Australia Slump After Misbah Record

November 02, 2014

Misbah-ul-Haq flattened Australia with the equal fastest Test match 100 of all time as Pakistan set Michael Clarke's beleaguered men an enormous 603 to win in Abu Dhabi.

Chris Rogers showed the effects of the Australians' fruitless hours in the field by complaining of dizziness before falling in the minutes before tea, which arrived at 36 for 2 after Glenn Maxwell had also departed. The series could conceivably be over tonight.

Foregoing his usually obstinate tendencies, Misbah took 22 runs from one Steven Smith over and needed just 21 balls to reach 50, bettering the record 24 deliveries taken by Jacques Kallis to set the previous record. He went on to match Viv Richards' 28-year-old record for the fastest Test century - 56 balls. He had been dropped second ball by Peter Siddle off Smith's bowling.

Amid records for Misbah, Azhar Ali's second hundred of the match went by almost unnoticed, but his achievement of three figures moved Misbah to declare. Their dual hundreds were the first time two batsmen had scored Test centuries in each innings for the same team since Greg and Ian Chappell against New Zealand in 1974.

Younis Khan was the only wicket of the day, his dismissal, lbw to Smith, the signal for a somewhat overdone reaction by David Warner, who clapped mockingly in the face of the series' highest run-scorer. Azhar Ali was also dropped by the substitute Phillip Hughes at gully as part of a bedraggled Australian performance in the field that did not bode well for their time with the bat.

Rogers duly perished when he nibbled Zulfiqur Babar to leg slip, before Maxwell completed what might be the only match he may ever play as Australia's No. 3 batsman by missing another straight delivery from Babar to fall lbw on review. In a 12-ball stay, he had also nearly been bowled when missing a highly ambitious attempt to reverse-sweep Mohammad Hafeez.

Misbah's innings had begun with a generous Smith full toss that was slapped down the ground, but next ball a miscued attempt to swing the legspinner over the fence resulted in an edge that floated towards Siddle, who grassed the chance.

From there, Misbah took fearsome revenge on Smith for dismissing him twice in the series, collaring decently pitched balls with near impunity, seemingly oblivious to where Clarke posted fielders. His half-century arrived from the final ball of the morning, and he and Azhar left their gloves and bats by the boundary's edge.

After lunch, Misbah's pace slackened only mildly, and it took a fine over of full-pitched reverse swing by Siddle to ensure he did not beat Richards. As it was, a slog to midwicket then a fortuitous edge to third man took Misbah level with the Master Blaster, a proud moment for Pakistan's captain and the latest indignity inflicted upon Australia in this lopsided series.

Mitchell Johnson ended Pakistan's innings out of the bowling attack and off the field nursing a sore hip. His fitness will be a matter of some concern for Australia's management.
(Cricinfo)