Australia tour of Pakistan - 2022 | 2nd Test at Karachi

Babar Azam's knock against mighty Aussies for saving Pakistan test match at Karachi

Although on the statistics, this is a test match which ended in a draw but the fact is, this is similar to that inning played by Late Hanif Muhammad in saving the test match against a formidable West Indian team, this is the resilience which was once shown by Younus Khan when he played the 313 innings against Sri Lankans; the same series where during the Lahore test match, 3/3 happened in Lahore when international cricket went away from Pakistan and hence Pakistan had to play their home games in the UAE, but coming back to the topic of resilience aspect, this inning of BA is supposed to be called as most resilient inning played on Pakistani soil in recent times, although I must admit; pitch is to be blamed for surely, because these pitches doesn't give chance to our own pace batteries to perform against their opponents in their own backyards is a shame, but amid these all debacles, the innings which BA played, against an opponent as tough like Aussies, in those humid weather conditions, is something to be appreciated, as when both teams were coming to their pavilions after it was decided that the match is drawn and while both teams' players were coming to their respective pavilions, their body language shown where Pakistani players were joyous whilst visitors had their moods down, this is I guess enough for us to understand, who was the winner and who was not.

There have been six higher fourth-innings scores than Babar Azam's epic 196 against Australia in Karachi last week. All of them were over 200, the highest being George Headley's 223 for West Indies against England in Kingston in 1929-30 (that match was also drawn).

BA's 196 was the highest in the fourth innings for Pakistan, previously Younis Khan's unbeaten 171 in a victory over Sri Lanka in Pallekele in 2015.

BA batted for 603 minutes in all; the only longer knock in the fourth innings of a Test was Mike Atherton's unbeaten 643-minute 185 for England against South Africa in Johannesburg in 1995-96. Babar lasted 425 balls, behind only Atherton (492) and Sunil Gavaskar, who faced 443 during his 221 for India vs England at The Oval in 1979. (That's according to ESPNcricinfo's database; there may be one or two longer innings in matches for which we do not have the details.)

While I am writing these lines,

There is tea on the third day of the third test match on the same venue where 3/3 occurred and this is the second test match being staged on the same venue where it all began from 2009, hence this is something to be praised on account of the PCB, amidst pollution scares and other challenges, Pakistan Cricket Board did managed to stage an International Event at PCB's HQ, and coming back to the outcome of the currently played test match, because the way pitch has played is something sniffed towards an outcome to this drawn test match series and hence this is supposed to be a finale to the draw ridden series where any of the team which wins this penultimate test match, clinches the series.

Due to political instability in the country, white ball series (ODI and T20I series) relocated from Rawalpindi to Lahore

This comes as a surprise and bad taste to the mouth that these political parties without thinking of the country, staging their ٹوپی ڈرامہ during that time period while an international team (Australia, after 24 years) is touring Pakistan, at least think about the country, other than for your political self.

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Pakistan not out of the jail yet - 2nd test in Karachi penultimate day

This is a reality, even though (I might sound like Athar Ali Khan) but King Babar played a marvelous inning along with Abdullah Shafique and while both players on crease and three sessions to survive, it is a tough ask for both youngsters to show their metal on the global scale, 

Wait please...

A wicket here and there, game might WILL definitely slip away from Pakistan's grasp and Aussies are supposed to be the third team winning a test match in Karachi after England and South Africa respectively, because we all know; one wicket falls in Pakistan camp, it initiates a panic situation within the camp instead of calming themselves on, they initiate a run strategy.

