It’s difficult not to appreciate what seven days of Test cricket have done to lift the morale of Pakistan’s cricket team in general and Younis Khan in particular. Before the start of the ongoing two-Test series against Australia, Pakistan seemed like a disjointed unit. In the process of winning four limited-overs games against the Green-shirts played in the UAE before the Tests, the Australians made the hosts look like mere push-overs. Before the Test series, Younis came across as an angry, aging man who was fuming after the national selectors overlooked him for the ODI series against the Aussies. There were even speculations that he might boycott the Tests, or even worse, the PCB would axe him from the five-day format as well.

But by last Friday, when Younis converted his third successive ton into a double century in the second and final Test in Abu Dhabi, Pakistan were in the box seat. They were almost playing cat and mouse with the hapless tourists as they progressed towards a possible series triumph, their first against Australia in two decades.

Younis, too, seemed invincible. With scores of 106, 103 (not out) and 213, he had amassed 422 runs at an average of 211 in three innings. The series tally took Younis’s grand total of 2014 to 769 from 10 outings. With three more Tests to go this year against New Zealand on batting paradises in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, it seems that Younis would easily cross the 1000-run mark during the current calendar year.

Within a short span of just two Tests, Younis has broken various records. With his back-to-back tons in the Dubai Test, Younis just didn’t play the pivotal role in earning a 221-run triumph for Pakistan, he also became the top century-maker for his country. He now has 27 Test centuries as compared to previous Pakistan record holder Inzamam-ul-Haq’s 25.

Younis has also joined the legendary Don Bradman and England great Herbert Sutcliffe. With his Abu Dhabi knock, Younis became the first batsman in 90 years to score three consecutive Test tons against Australia. Sutcliffe was the last man to have achieved this rare feat during the Ashes series of 1924-25.

Younis now averages at least 50 in each of the four innings of a Test. Bradman and Sutcliffe are the only other batsmen who average 50-plus in all four innings, with a minimum of 10 knocks in each innings.

It is quite evident that the 37-year-old batsman is on a mission. It’s not that he wasn’t a class act in the past but Younis seems to be really at the top of his game at the moment. At the start of the series, he knew he had a point to prove. He was snubbed by the national selectors, who dropped him from the ODI squad without much rhyme or reason.

With his axing from the 50-over format, it was quite clear that the selectors didn’t see Younis as a part of their World Cup plans. But Younis thought he was good enough to play at least one more World Cup before calling it quits. His ODI stats haven’t been very flattering in recent times but as a batsman you know that if you are in form you can score runs in any format. And Younis was certainly enjoying a purple patch, something that he proved during the otherwise calamitous tour of Sri Lanka last summer with a big hundred (177) against Sri Lanka at Galle in August. Another reason why Younis thought he deserved to be a part of the ODI squad was the fact that Pakistan’s batting is quite brittle, especially in limited-overs formats. It was exposed yet again by the Aussies in the one off Twenty20 International and three ODIs in the UAE. But the selectors thought otherwise. Well, they thought wrong.

Pakistan are suddenly looking like a good team primarily due to the stunning exploits of a batsman they haven’t been treating well in recent times. But can they transform their Test success into ODI form in the lead up to next year’s World Cup?

That’s the question they should ask themselves ahead of the limited-overs series against the UAE later this year. Regardless of the fact that Pakistan’s batting showed a lot of spine in the two Tests against Australia, it is quite clear that they really need to get their act together in the ODI arena. Pakistan have been unable to impress much in the 50-over format in recent times and most of the time they’ve been let down by their batters.

That will have to change if Pakistan want to take a serious shot at the World Cup crown when the tournament takes place in Australia and New Zealand in February-March next year. There is likely to be some improvement with the expected return of Younis and the fact that skipper Misbah-ul-Haq also ended his lean patch with the bat by scoring a century in Abu Dhabi last Friday. A superb ton by opener Ahmed Shehzad, also in Abu Dhabi, is also a positive sign. Grant Flower, the Zimbabwean currently working as Pakistan’s batting coach, is certainly making his presence felt.

With the way Pakistan have played against the Aussies, they would surely begin this month’s Test series against New Zealand as hot favourites. Even without Saeed Ajmal, they should conquer the Kiwis comprehensively. It would be great for Pakistan’s Test fortunes if that happens but with the World Cup fast approaching I’m more worried about the outcome of the five-match ODI series to be played in December. The New Zealanders might prove to be easy opponents in the Tests but they would be difficult to beat in shorter formats of the game. Personally, I believe that they would be one of the leading contenders for the World Cup title next year which is why success against them would really boost Pakistan’s morale.

Test success is by all means great success but at the moment cricket’s top prize is World Cup 2015. The Aussies have made that clear by focusing more on the ODI games against Pakistan than the Tests. The Kiwis would do the same. What remains to be seen is whether Pakistan will be able to follow suit.