dark times. In the 2014 series, the odds were heavily stacked against Pakistan. Australia had whitewashed England 5-0 to regain the Ashes after four years. They had also defeated South Africa in an attritional series. Heading into the UAE, they were determined to break their poor record in Asia. Prior to the Ashes, they were whitewashed 4-0 in India as the spinners wreaked havoc. With Pakistan without their ace Saeed Ajmal who was banned due to chucking, Australia had confidence.
But, things went immediately pear-shaped for Australia in the first Test in Dubai. The team was bogged down by the old-school, patient approach of Younis Khan. The veteran showed his class and smashed 106 to revive the hosts. Aided by a blazing century from Sarfaraz Ahmed, Pakistan ended in 454.
Australia could not get the ball to reverse swing or spin. The hosts, on the other hand, had no problems. Despite David Warner’s confident 133, Australia ended up conceding a lead of 151. Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah, the new spin twins of Pakistan cricket, shared five wickets between them. Boosted by the lead, Ahmed Shehzad blasted 131 and Younis made it two centuries in the match with 103 as Misbah’s team gave Australia a target of 438. Babar took five wickets and Yasir four as Australia were bundled out for 216, losing by 221 runs.
The blueprint had been laid in the defeat in Dubai. Australia would be pounded by reverse swing and spin. If Dubai was a thrashing, then Abu Dhabi proved to be a mauling. The hosts chose to bat and the middle order was at its finest. Younis smashed 213 and Azhar Ali, Misbah ul Haq blasted aggressive centuries to help Pakistan end on 570/6 declared.
Mitchell Marsh’s 87 was the only saving grace as the hosts secured a 309-run lead. In the second innings, Azhar Ali hit his second century but it was Misbah who stole the show. The captain equaled the record of the fastest century in Test cricket with Viv Richards by smashing 101 off 57 balls. The hosts declared again on 293/3, giving Australia an impossible target of 603.
Australia did not even come close. Steve Smith hit 87 but it was Babar who took 5/120. Misbah’s side secured a 356-run win. This was their biggest win in Test history against Australia in terms of runs. After 20 years of pain, Pakistan had thoroughly outplayed Australia.
The stats spoke the entire story. Pakistan’s batsmen scored nine centuries, Australia just had one. The spinners took 28 wickets at an average of 25. Australia’s spinners took just 10 wickets with an average of close to 90. Australia bowled Pakistan out only once in the whole series. It was a grand way to end 20 years of pain.
