Before the ICC Champions Trophy final in England last year, Imran Khan in a television interview had advised the Pakistan team to bat first and simply bowl through India no matter what target the batsmen had set.
Everything else aside, Imran Khan is an astute cricketing mind. He has been far away from the world of cricket now, but still has the ability to make a call. Pakistan’s batting is weak and our bowling is strong he argued, only way to get a one up was to take pressure out of the equation by not dangling a scorecard over the head of the batting lineup.
In the first of the three games that Australia and Pakistan played, the Australians didn’t seem to make much of Imran’s belief that the men in green are at their best when defending instead of chasing. After putting Pakistan in to bat, the Aussies bullied them around for less than 20 overs before swatting them aside and sailing across the paltry total the team had put up.
No wonder then that Australia didn’t seem to concerned in the next game when Pakistan went in to bat first again. Except this time the batsmen fired. Fakhar Zaman, Shoaib Malik and Hussain Talat all fired and the team put on an exceptional total. They then proceeded to breeze over Australia and get a comprehensive win.
It seemed that the old Pakistan with the unplayable bowling was back, and with the batsmen performing, they looked invincible. Which is maybe why Australia paid heed and decided to put Pakistan out to field first this time around. For the Pakistan fans, the idea of a chase is nerve wrecking, and one can’t help but think of all those nervous collapses.
So when the bowling was not all that today, courtesy a very stable batting wicket, and Australia put up 183, everyone was just a little sceptical that Pakistan would be going home intact on Sunday.
When two quick wickets fell in the first few overs, it was all but over, and the oh so familiar collapse could have come any minute. But not this time, because Pakistan was actually looking like the number one ranked team they are.
The most important factor was that Captain Sarfraz Ahmed looked his old self, sweeping and nudging and bouncing around the stumps to get the team back on its feet. On the other end, Fakhar Zaman remained cautious.
The brief window of restoration was over soon enough when Sarfraz fell to a run out after an innings as breezy as he could possibly make. Pakistan was exposed again, but then in walked the experienced hand that has served Pakistan so well, Shoaib Malik.
Malik played with poise and restraint. He ended the day not out on 43 from 37. And while that was slow for a 180+ chase, Fakhar Zaman on the other end made the partnership exactly what the doctor ordered.
That Fakhar was barely a run a ball for the first 20-odd deliveries of his innings makes his 46 ball 91 all the more impressive. That he does not distinguish between Zimbabwe, Australia, India or whether it is a final or a practice match makes things even better for Pakistan as they prepare for the world cup.
And while the bowling can have both good days and bad days, it is a constant fall back for Pakistan. What is heartening to see is when the batting is what propels us to wins. Because those are the ones Pakistan fans don’t normally get to see.