Pakistan’s gladiatorial Gabba chase

Shafiq and co's heroics have given Pakistan hope for Melbourne

As Australia picked what felt like needless second innings run on day three of the Gabba Test, it almost seemed like the hosts had some broadcasting obligations to fulfil.

Perhaps they had been told by Channel Nine – the official TV broadcasters — to take the Test into day four after Pakistan’s meek capitulation in the first innings. Australia set a record 490-run chase when it seemed on the evidence of the first innings that even 200 would be enough.

By the time Mitchell Starc was running in for his 38th over, the 145th of the Pakistan second innings, Australia were in desperate need of saving each run of the 490 they had set. Steven Smith must have been wishing for at least a 100 more by that time.

Head out to the middle as the two teams shake hands after a Test that will be remembered for a long, long time! #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/xpV5wlj3jQ

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 19, 2016

Asad Shafiq showed just what a gladiator he is at number six in the batting-order to give Pakistan hope from the depths of despair; 92 he added with Mohammad Amir, 66 with Wahab Riaz and 71 with Yasir before Starc’s 38th over and a searing, almost unplayable lifter ended the impossible dream. Shafiq and co had lifted the team from 220-6 to 450 all out.

Shafiq had walked in with scores of 0, 0, 16, 17,23,0 and 2 in his last seven innings — if the team was to rejig the batting then he was the man to be dropped for the second Test, his confidence was low and the runs had dried up.

Misbah had fallen cheaply and soon Younus and Sarfraz were to leave Shafiq high and dry with the ‘longest tail’ in international cricket.

https://twitter.com/CricketVideo/status/810765997783121920

Perhaps a shot or two, a cameo 50 at best to restore some batting form was all Shafiq and his diehard fans would have hoped for but Mickey Arthur’s Tendulkar was to defy and defy for so long that the hard-nosed, unbreakable Aussies were to not only get pinched but reach almost their wits’ end before the Starc snorter saved their blushes.

The glorious uncertainties of cricket are often bandied about, but the certainty of a Pakistan batting collapse is never in question, the first innings was just a reaffirmation of the malaise that had stung the team at Birmingham, Dubai, Sharjah, Christchurch and Hamilton in 2016 alone, so how to make sense of the herculean, odds defying second innings combat.

There was simply no hope in hell, so how did Pakistan conjure up what they did? More importantly what will they do with the momentum they have built in Melbourne, what are the odds that Pakistan won’t collapse chasing 150 at the MCG or bash 500 with the bat in the first dig at the venue where they recorded their most historic 24 years ago.

What a knock that was #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/JzAoVlPSdQ

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 19, 2016

Who can predict what’s next in store? After all this is the same team that lost nine in one session last month to lose the Hamilton Test, one Test later they have smashed the record for their highest fourth innings score, the highest ever four innings score at the Gabba and the fourth highest fourth innings score ever.

And yes as the dust settles, there’s another ‘record’ that Pakistan collected today, their 10th consecutive loss is now the record for most consecutive away losses against a single opponent.

It’s been 21 years and 10 Tests since they won or drew in Australia but Shafiq and co have given them hope for Melbourne. Let’s hope the ghosts of Hobart 1999 and Sydney 2010 are buried by the spirit of Brisbane 2016, it should be a fascinating watch. Make all predictions at your own peril.