The flat pitch at the Pindi Cricket Stadium which led to a draw in the historic first Test between Pakistan and Australia saw Pakistan bowling great Sarfraz Nawaz recall another such wicket in the country which was infamously described as “graveyard” by Australian pace legend Dennis Lillee.
The opening Test of Australia’s first tour of Pakistan since 1998 ended in a stalemate on Tuesday with Pakistan batters piling on the runs and the Australian pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and skipper Pat Cummins taking just one wicket between them over five days.
Cummins was diplomatic in his post-match press conference but said it wasn’t a traditional Pindi pitch which nullified their pace attack. And talking to Dawn from London, Sarfraz echoed Cummins’ views.
“Such pitches are in the interest of none; neither competing teams or spectators nor cricket at large,” he said, “and our players get used to such dead pitches and then fail to perform on foreign tours.” Australia’s three-pronged pace attack, alongside seamer Cameron Green, bowled 93 overs amongst them in Pakistan’s first innings where the hosts amassed 476-4 declared.
Of them, only Cummins got a wicket while they collectively gave away 233 runs. Pakistan bowled out Australia for 459 innings with pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah also ineffective.—APP
