To think Pakistan has established itself as a foreign team to be reckoned with on overseas tours would be nothing short of incongruous.
If anybody thought India would be a top overseas team after the Natwest series win against England in 2007, they were wrong.
For the Aussie fans, a prospective three-match series is coming up against Pakistan at home. Though it was the series in England that got them to number one, yet the key factor behind it was the big series wins in UAE.
They beat Australia in 2014, drew against New Zealand, won against Sri Lanka and England in 2016. To add to that they even won sub-continental tours in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
By no stretch of the imagination have they got to number one, on the back of foreign soil victories.
Their failure to whitewash the West Indies was the first indication of their stutter. They lost the third Test match.
Now at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval, they have been walloped by the Kiwis.
Though they bowled better in the first innings, consistency was missing; It was obviously amplified in their second-innings bowling performance.
Their batsmen, not even the experienced duo of Misbah ul Haq and Younis Khan could stand up against the Kiwi pace attack.
To add to their worries, Misbah ul Haq has flown home to be with his father, who is critically ill.
Pakistan is, by no way, as consistent and potent as South Africa, even though many call them the dark horses.
Ever since 1994-95, Pakistan has come Down Under on five separate occasions and has only managed a draw with four losses.
In the last two series, they have been whitewashed on Australian soil.
While their batting revolves mainly around Azhar Ali, Misbah ul Haq and Younis Khan, the rest are yet to prove their Test match credentials on Australian soil.
Asad Shafique has done well in England, but what he can do here remains to be seen.
In their bowling, besides Mohammad Amir, nobody seems to have the cutting edge of someone like Junaid Khan.
Rahat Ali and Sohail Khan are the T-20 varieties. They rely solely on their change of pace and the slower variations.
So, it makes all sense that Pakistan, by no way, would offer as much of threat as the South Africans.
Australia must be ready to inflict a similar pain, which the South Africans have given them so far in the series.
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