ABU DHABI // Shane Warne bowled it too well, that was the problem.
Had the ball not drifted and spun as it did, had it not beaten the batsman, Inzamam-ul-Haq, and the wicketkeeper, Ian Healy, Pakistan may never have won that Karachi Test, 20 years and one month ago.
That was the last time Pakistan won a series against Australia. Twenty years can build a large burden, a burden Misbah-ul-Haq and his men can push back from today in Abu Dhabi.
Avoid defeat in the Test starting today and the running of Pakistan can be given to Misbah.
Winning a series against Australia for the first time in 20 years would be his greatest achievement, one beyond captains such as Wasim Akram and Inzamam-ul-Haq.
He is bearing the burden of history well, though, speaking of it in the same captain-speak he brings to any other Test, eyes transfixed on some distant, unseen point.
How important would a series win be? “Very important,” Misbah said, “because we have not won a series against Australia for a long time.”
The “boys are confident”, a win will help “win back the confidence” and so on.
Critics of the captain cite exactly this lack of oomph, but it is precisely what has helped Pakistan. It is precisely what puts him on the precipice of another, individual captaincy landmark.
A Test win in Abu Dhabi will give him 14 as leader, the same as Imran Khan and Javed Miandad, the two most successful in Pakistan’s history. He, though, did not know he was on the verge of anything.
“The main complaint people have with us is that we don’t play consistent cricket so we have to focus to consistently perform in this match as well,” he said.
Misbah’s pragmatism – and history – suggests he is comfortable sitting on a lead.
A win will be the aim but, as he said: “In Tests, a third option also comes sometimes which is a draw. At the moment when two good teams play, and the way Australians play, you need to have a positive mindset, which is always to strive to win the game.”
It will help if he wins the toss. Abu Dhabi surfaces are not conducive to a positive result, though Misbah has not been shy of putting the opposition in first here.
This pitch looks bare and true, and built to last. Bat first, bat big and secure a foothold.
That means that Australia’s attack will come under renewed scrutiny, having to find a way to take 20 wickets.
It is never out of the question against Pakistan’s batting, but, Mitchell Johnson apart, they looked a little lost in Dubai.
“Execution is going to be the key, with the brand new ball, with reverse swing and with spin,” Australia captain Michael Clarke said.
“Conditions are what they are. You need to find a way to take 20 wickets.
“We can try different things when we’re out there but the most important thing is going to be execution and be able to do that over long periods of time to build pressure.”
They will have company under that spotlight with their batsmen but the suspicion is that, one Test on, they might feel more comfortable against an attack they would have known little about before Dubai.
It was not as simple a flaw as Darren Lehmann made out, that the batsmen fell to straight, non-spinning balls.
That does a disservice to the subtleties that Pakistan’s spinners employed. Australia have not handled spin well in these conditions in Tests, though Clarke remains confident that his line-up can play it well.
“Facing spin in these conditions, it’s as much about your attitude as it is how you actually play it. Mentally if we can have that positive intent, we’re halfway there towards having success against spin bowling.”
FACT FILE
Pitch
Business as usual it would appear. The Zayed Cricket Stadium surface looks bare and grassless though the bounce is always true. Bat first would be the advice on winning the toss and then hope. Pakistan have not bowled badly on this pitch but have not often driven home the advantage. Australia will have to work out a way to take 20 wickets.
Key battles
David Warner v Pakistan
If there is one batsman who can take the game away from Pakistan, it is Warner. He almost did it in the first innings, undone only by a ripper from Yasir Shah. If he gets going, Australia have a chance.
Younis Khan v Mitchell Johnson
Younis won the battle hands down in Dubai, but he was quick to acknowledge how tough Johnson was to handle, especially on Day 1. If Johnson gets him early, Pakistan could fall.
Key stats
14 – If Pakistan win, it will give Misbah-ul-Haq his 14th Test victory as captain, making him, along with Imran Khan and Javed Miandad, one of their most successful captains.
20 – If Pakistan avoid defeat, it will give them their first series win over Australia in 20 years but their sixth series win at "home" against them.
405.4 – Pakistan's average first-innings score in Abu Dhabi over five Tests is 405.4, making it a fair fortress of a venue as far as their batting concerned.
3 Three of the five Tests at the venue have ended in draws.
Verdict
It will come down to how well Pakistan can maintain the focus from the last Test and how well they can replicate what they did right in Dubai. Australia are a more stable side and will come at them very hard, make no mistake.
osamiuddin@thenational.ae
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