PAK v AUS 2018: Pakistan Cricket fraternity lauds Sarfaraz Ahmed and his men for their dominating victory 

Pakistan won the Abu Dhabi Test by 373 runs and completed a 1-0 series win over Australia.

Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed is quite satisfied with his team's performance | Getty

Pakistan completed an excellent comeback performance in the second Test at Abu Dhabi to seal an emphatic victory over Australia by a margin of 373 runs and subsequently won the 2-match Test series, 1-0. 

Having lost momentum after Australia made a mighty escape on Day 5 at Dubai, Pakistan found themselves in a vulnerable position at 57-5 in the first session on Day 1 at Abu Dhabi, but this is when skipper Sarfraz Ahmed(94) led from the front and stretched together a 147-run partnership with Fakhar Zaman, who played a fantastic knock of 94 on debut himself. 

The seventh-wicket duo proved to be a game changing, match-winning one, as they helped Pakistan through a fighting total of 282, before fast bowler Mohammad Abbas gave an exhibition of great skills and ran through the Australian batting line up across both innings, with match figures of 10-95. 

Abbas bagged 5-62 and 5-33, as Australia got bowled out for 145 and 164, either side of Pakistan's third innings effort of 400-9 declared. 

"There are a lot of lessons [from this win]," Sarfraz Ahmed was quoted saying by ICC, "First of all never give up, there are few teams that can stage such a massive win in four days after losing five wickets in the first session," he expressed, "As a captain, I have learnt that I have to keep fighting and keep telling the remaining players not to throw their wickets away."

"The contribution by tail becomes very important in such a scenario. Bilal Asif, Yasir Shah, and Mohammad Abbas's contributions with the bat helped. This is what we have learned," he added, "The way we staged the comeback, it makes us look more mentally strong than Australia. Credit goes to Fakhar Zaman on how he played with me. And, then in the second innings again. Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam all of the batters. Pakistan have been a better team in the series." 

The performance, rightfully, got showered with praise from everyone around the world but especially pleased the former as well as current stars of Pakistan Cricket fraternity. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 20 Oct, 2018

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