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I am shocked by what I am reading about Australia’s travails with the bat against Pakistan.
The popular theory is is that they were too cavalier and needed to bat patiently like their opponents did.
Granted, Australia’s batsmen never looked capable of producing the sort of marathon Test innings played by Younis Khan.
But was that because they were too aggressive, or was it in fact because when they attempted to defend Pakistan’s spinners they did so with poor technique?
The reality is that, overwhelmingly, the Australian top seven lost their wickets playing either defensive or entirely justifiable shots.
I know this because, after being surprised that so many fans and pundits believed Australia had stumbled due to overly-attacking batting, I went back through the highlights and re-watched each of the 28 dismissals by their top seven.
Only three of those 28 were from what reasonably could be classed as irresponsible shots. There was Glenn Maxwell’s ill-advised attempt to lift Zulfiqar Babar over midwicket against the spin which saw him bowled in the first dig at Abu Dhabi.
David Warner’s final dismissal for the series was similarly poor as he tried to swing Mohammad Hafeez across the line and was caught off the top edge at backward point.
The third dismissal which could be chalked up to unnecessary aggression was Brad Haddin’s wild drive at Imran Khan which saw him play on at Dubai.
Here is a rundown of how each top seven Australian batsman was dismissed in the series.
Chris Rogers
1. Chopped on playing a cut shot to a delivery which decked back in sharply off the seam from left-armer Rahat Ali.
2. Yorked by a hooping in swinger from Imran Khan from around the wicket.
3. Caught behind pushing forward meekly at a full delivery from Imran Khan.
4. Caught at leg slip prodding defensively at a full ball from Zulfiqar.
David Warner
1. Bowled defending a Yasir Shah delivery that turned in sharply from around the wicket.
2. Stumped while trying to drive Zulfiqar Babar through the offside.
3. Gets a rank, wide long hop from Rahat Ali but toes end his cut shot to point.
4. Caught at backward point from a top edge after trying to heave Hafeez across the line.
Alex Doolan
1. Run out
2. LBW trying to deflect Zulfiqar through the leg side off the back foot.
Michael Clarke
1. Caught at short leg after prodding uncertainly at a length delivery from Zulfiqar.
2. LBW while defending on the front foot to a Yasir Shah slider.
3. Bowled playing a half-hearted forward push against a sharp in swinger from Imran Khan.
4. Bowled trying to defend a Zulfiqar delivery from the crease.
Steve Smith
1. Cuts a wide, short ball from Yasir Shah straight to backward point.
2. Advances to Yasir and caught at short leg trying to nudge the ball through leg side.
3. LBW trying to defend Zulfiqar off the back foot.
4. LBW pushing forward defensively at a Yasir Shah slider.
Glenn Maxwell
1. Advances to Zulfiqar, attempts to heave the ball over mid wicket and is bowled.
2. LBW while playing back to a Zulfiqar delivery which he looked to bunt back past the bowler.
Mitch Marsh
1. LBW while playing defensive prod to Zulfiqar.
2. Caught at silly mid off again prodding at a full delivery from Zulfiqar.
3. Gets a full toss from Imran but plays a half-hearted drive and chips the ball to mid on.
4. Caught at leg slip glancing a legside delivery from Hafeez.
Brad Haddin
1. Wild drive at Imran khan and played on.
2. Bowled playing a defensive push to a Zulfiqar arm ball.
3. Bowled trying to defend a slider from Yasir Shah.
4. Played on after defending a Zulfiqar delivery which then rolled back onto his stumps.
You can see then that it is a myth that Australia regularly gifted wickets to Pakistan through irresponsible batting. Rather they were exposed for allowing Pakistan’s spinners to dictate terms to them.
Pakistan’s batsmen showed patience when necessary, indeed. But they recognised that given the complete lack of pace or bounce in the decks, Australia’s slow bowlers could pose a bigger threat than the tourists’ much-vaunted pace unit.
So the Pakistan batsmen ensured that Nathan Lyon, Steve O’Keefe, Glenn Maxwell and Steve Smith never got a chance to settle into a rhythm.
The hosts went after the Australian tweakers not just early in each spell but also early in each over to try to rattle them. This approach proved effective, with all of Australia’s spinners responding by bowling too short.
This length was a reaction to the fact Pakistan’s batsmen were intimidating them by constantly getting to the pitch of their deliveries by using their feet or employing the sweep shot.
Combined, Australia’s slow bowlers went for 4.21 runs per over in the series. Meanwhile, barely a sweep shot was seen from Australia’s batsmen, many of whom tried to play Pakistan’s spinners mostly from the crease.
This meant that Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah rarely had to adjust their lengths and were able to get into a groove. The animated pitch maps show that Zulfiqar, in particular, was able to group his deliveries tightly together, rarely being forced out of his comfort zone.
On Asian pitches which foster natural variation of bounce and turn, being tied to the crease against a spinner is fatal. If you sit tight and defend grimly you will eventually receive a delivery which will undo you by either kicking up, staying low, turning sharply, or skidding on.
That is why the Pakistan batsmen either got to the pitch of spinning deliveries or shuffled deep in the crease to give them adequate time to read them off the surface.
When you do the former it tends to force spinners into a shorter length which makes it easier to do the latter. By comparison, the Australian batsmen were often caught out doing neither – stuck on the crease in no-man’s land.
Accordingly, Zulfiqar and Yasir gave up just 2.98 runs per over across the series, while combining for 26 wickets at 22.
Only twice were they gifted wickets as a result of cavalier batting by Australia’s top seven. By my reckoning, 15 of their 20 dismissals of Australia’s top seven came from defensive or half-hearted shots, mostly played by batsmen mired in the aforementioned no-man’s land.
So then, was Australia’s abysmal batting really the result of excessive aggression as we’re being told by all and sundry? Or was it in fact a lack of consistently positive intent against Pakistan’s spinners which allowed the bowlers to dictate terms?
Pakistan’s batsmen lorded it over Australia’s tweakers. Did they do this by playing them conservatively or by placing them under constant pressure through the attacking strategies of using their feet and employing the sweep shot?
By now, you should know the correct answers to these questions.