But apart from that

The PCB is definitely require to work on sports research and development in Pakistan instead of copying others and do cosmetic stuff like DIP (drop-in pitches) concept in Pakistan where cricket ground in Pakistan are only supposed to be cricket grounds instead like in Australia and in New Zealand, where their ground are multi-purpose, rest... if bounce is concerned, try researching on clay structure and definitely work on domestic structure pitches so that our batters are comfortable in THEIR style of cricket instead of PCB acting naive when staging home-series' with likes of Australia, New Zealand and England in coming times while preparing dead tracks supporting none, which reduces the interest of a commoner who wants an outcome of the match after watching the game for full five days, we require to work heavily on R&D and like we say in Urdu, سب کو ٹرک کی بتی کے پیچھے بھگانا instead find talent from locals who can do Research on composition of clay and how to create a constantly balanced wicket to produce result after 4 and 5 days of cricket, otherwise Rawalpindi and Karachi tests have been responsible in reducing the interest of long format cricket, because none will route to grounds just to watch a test match with no result at the end of the day.

Wishing against hope

Being a Karachi boy and a Pakistani, I want my team to win, but odds are against Pakistan just because of the pitch, Pakistan now in this situation where every single Pakistani fan wants this test match to be saved instead of winning because realistically speaking, surviving 90 overs in a day against a potent bowling attack like Aussies is a very tough ask to expect from this Pakistani lineup but hoping against hope, if Pakistan does that, it is a good thing, but honestly I don't think this would be a call for celebration instead of getting back to the drawing board and work the problem, and the problem I figured, is you defensive approach, we could have had created lively pitch but playing attacking and fearless cricket would definitely had bought goods for both Pakistan Cricket Board, its production team and for Pakistan Cricket because when RR (Ramiz Raja) utters the word brand, this is how a brand is created, not like while creating such ridiculous placid tracks with no outcome whatsoever.

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Australia tour of Pakistan - 2nd test in Karachi

From Rawalpindi to Karachi

Rawalpindi test ended in draw while Pakistan prepared a batting paradise in a stadium where we are supposed to be viewing a battle between bat and bowl but sorry to say, Pakistan didn't utilize the advantage it got while staging a home game against a top cricketing side, otherwise Pakistan did play against them in UAE, but staging game in Dubai and the same in Lahore, or any other city of Pakistan is something else, words cannot express. But sorry to say, what I am watching on TV, Karachi again disappointed, because houseful Karachi is something I can't imagine.

There have been political reasons which I am not going to use to plagiarize this cricketing post

Because the games political parties of Pakistan in Karachi, is nothing to hide of but it is a shame that people still support these political parties instead of demanding them to give them their birth right of earning rightfully in their own town or nearby town instead of allowing them to shift themselves to Karachi just because they want to earn rightfully but they have given advantage to the political parties to have their unnatural vote bank which is sans in Karachi, be a reality; otherwise they aren't taking ownership of the city just like I am; who is a Karachi-Boy; but alas! this is a cricket blog hence it is better discussing these things over here.

Coming back to Cricket - The Second Test being played in Karachi

After watching two days play, I want to utter a single liner; Pakistan lost the home-advantage in a home-series on home turf (because Pakistan usually played their home series in UAE), just because of the way pitch played, because like Michael Haysman showed in Spiderworm graph that it showed day two was inconsistent and bounce was low, which means from day 3 on-wards (as right now when I am typing these lines, day two at Karachi ended where still Aussies are persisting with batting after being played 180 dot overs); pitch is going to deteriorate and I must agree with Haysman, that spider-worm is going to tilt towards more inconsistent and uneven bounce which is curtains for Pakistan, because now Aussies have nullified Pakistan winning, now only either Australia can win it from here otherwise this game can only be a draw, which is not good for the test match cricket and is definitely negativity from PCB end, otherwise I always give reference to 2006 Karachi Test between Pakistan and India, where it was a green-top and this is where IK Pathan stroked a hat-trick, but later-on it was Kamran Akmal and Abdul Razzaq who stole the show and took game away from India, rest it was Muhammad Asif Show.

