Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Rejoicing Pakistan's Super Successful Tour to Sri Lanka

The last time Pakistan won the Test, ODI, and T20I series on the same tour was during the 2011-12 season when they defeated Sri Lanka in the UAE, and then Zimbabwe and Bangladesh on tour. It took four years for Pakistan to repeat the feat and notch up a rare successful tour of Sri Lanka, after 9 years, winning a total of 7 international games - 2 Tests, 3 ODIs, and 2 T20Is.

Another rare achievement for Pakistan was winning the three bilateral series under different captains. Pakistan is not accustomed to having different captains for different formats, yet it seemed to be no hindrance to team spirit as Misbah, Azhar Ali, and Afridi led Pakistan's outfits to historical wins across the three formats in Sri Lanka.

One more interesting fact from this tour is that Pakistan sealed each series with a SIX! Misbah launched Jehan Mubarak over long on to complete Pakistan's record chase in the 3rd test; Shoaib Malik hoicked Sriwardana over midwicket in the 4th ODI to take Pakistan to an unassailable 3-1 lead in the ODI series; Imad Wasim smashed Binura Fernando over long on to complete Pakistan's dramatic 1 wicket win in the second T20I.

I wonder if that has ever happened before.

I also wonder when was the last time that Pakistan's batting, bowling, and fielding all fired collectively in a series. Probably not since the 1992 World Cup Final! ;)

THE FIELDING

Before coming to Pakistan's batting and bowling, their fielding deserves a mention.

The way the Pakistanis picked up their fielding on this tour was a revelation. Never before has Pakistan looked like the better fielding unit in any series. Runs were defended and catches were taken, with some so good that it was hard to believe that it was a Pakistani fielder athletically diving across the turf and getting his hands wrapped around the ball.

It was a sight!

Anwar Ali and Mohammad Rizwan have shown that they right up their with the best fielders in the world at the moment.

THE BATTING

The batting on this tour also shone like it hasn't in the recent past.

There was the record chase in the 3rd test; a 300+ total in the 3rd ODI; successful chases of 250+ in the 1st and 4th ODIs; a 175 run total in the 1st T20I; and a record chase of a 170+ target in the 2nd T20I.

Where there was a classic match winning inning from the experienced Younis Khan in the 3rd test, there was also a maiden century in a match winning cause from a novice like Shan Masood. Where there was strengthening of test credentials by Azhar Ali with yet another test hundred, there were monumental knocks by Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed that won Pakistan a match after a familiar batting collapse.

ODI openers, Azhar Ali and Ahmed Shehzad, fired more often than not; and when they didn't the middle order comprising Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed, and Mohammad Rizwan cruised the ship comfortably.

Anwar Ali finally came of age and showed that he has the abilities of being an allrounder in both ODIs and the T20s. Shoaib Malik ensured that his comeback was not a flash in the pan and made his presence count in the middle order in every innings in the ODIs and T20s. Umar Akmal also repaid the faith his T20 captain had in him by showing the world his range of shots and ability in the 1st T20I. Imad Wasim also displayed allround abilities.

And then there was Shahid Afridi, doubted by so many, who led the charge in the second T20 and showed the world that he still has it in him to smash the ball to all parts of the park.

THE BOWLING

While Yasir Shah single handedly destroyed Sri Lanka in the Tests and mesmerized viewers by bringing back the shining art of leg spin to Pakistan's test ranks after half a decade, Imran Khan and Rahat Ali also produced some awe inspiring spells.

Rahat Ali translated his test success to ODIs by displaying wicket taking ability, while Anwar Ali produced economical spells with the new ball and also picked up wickets, which he was failing to do in the past. Imad Wasim showed composure with his left arm spin and was the most difficult bowler to get away.

Both Anwar and Imad are valuable additions to Pakistan's limited overs attack, particularly because of their ability to strengthen the lower order batting.

*               *               *

Rarely does a tour end with Pakistan achieving all the goals it set out to achieve.

