Jeor Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 This is just pure speculation, but I'm wondering whether Pakistan might let Australia escape with a draw here by declaring very conservatively late on in the third session. They lead by 367 halfway through this first session, but the pitch still looks good, and in the back of their minds they'll be thinking about that 0/150-odd position Australia were in. They're not exactly smashing the runs in either, so I wouldn't be surprised if they leave it to a late declaration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Winged Shadow Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 Pakistan declared. They'll win it from here. Don't see the Aussies lasting a day and a half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeor Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 Yep, they did make a good declaration in the end. Aussies got to 0/87 looking good and then bang another collapse, three wickets for no runs. This will be done by lunch tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paxter Posted October 10, 2018 Author Share Posted October 10, 2018 The match is set-up quite nicely for the final day - Australia have only an outside chance of staying in the match with seven wickets in hand, but a wicketless opening session could make things interesting. Overall: Pakistan deserve the win and should secure it if Shah and Bilal show up tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeor Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 Well, it's turned out like Pax has said - a wicketless first session has given Australia hope of a draw. However, with only Labuschagne and Paine to come before you get into Starc et al, only one wicket needs to fall and it will definitely swing back Pakistan's way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paxter Posted October 11, 2018 Author Share Posted October 11, 2018 Man...Australia of all teams couldn’t bat nearly five sessions in the UAE to save a test. Right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeor Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 Well there's the wicket, first ball back after lunch. If Starc has to come in to bat this session then it should be game over. A lot depends on whether Labuschagne and Paine can hang around with Khawaja in this next hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeor Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 PS Hafeez is having a pretty good match here. Century and then takes a very important wicket. A guy who averages 40 with the bat, has a decent 100/50 conversation rate (9/12) and has taken more Test wickets than matches played (52 to 50). Pretty handy veteran to call in off the bench. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paxter Posted October 11, 2018 Author Share Posted October 11, 2018 Amazing knock from Usman. I don’t think he’ll be dropped again for overseas tours... ETA: I’m going to call the draw with just 25 overs to go now. Back to my original prediction at the end of Day 1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Winged Shadow Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 Getting good now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeor Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 Man this is turning into a great match. Who could have predicted it in the first couple of days that it would come down to this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paxter Posted October 11, 2018 Author Share Posted October 11, 2018 Yeah classic match. Loving it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeor Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 I still reckon the draw is on. Lyon can bat and Paine has been out there a while. I would not want to be Jon Holland! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeor Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 What an amazing draw. It could be one of those seminal moments where this new Australian team finds its own identity without Smith/Warner. Brilliant hundred from Khawaja and glad for him that it meant something to the final result as well. Great result for the series, too - keeps it alive with all possibilities still available. Really tough on Pakistan; they should have won it, and they deserved it too. Yasir pulled it back from the brink in that last session but they just didn't get over the line. Pakistan can't really be faulted, they declared early enough to have won. It was just that first session where Sarfraz was a bit too defensive. Their bowling attack was good, but they just didn't have a fearsome paceman who could rip out tail-end wickets. Abbas is a good bowler but not express, and Wahab was useless. As it is they had to rely on the spinners probably a bit too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Winged Shadow Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 Great game. Didn't think they had it in them. That second collapse felt like the end! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljkeane Posted October 13, 2018 Share Posted October 13, 2018 Dickwella, heh. I probably should be too old to find that funny. Anyway, early wicket for England. ETA: Olly Stone looks useful. Bouncing someone out in Sri Lanka takes some going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paxter Posted October 16, 2018 Author Share Posted October 16, 2018 On 10/13/2018 at 7:35 PM, ljkeane said: Dickwella, heh. I probably should be too old to find that funny. Anyway, early wicket for England. ETA: Olly Stone looks useful. Bouncing someone out in Sri Lanka takes some going. I'll be interested to see how Stone's career progresses - the likes of Wood and Finn seem to be on the outer now after some fleeting successes for England. The Pakistan-Australia series kicks back into gear tonight and I'm really looking forward to it. Pakistan is feeling some pressure after dominating for four days in Dubai but not emerging with a win. I'm starting to think that maybe Sarfraz wasn't the right choice to skipper? The captaincy definitely appears to be affecting his performance - he was averaging over 40 under Misbah but is averaging under 20 since taking over. Azhar Ali might have been the better choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeor Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 Pakistan going with a couple more debutants including a guy (Mir Hamza) with an astonishing first-class bowling average of 17. 74 over 50+ matches. Still very spin heavy with the two frontline spinners plus Hafeez. I feel like they could have used another fast bowler in the last match given Abbas still took quite a few wickets, but maybe that was because Wahab Riaz was so terrible. If both Abbas and Hamza are bowling well they can probably cope with only two pacemen, but it would have been useful for them to have had a third seamer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeor Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 6 hours ago, Paxter said: I'm starting to think that maybe Sarfraz wasn't the right choice to skipper? The captaincy definitely appears to be affecting his performance - he was averaging over 40 under Misbah but is averaging under 20 since taking over. Azhar Ali might have been the better choice. Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq are the most experienced and established batsmen in the side (with Azhar having the better record) so they would have been natural alternatives, though I don't really know much about their personalities. One gets the feeling most of the Pakistani captaincy decisions of late have been political ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paxter Posted October 16, 2018 Author Share Posted October 16, 2018 OMG Pakistan. I guess losing to Sri Lanka last time they played in the UAE wasn’t a one-off! Assuming they go on to lose this test, Sarfraz might have to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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