(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The rival captains Misbah-ul-Haq and Michael Clarke had also predicted that spin and to some extent reverse swing would play a key role in deciding the fate of the match.
Photo by Mukesh Kamal/ Khaleej Times
Dubai: Praise be to the Dubai International Cricket Stadium ground staff led by head curator Tony Hemming for preparing the 22-yard strip that stayed good for five days and yet produced a Test result in favour of the home team.
Before hosts Pakistan started their two-Test series against Australia last Wednesday speculations were rife that the grass-less brown turf won’t last the distance and spinners and reverse swing would play a big role in deciding the match. The pitch held firm except for a few harmless footmarks on either side.
The rival captains — Misbah-ul-Haq and Michael Clarke — had also predicted that spin and to some extent reverse swing would play a key role in deciding the fate of the match.
However it was lack of spin that gave Pakistan their second successive Test win against Australia. The Aussies were playing rather waiting for turn that wasn’t there to bring about their own downfall.
That doesn’t take anything away from the Pakistani bowlers in particular spin twins Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah. The two bowled as the situation demanded and refrained from trying to extract turn from the turf.
They used the skid on the slow surface to their advantage in the knowledge that the Australians were expecting the ball to turn.
A total of five centuries — four by Pakistan and one by an Australian — were registered as scorers ticked 1259 runs in the scorebooks. If applied to the task batting wasn’t difficult and Pakistani centurions Younis Khan Ahmed Shehzad and Sarfraz Ahmed proved that along with Misbah-ul-Haq who also chalked up 69 in the first innings. On the other hand the Pakistani bowlers used the slowness of the wicket and the skid to give Pakistan an upper hand.
It is rare that a side would praise a wicket on which they lost a Test match but here both the Australian captain – Michael Clarke and coach Darren Lehmann – had a good word for the Dubai pitch.The Pakistan Cricket Board’s General Manager for Operations Zakir Khan told Khaleej Times from Lahore that they were happy with the pitch prepared for the first Test.
“Honestly we wanted a pitch that would suit the subcontinental conditions and that’s what we got at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium” he informed.
“We are happy that we got the home advantage” he added.
The UAE have played host for Pakistan for 16 Tests so far with the ‘home team’ winning nine losing five and two were draws.
Pakistan would certainly look to win in Abu Dhabi to wrap up the series as well as improving their ICC Test ranking.
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