Misbah wanted a test series win in Sri Lanka to take Pakistan back to number 3. Azhar wanted an ODI series win to ensure Pakistan a place in the Champions Trophy. He also stated that Pakistan would sweep Sri Lanka 2-0 in the T20s with Afridi wanting a strong showing leading up to his swansong in India next year.

There is much to rejoice about Pakistan's performance on this tour to Sri Lanka. It has been one of their most successful tours in recent history. Their Test and T20 performances resulted in a rise in the rankings where Pakistan now sit pretty at number 3 in both formats, while their ODI performance ensured a place in the Champions Trophy.

It doesn't always happen like this, so enjoy it while it lasts!

Make your pitch on this post...



Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,


20 Pitched:

  1. Unknown said...
     

    product launch

  2. Unknown said...
     

    Nice stuff of your collection.Latest designs and clothing trends with clothing4style and the best Maria b party wear dresses collection. gul ahmed collection 2016 and others stylish dresses.

  3. Brand Macalum said...
      This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
  4. Anonymous said...
      This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
  5. ApneTv.Pk said...
      This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
  6. The Lambingan said...
      This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
  7. Unknown said...
      This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
  8. Kiss Anime said...
      This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
  9. amer said...
      This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
  10. Anonymous said...
      This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
  11. thebadtameezdil said...
      This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
  12. PCSO said...
      This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
  13. Ashley Massaro said...
     

    your previous posts.. Thanks in Advance
    estados para whatsapp de amisted
    estados para whatsapp de amor
    Estados para whatsapp tristes

  14. Drama Cool said...
     

    So, if you don't find the story compelling, there's one thing for which you can't miss the movie and that's the visuals.This English movie is actually a The Drama Cool French-Canadian movie that got around 6.3 stars from IMDb. Not bad for such a strange concept! Won't you say so?

  15. Pinoy Channel said...
     

    People can take a peek into each other's world and thought processes and thereby learn new ideas and new ways of living life. In modern context, with easy availability of the Internet and various online social networking sites, it has been a Pinoy Channel far simpler task. Pinoy online community is one such online social networking site which brings individuals together on a common platform. Anyone harboring an interest in making interaction with the Philippines can find easy contact with them via this medium. This provision also provides the great bridge over the geographical distance and bringing the Filipino friends into close association with each other.

  16. pinoychannel said...
     

    save them as JPG, GIF, BMP, PNG files.This Pinoy HD Video Converter can easily convert batches of pictures like JPG, GIF, BMP and PNG to videos and play like a slide without more clicks and you can set the time that the frame delays. Video-to-picture conversion.

  17. pinoychannel said...
     

    These tips will help you to make more compelling videos, but how do you use the finished product to drive traffic to your site? Easy, submission! Other than Youtube, there are over 50 video sharing sites. Sign up for as many of them as you can. There are programs, like Tubemogul.com that will mass submit your videos to these sites. The more sites you have your Pinoy New Video, the more views you will get, and essentially more sales you will be making.

  18. pinoychannel said...
     

    Installing Pinoy Channel Watch online car amplifiers is demanding. You have to be ensuring the amplifier gets sufficient air pressure group to keep from overheating while surrounding it in a way that stop robbery. Satisfying these needs doesn't always give way the best looking results.

  19. pinoychannel said...
     

    I have nothing against them, but why do we have to Pinoy Tube Latest Video import from other countries? Can't we find Filipinos who are just as talented? Shouldn't we concentrate on finding and honing the skills of local athletes rather than relying on professionals from other countries?

  20. Piya Albela said...
     

    PIYAA ALBELA
    They made music that inspired legions of fans.
    PIYAA ALBELA founding fathers Chuck Berry and Fats Domino, rockers Tom Petty and Greg Allman, grunge icon Chris Cornell, country superstar Glen Campbell and jazz great Al Jarreau were among the notable figures who died in 2017, leaving a void in virtually every genre of music.

    Comedians Jerry Lewis, Don Rickles and Dick Gregory left their own indelible mark with their iconic routines. And the story of the 1960s could not be told without Hugh Hefner and Charles Manson, who were synonymous with the decade in vastly different ways.

Post a Comment