Almost a quarter of a century after conquering Pakistan in their own backyard, Australia returned to the country to do that yet again. In a three-match Test series which was marred by flat pitches, the tourists finally broke through Pakistan's defences on the last day of the third and final Test at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium to record a rare series-winning triumph in Asia. Nathan Lyon, who had an otherwise quiet series, finally showed why he is regarded among the best off-spinners in Test cricket, when he took five wickets on an action-packed final day to help Australia win the third Test after back-to-back drawn matches in Rawalpindi and Karachi.
Pakistan's series defeat on home soil led to a lot of criticism from all quarters -- and not without reason. It was quite clear from the very start that Pakistan had devised an overly defensive strategy to counter the Aussies, regarded among the best teams in the world. In a bid to blunt the Australian pace attack, they made a dead track in Rawalpindi where the first Test turned out to be a graveyard for bowlers from both sides. Karachi, too, offered a flat wicket where heroic efforts from skipper Babar Azam and his deputy Mohammad Rizwan saved Pakistan from almost certain defeat. Pakistan continued to be on the backfoot in Lahore where Australia finally managed to take 20 wickets despite a low and slow surface.
The series defeat should come as an eye opener for Pakistan cricket's think-tank. The hosts were supposed to have an advantage on spin-friendly wickets at home. But the spin duo of Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan was hardly threatening. Unlike the past, when Pakistan's spinners like Yasir Shah and Abdul Rehman earned them a series of triumphs in 'home' Tests in the UAE, the current duo turned out to be toothless against the likes of Australian opener Usman Khawaja, who turned out to be the most prolific batter of the series. Australia proved themselves superior to the hosts on every front and that included captaincy. While the charismatic Pat Cummins was almost always on the attack, his counterpart Babar Azam clearly lacked the killer instinct needed to counter a team like Australia. Babar and his men will need to quickly regroup and avenge the Test series defeat in the four white-ball games to be played in Lahore. The two teams will meet in a three-match One-day International series starting from Tuesday and a one-off T20 game. The Australians may have won the top prize of the tour but Pakistan can salvage some pride by winning the limited-overs games. But to do that they will need to show more teeth than they did in the Tests.