But Investment on Curators should definitely be on the cards

Here I disagree with Ramiz Raja to that extent that pitches yes! are a problem, but addressing a problem is one thing, and application for removal of this problem is another thing, because drop-in pitches I don't think is the resolution to the problem;

Why I am saying this

1. It is an expensive venture, hence instead of utilizing that money to advertise DIP (drop-in pitch), invest on training on curators who can consistently create good, healthy, lively and supporting wicket regularly on regular period of time.
2. DIP venture in Australia and NZ are on those grounds, which are multi-venture, means multiple games are being played, like I remember; MCG was utilized as soccer field during Sydney Olympics, not in Cricket-Only grounds like Pakistan have.
3. If it is necessary, which I know is necessary; than initially firstly invest on research and development on clay and horticulture in Pakistan, because it is a science which makes sure that the wicket we prepare is crisp and good for both batters and bowlers, instead of acting like a 'burger' to visit a super-market, select a template and without any training and development on account of curators who're supposed to be MAINTAINING these wickets, will surely backfire.

FIRSTLY, invest on research and development 

Because Aussies also became world champion, just because they believed on research and development and hence now their cricketing researches are being utilized world wide, so why aren't we're conducting and making our minds on investment in research and development, because I believe Pakistan is so big, instead we have the minds of only utilizing Nandipur clay for creating composition of wicket, it should be aligned with infrastructure work being conducted in Pakistan; like Rafi Cricket Stadium in Karachi and Arbab Niaz and Hayatabad Stadiums in Peshawar City, but when your playing wickets are not up to the mark, these makeshift ventures i.e. DIP (drop-in wickets), and we should appreciate these people (who're horticulturists), because let admit one fact, this is a fact, and the composition of clay and percentage of different clay will make sure we are going to get a support playing 22 yards, instead of these graveyards.

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Australia's tour to Pakistan 2022 - after 24 long years

 

With response to the above Clip, first of of all I was happy to see, the same PSL sort preparation for this series unlike the one NZ and later on England cancelled, due to lack of interests from higher management, but this current PCB management head by Ramiz Raja, at the shadows of two tours being cancelled amid security threats, has made sure that Pakistan's Cricket should be broadcasted as a viewable product, because as soon as RR came into power, he initiated with PCB Shop, where everyone can order Pakistan Cricket Official Merchandise, than afterwards invested in broadcasting deals, because of which GEO SUPER which was previously partnering with PTV Sports but this might be my own opinion but I personally felt, they were aligned with Indian funded Media Personnel, as this time round when deal was finalized with ARY Group, the standard of presentation improved drastically and not only that, but also related to increase in broadcasting and streaming partners, which was sans when it was aligned with GEO group.

Coming back to the series

Currently when I am writing these lines, day three of the first test between two teams have been concluded, and tomorrow is fourth day of the test match but it has been predicted that tomorrow is supposed to be somewhat rainy day, but what I am seeing and with respect to the above mentioned video, I also agree with their point of view, that if weather allowed, and if our bowlers bowled their heart out just like they did during their tour to Bangladesh, where Sajid Khan plummeted the Bangladesh Side on their home soil twice within 24 hours, but hoping against hope, Australia is fully potent to save this test match, hence if I utter in local street language, it'd be a test of skills for not only skipper of Pakistani team but also set of bowling skills and variations of our bowlers and fielders supporting the cause because now Australia is avoided the follow on, but at least Pakistan should go for the aggression and try to bowl them (Australia) out inside our scored runs, because it'd give an head-on advantage when we are going to come for batting again in third innings so that during the fourth innings, we can exert pressure over the visitors, because this pitch (Rawalpindi) is surely going to support bowlers hence we can use non orthodox bowlers like Babar Azam and/or Fawad Alam along with our regular bowlers, such type of thinking should be incorporated IF WE WANT TO WIN THIS TEST MATCH otherwise I might have to agree with Mr. Nauman Niaz Sahab, that this test match is surely going towards a draw.

Coming to across the border

Similarly, today India plummeted Sri Lanka at Mohali with similar circumstances like Pakistan did to Bangladesh in second test in 2021, means India batted once only whereas Sri Lanka once followed on, and secondly they were unable to contemplate in front of the mammoth score by the hosts, similarly this win means India achieved precious two points in on going world test championship, for which Pakistan and Australia are fighting for these precious two points because one single two poin-ter can change the standings of the points table, for which I'd be eying on how both teams play.

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