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After losing five consecutive Tests, Australia have won two on the trot against quality opponents. That is all that matters – the controversy from Brisbane about declarations and field placements is irrelevant.
The Australian media and cricketing public has become so predictably negative when it comes to the national team. When Australia secured a giant first innings lead against Pakistan at Brisbane, the talk was not of how well the home team had played but how poor Pakistan had been.
Suddenly the visitors were being painted by many fans as a woeful team with no idea how to play in Australian conditions. Apparently there was no merit in Australia outplaying Pakistan – even a second grade team could roll through them.
Then, once Pakistan belatedly showed the true extent of their generous ability in the fourth innings, the focus shifted to how supposedly pathetic Australia were. They had no heart as a team, spinner Nathan Lyon was a joke, Steve Smith was the worst captain in world cricket.
There was such deep negativity directed towards the Australians after the match you’d have thought they’d suffered a heavy loss.
Instead, they’d just beaten an opponent which was number one in the Test rankings only two months ago. A Pakistan team which in the past three years has the second-best away record (after South Africa) of any of Australia’s Test opponents.
A team which just four months ago did what Australia have not been able to achieve since 2001 – they avoided losing a Test series in England, drawing 2-2 with the hosts. As I wrote ahead of the first Test, Pakistan are not to be underestimated.
This is easily the best Pakistan team to tour Australia since 1999, when they boasted the likes of Wasim Akram, Inzamam ul-Haq, Saeed Anwar, Saqlain Mushtaq and Mohammad Yousuf.
On that aforementioned Roar piece there were numerous comments from Roarers claiming that Pakistan’s batting line-up was weak. One Roarer even suggested Australia’s rookie-laden top seven was better.
Yet Pakistan have five batsmen in their top seven who average 42 or more in Test cricket. And not just because of small sample sizes – four of those batsmen have played 50-plus Tests and the other, keeper Sarfraz Ahmed, has 1805 Test runs to his name from 31 matches.
It is a batting line-up which had a recent hiccup in New Zealand but which stood up far better in English conditions than did the Australians. In England, Pakistan had four batsmen who averaged 39 or better, compared to Australia who only had three batsmen who averaged more than 28 in the Ashes.
I will repeat it – this is a good Pakistan team. And one which has a lot more experience than Australia. Pakistan had an awful start to the Brisbane Test but it always seemed likely they’d bounce back. Under the captaincy of Misbah ul-Haq they have proven to be a resilient unit, unlike the often flaky Pakistan line-ups of the past.
This was highlighted in emphatic fashion as they pushed their way to 450 in the fourth innings at Brisbane. Now, there were unmistakable issues with Smith’s field placements and the unthreatening bowling of Nathan Lyon. But Australia’s effort in that fourth innings was far from rank.
Pacemen Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Jackson Bird all bowled well. Only Lyon struggled.
Sometimes, when things go against a team, it’s because the opposition has played some good cricket. But there is little nuance in modern assessments of cricket matches – observers are so keen to accentuate the negative, to mine for controversy.
Let’s not forget that Australian cricket was in “crisis” just a few weeks ago. A 5-0 loss in the ODIs in South Africa had been followed by Australia losing their fourth and fifth Tests on the trot. Wholesale changes were made to the Test team, with a new and long-overdue emphasis on youth.
Since making five changes to their Test line-up for the Adelaide Test, Australia have won both their matches against quality opponents. One triumph may have been in a dead rubber and the other a close shave, but a victory is a victory. We can ask little more of a young, rebuilding team than for them to win.
Australia did not play poorly at Brisbane. They batted well in both digs and bowled solidly for a large part of the Test. It is comical that they’ve received such fierce criticism. Have Australian fans have become addicted to negativity?