Veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle has pointed out two positive aspects for Pakistan emerging from the ongoing three-match Test series against Australia.
Pakistan arrived in Australia with a new captain, Shan Masood, aiming to rectify their embarrassing Test record. Their last Test victory on Australian soil dated back to 1995, and they had faced defeat in 14 consecutive games since then. Over their last five visits to Australia, they had suffered whitewashes in Tests at the hands of the home side.
However, the change in captaincy did not change their fortunes as they lost the first two Tests. Australia inflicted a heavy 360-run defeat on Pakistan in the first Test in Perth before winning the second Test in Melbourne by 79 runs to clinch the three-match series with a match remaining.
Harsha Bhogle picks positives for Pakistan:
Despite already losing the ongoing series, Harsha Bhogle pointed out that Pakistan still have a couple of positives to take away from the assignment. On Friday (January 5), he took to X to state that Agha Salman and Aamer Jamal have emerged as two fine talents for Pakistan in the series.
“Pakistan may have lost the series (they should win this test though) but have two fine talents to show at the end of it. Salman Agha and Aamer Jamal,” Harsha Bhogle wrote on X.
Pakistan may have lost the series (they should win this test though) but have two fine talents to show at the end of it. Salman Agha and Aamer Jamal.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) January 5, 2024
Playing his debut Test series for Pakistan, Aamer Jamal has impressed with both bat and ball. He picked up six wickets in his debut Test innings in Perth and managed to take his wicket tally to 12 after the first two Tests. In the third Test, he played a fine knock of 82 runs in Sydney to help Pakistan recover from 227 for 9 and post 313.
Jamal then backed it up by another six-wicket haul to help his side bowl out Australia for 299 runs and take a slender 14-run lead. On the other hand, Salman has further enhanced his reputation by performing well in the ongoing series. He scored a half-century in the second Test before scoring another in the ongoing game too. He also showed his all-round capabilities by taking crucial wickets, including those of David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne.
