Pakistan v Australia Report Card: Perfect 10 for Abbas in record win over Aussies

The star again for Pakistan was medium pacer Mohammad Abbas who collected 10 wickets in the game for stunning figures of 10-95 while Yasir Shah got into the act with three in the second dig.

THE GOOD

Mohammad Abbas – We are running out of plaudits for the Pakistan medium pacer who once more ran through the Aussies top order like a knife through butter. The outstanding features of Abbas’ bowling are his exceptional accuracy and control. Abbas knows exactly where he wants to place the ball and how to get it to reverse or seam just enough to take the edge or hit the stumps. The Aussie batsmen had no idea, just as has been the case all series.

Marnus Labuschagne – However you say his name the South African born Aussie was his nation’s only bright spot on a dark day in Abu Dhabi. Unlike the other Aussie bats, the energetic 24-year-old stayed light on his feet while Abbas ran in, and watched the ball right onto the bat, allowing him to negate Abbas’ late movement. The other Aussie batsmen tended to plant their foot down the wicket and then were sitting ducks as he nipped it back into them.

THE BAD

Hosts’ early field settings – After such a comprehensive victory and series triumph it’s hard to criticise the hosts after a near perfect day in the field. But surprisingly their field settings early on were very conservative, allowing Travis Head and Aaron Finch to make an untroubled start to the day putting on 24 at a rapid rate of four an over. Abbas’ dismissal of Head stopped the momentum but it was an early bonus for the Aussies.

The Marsh brothers – It all looked so promising for the Marsh brothers after their warm-up match against Pakistan A where they top-scored for the tourists – Shaun with 92 and Mitchell with 162. Since then it has all been downhill. Shaun’s series has been a nightmare of almost career-ending proportions – 14 runs at an average of 3.5 – while younger brother Mitch hasn’t been much better, 30 runs at 7.5.

KEY MOMENTS

18.3 overs: Head caught behind – If Australia were to have any chance at all of saving the Test then Finch and Head had to make a good start in the first session but in just the seventh over of the morning Head gets out, caught behind off Abbas playing a ball he did not need to play.

22.5: Abbas takes three in a row – The Aussies are rocking after the dismissal of Head and in a brilliant 11-ball spell Abbas takes Mitchell Marsh, Aaron Finch and Tim Paine to virtually warp up the Test. Australia simply have no answer to the bowling of Abbas who brings his wicket tally in the series to 17 at an average of just over 10.

46.2: Labuschagne out hooking – Of all the ways to get out… After a determined top score of 43 off 78 balls, Labuschagne tries to pull Abbas and is caught behind. It gives Abbas a well-deserved five-for, and means Pakistan need just one wicket for victory.

TACTICAL TURNING POINT

Rizwan steps up

The Australians managed to negate the late seam of Abbas in the opening overs of the day by batting well out of their crease. But in the fifth over Mohammad Rizwan, keeping for the injured Sarfraz Ahmed, decided to don the helmet and go up to the stumps to force the Aussie batsmen to stay in their ground. It worked perfectly as both Aaron Finch and Mitchell Marsh were out lbw soon after as they tried to play from their crease.

VERDICT

Pakistan: A+

Even without their injured captain the hosts put in a very professional display to rout the Aussies and complete a well-deserved series victory. The undoubted star was Abbas who no-less than Dale Steyn has anointed as the new No1 Test bowler in the world.

Australia: D

The most impressive thing about Australia on this tour has been their fielding drills. Remarkable arrogance from a team that has not won a series on the sub-continent since Sri Lanka in 2011. They’ll be waiting a while longer on this showing.