Australia's Ricky Ponting (left) and Brad Haddin (right) celebrate a wicket at the WACA ground in Perth, Saturday, Dec. 19, 2009. (AAP Image/Tony McDonough)
Ricky Ponting’s Australia should not take Pakistan lightly in the second Test in Sydney after winning comfortably in Melbourne on Wednesday. History suggests that Pakistan bounce back on the SCG after being mauled by Australia in a previous Test.
In January 1976, Australia under Greg Chappell had thrashed Pakistan by 348 runs in Melbourne. But, in the next Test in Sydney, the visitors won by 8 wickets – thanks to an amazing 12 wicket haul by Imran Khan.
We witnessed a similar turnaround in 1995-96; Mark Taylor’s Aussies beating Pakistan by 155 runs in Hobart in November 1995 but losing by 74 runs in the next Test in Sydney.
Let me revisit the 1976 Sydney Test that I witnessed from the Pakistani dressing room. Before the toss was coined, the visitors were furious. They were seething with rage reading a column written by Dennis Lillee in The Sun. Among other things he (or his ghost) had written: “The Pakis are not in the street as us in cricketing abilities.”
Paradoxically, it was the Australian team which lost its ‘street directory’ as they faced quickies Imran and Sarfraz Nawaz on a rampage. The match belonged to Pakistan from the first over when Sarfraz dismissed Alan Turner for a duck.
Within 65 minutes, Australians were 4-38. Imran was magnificent as he captured six scalps and the home team was dismissed for 211.
With Asif Iqbal hitting a century and debutant Haroon Rashid 57, Pakistan led by 149 runs. Australia collapsed again to be dismissed for 180, Man of the Match Imran again taking six wickets to finish with 12-165. And Pakistan won, their first Test victory in Australia.
“We have been outplayed”, conceded skipper Greg Chappell.
Test great Bill O’Reilly (27 Tests from1931-1945) was more hard-hitting. He wrote in The Sydney Morning Herald, “Australia’s humiliating crash will be a bitter medicine but I believe it must have tremendous therapeutic effects. If there is one thing Australian cricket has sadly lacked in recent years, it is humility.”
He was referring to Lillee’s boast that the Pakistanis were not in the same class as the Aussies.
Let’s fast forward to 1995. The series was won 2-0 by Australia after huge victories in Brisbane and Hobart Tests and they apparently relaxed in the final Test in Sydney.
Despite Mark Waugh’s elegant 116, the home team trailed by 42 runs mainly due to Wasim Akram’s pace and swing and Mushtaq Ahmed leg-spin.
Set 247 to win, Australia was spun out for 172 and lost.
So here’s a lesson for the Australians in the Test starting on Sunday. Never take Pakistan lightly. They are awful one day, awesome the next – especially when playing on the SCG turf.
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