Australia scripted an absolute thriller of a game as powered by some energetic bowling performances, they turned the tide on Pakistan. Needing to survive less than a day to draw the game, it was a typical batting performance from Pakistan as they struggled on a deck that wasn’t too tough for batting by any means. Spinner Nathan Lyon roared back to form as his three-wicket haul demolished their middle-order.
By the virtue of winning the Boxing Day Test by an innings and 18 runs, Australia wrapped up the series, with just one game left now at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Post Australia’s dramatic victory, skipper Steven Smith was beaming in joy as he lauded his unit for a fantastic performance.
“That was a pretty amazing Test match and a great one to be a part of,” Smith said. “Coming here this morning, lots of people would have had their doubts that this could happen. Everyone was always staring down the barrel of a draw, really. It was phenomenal the way we could turn things around, give ourselves a chance and take that chance when it came. I’m really proud, and I think it says Test cricket is alive and going really well.”
The Australian captain backed his lion hearted pacer Mitchell Starc for yet another dominating performance. “I thought Starcy was incredible. I thought he batted incredibly. He broke the record for the most sixes at the MCG, and hit the ball incredibly cleanly to give us an opportunity to get 180 and have the overs that we did at them today. It was pretty special. To come out and do what we did – we always thought if we could get three or four wickets, when we got the ball reversing we’d be in for a show,” said Smith.
Smith was fully in awe of Nathan Lyon, as the spinner hit back at his critics with a fine bowling performance. “A lot of credit has got to go to Nathan Lyon. I thought he bowled beautifully this afternoon. He mixed up his seam. He bowled a lot of cross-seam balls today, which I guess put a bit of doubt in the Pakistan batters’ minds. He came up with the crucial wickets to get us in a good position for when the ball started to reverse,” Smith concluded.