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Pak vs Aus: Spinners earn Pakistan decisive win against Australia

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Inexperienced spinners Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah shared nine wickets and led Pakistan to an emphatic 221-run victory against Australia on the fifth and final day of the first test on

India TV News Desk India TV News Desk Updated on: October 26, 2014 18:27 IST
pak vs aus spinners earn pakistan decisive win against
pak vs aus spinners earn pakistan decisive win against australia

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Inexperienced spinners Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah shared nine wickets and led Pakistan to an emphatic 221-run victory against Australia on the fifth and final day of the first test on Sunday.

   


Left-arm spinner Babar, in only his third test, took 5-74 and legspinner Shah grabbed 4-50 in his debut test as Australia, chasing an improbable 438 runs for victory, was bowled out for 216 in the last session.
   
Mitchell Johnson (61) and Steven Smith (55) delayed the inevitable after being given two chances each before Australia eventually succumbed to Babar and Shah's guile.
   
It was Pakistan's biggest margin of victory in a test match against Australia in terms of runs -- eclipsing its previous best 74-run victory at Sydney in 1995. It also means Australia can't win the two-test series.
   
The defeat ended Australia's hopes of regaining the No. 1 spot from South Africa in test rankings as it needed to clinch the series 2-0 against Pakistan.
   
It was a remarkable turnaround in Pakistan's performance after it lost the test and one-day series in Sri Lanka, and Australia routed them 3-0 in the ODI series.
   
Resuming on a precarious 59-4, Chris Rogers (43) and Smith defied Pakistan for over an hour and took the score to 92 before another newcomer, fast bowler Imran, struck with a full delivery from around the wicket that knocked back Rogers' stumps.
   
Mitchell Marsh, playing his first test, didn't look at ease against the spinners on a turning wicket before Azhar Ali took a brilliant reflex catch at silly point off Babar.
   
Haddin also struggled for 10 deliveries and was bowled by Babar off a straight delivery for a duck when he left a big gap between bat and pad as Australia slipped to 117-7 by lunch.
   
Pakistan spinners bowled with so much authority that Australia's first boundary of the day came when Smith hit Babar through the covers after lunch.
   
But Smith and Johnson prospered on four chances -- all off unlucky Babar -- in a 65-run eighth wicket stand before Shah eventually had Smith caught close to the wicket.
   
Wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed spilled an easy stumping when Smith was on 37 and captain Misbah-ul-Haq dropped a hard chance at short cover before Smith had scored his half century.
   
Johnson also had lucky escapes in his 20s with Ahmed Shehzad and Shah misjudging catches off sweep shots before the left-hander was finally stumped just after tea after hitting six fours and a six in his 127-ball knock.
   
Babar deservedly folded the innings by having No. 10 Peter Siddle, who advanced down the wicket in order to defend, but gave Ali his second catch of the innings with a big inside edge.
   
The second test starts at Abu Dhabi on Thursday.

 

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