Australia vs Pakistan 2016/17, Brisbane Test: ‘Some Game Of Cricket, Wasn’t It?’
Dec 19, 2016 at 11:44 AM
The iconic Gabba witnessed an absolute thriller of a Test as Pakistan gave Australia a run for their money. Needing an improbable 490 to win the first test, the visitors got so close and managed to rake up 450 in the fourth innings. This, after a point in the first innings, when Pakistan was reduced to a paltry 67-8.
Day 5 commenced with Pakistan needing 108 to win the game with just two wickets in hand. Yasir Shah and centurion Asad Shafiq added 58 runs in the morning and the unlikely result seemed quite possible. However, a vicious bouncer from Mitchell Starc proved to be the difference as Shafiq was caught at gully, but not after an inspiring knock. Yasir was run-out soon as Steven Smith’s presence of mind proved vital.
Post his side’s victory by 39 runs, Smith admitted he was a relieved man at last. “I lost all my fingernails,” Smith said with a smile. “Some game of cricket, wasn’t it? It was hard work and a lot of credit has to go to the way the tailenders played. I thought our bowlers stuck at it all day and that wicket of Asad shows the class of Starc and his character to run in with the 60-over old ball and generate that pace to keep bowling his heart out. Had to keep believing all the time. Eight down and just a wicket away from pulling it off and credit to Shafiq and the tail who pushed us all the way.”
Emphasizing on his decision to have a crack at the Pakistan batsmen under lights, Smith added, “We wanted to bowl at night and we’ve seen in day-night cricket that most of the wickets fall under the lights. In the end am happy to have got over the line. Was too close a game for my liking, an amazing game of cricket, an amazing concept and I am sure the ratings were amazing as well.”
The Australian captain concluded by saying that Day-Night Tests are indeed the future. “Day-Night cricket is here to stay for sure. Looking forward eagerly to Melbourne, one of the biggest spectacles in the game for the entire country, the Boxing Day. Was nice to hit the stumps from slip, wasn’t sure what Yasir was trying to do out there but was thankfully able to close it out.”