ABU DHABI // As ever, Misbah-ul-Haq was pulling out the ol’ poker face and refusing to give anything away. Asked repeatedly where he would rank this drought-breaking series triumph over Australia, he hummed and hawed.
It was up there with the whitewash of England in early 2012 of course but how up there?
Finally he cracked and even then, with qualification. “It’s really tough to say but what is important is we have played some great cricket in both series. Both the teams came to us after playing some wonderful cricket back home.
“But considering the fact we had a far better bowling combination for England and this time we had an inexperienced bowling line-up, nobody could have thought we can turn around and beat Australia, so this you can understand is a big achievement.”
Maybe it will take time for him to comprehend what he has overseen. On Monday, his side handed Australia a 356-run defeat, their third-worst ever loss in terms of runs. It was Pakistan’s largest-ever in terms of runs.
There was resistance in the morning as Steve Smith and Mitchell Marsh enhanced their reputations immeasurably.
But once Marsh went and the new ball was taken, Australia collapsed in a heap, to spin once again.
They lost five wickets for eight runs in just 45 balls, Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babar sharing the wickets and, combined, ending with 26 of the 40 wickets in the series. In every sense of the word it was a drubbing.
After an Ashes whitewash and a memorable triumph in South Africa, this was some comedown for Australia.
Worryingly, it extended a trend of shambolic results in Asia, a sixth successive and heavy loss in the region.
Michael Clarke, who had a poor series personally with just 57 runs, could only pick the bones of some individual performances from the loss, but pulled no punches in his assessment of the bigger picture.
“We have got to talk about what’s just happened. We were hopeful that we learnt some lessons from our trip to India [in 2013] but it doesn’t look that way.
“Your goal has to be to try and become better. I say that regularly but our performances here weren’t any better than they were in India.
“It’s a fair indication of where we sit as a team. We’re a lot more comfortable playing in our own back yard and we need to continue to work hard to have success away from home.”
REPORT CARD
Star performer
Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan): If this is to be Misbah’s penultimate series in Test cricket, what a way to bow out. Sealing a historic series triumph and twin hundreds would have been enough but he made it stellar by equalling Viv Richards’ record for the fastest hundred. Bizarre and sublime.
Underperformer
Chris Rogers (Australia): Life is not going to get any easier for Rogers, given he is 37. He has at least the examples of Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan in the opposition to look at. But Rogers was out of sorts on this surface, his frailties against spin all too apparent, although the first of two single-figure scores was off pace bowling to make it twice as galling.
Key moment
At 96 for two on the first day, in walked Younis Khan. He walked back the next day, having put on 236 with Azhar Ali (who got his own hundred). The partnership settled Pakistan’s nerves at what could have been a dicey moment. It settled the match and ultimately the series for them as well.
Pakistan rating
10/10 Full marks in two Tests in a row; maybe the world is flat. Pakistan were outstanding again, from the way they built their first innings, to the way they exploded in the second, to the way they bowled in both innings and caught close-in. Long-suffering Pakistani fans are forgiven for thinking this is a dream.
Australia rating
3/10 They missed more chances, bowled badly and – Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith apart – batted as if they had never come across such a surface before. Sure it might have helped had they won the toss, but they were swept in India in 2013 after winning every toss. They have a serious problem in these conditions and it is not getting better.
Our verdict
Pakistan look every bit guardians of their new fortress away from home. They just know how to bowl and bat – and even field – in these conditions. But to do it with the bowling attack they have had in this Test – and series – is to elevate the win into the realms of extraordinary. In the circumstances, they have not played better.
osamiuddin@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @SprtNationalUAE
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
John Cena v Triple H
Matches to be announced
WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Raw Tag Team Championship, United States Championship and the Cruiserweight Championship are all due to be defended
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
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ATP RANKINGS (NOVEMBER 4)
1. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 9,585 pts ( 1)
2. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 8,945 (-1)
3. Roger Federer (SUI) 6,190
4. Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 5,705
5. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 5,025
6. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 4,000 ( 1)
7. Alexander Zverev (GER) 2,945 (-1)
8. Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 2,670 ( 1)
9. Roberto Bautista (ESP) 2,540 ( 1)
10. Gaël Monfils (FRA) 2,530 ( 3)
11. David Goffin (BEL) 2,335 ( 3)
12. Fabio Fognini (ITA) 2,290
13. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 2,180 (-2)
14. Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 2,125 ( 1)
15. Denis Shapovalov (CAN) 2,050 ( 13)
16. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 2,000
17. Karen Khachanov (RUS) 1,840 (-9)
18. Alex De Minaur (AUS) 1,775
19. John Isner (USA) 1,770 (-2)
20. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 1,747 ( 7)
RESULTS
5pm: Watha Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
Winner: Dalil De Carrere, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Mohamed Daggash (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 70,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Miracle Maker, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Pharitz Al Denari, Bernardo Pinheiro, Mahmood Hussain
6.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Oss, Jesus Rosales, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: ES Nahawand, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: AF Almajhaz, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi
8pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: AF Lewaa, Bernardo Pinheiro, Qaiss Aboud.
MATCH INFO
Asian Champions League, last 16, first leg:
Al Ain 2 Al Duhail 4
Second leg:
Tuesday, Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha. Kick off 7.30pm
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
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Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
How to avoid crypto fraud
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