Pakistan pushing for first Test series win in Australia

Saj Sadiq previews Pakistan's upcoming Test tour of Australia and ponders if the tourists can triumph down under for the first time...

It is an unfortunate but sad reflection of Pakistan's overall Test record on Australian soil, that a term such as "a bridge too far" is more likely used in the final analysis than "they came, they saw, they conquered."

Of course, the more charitable among us would immediately point to last summer's tour of England as a reminder of what the Pakistan Test squad under the tutelage of the battle-hardened Misbah-ul-Haq can achieve if they and their board put their minds to it. Or indeed to the way the team rose to the number one position in the ICC world rankings following that drawn series.

The term "rising from the ashes" could be mentioned a few times as well to show how a team ridiculed and riddled with self-doubt after the shameful events of the summer of 2010 could be united to become a world-beating force.

While Pakistan may always have had unmatchable talent capable of providing unbridled viewing pleasure to millions around the world, the blunt truth of the matter is that this team has simply lacked the wherewithal to take on Australian teams in their own backyards.

It did not matter if the Pakistan teams of yore had the likes of the legendary Imran Khan, Abdul Qadir, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis operating with the ball, and such names as Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Javed Miandad with the bat - a Test series victory in Australia has always remained an elusive prize for Pakistan's cricketers. 

The overall record of eight series losses in Australia makes for grim reading, although the three drawn Test series' in 1964/65, 1976/77 and 1979 could be loosely regarded as moral victories. But whichever way you look at it, Australia on their home-soil is a matter of concern and embarrassment for Pakistan.

So, is history about to be made in the coming weeks? Will a Pakistan side which seems to have conquered many stronger opponents in the recent past be able to withstand the assault from their Australian counterparts, or will the avoidance of a whitewash be the sole positive from the series? 

Indeed, the avoidance of a fifth series whitewash against a home side which seems to thrive on showing its visitors their place in history may well be an achievable target for the Pakistan cricketers to aim for. However, one feels that under Misbah and head coach Mickey Arthur's watchful eyes, the Pakistan cricketers will have their eyes on a more elusive prize of a series victory.

Pakistan would do well to take a few pages from one of Arthur's previous teams, South Africa, to understand what outstanding results a combination of skill and courage can deliver. The manner in which South Africa dismantled Australian self-confidence on their recent tour was hugely commendable.

In Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Khan and Yasir Shah, the Pakistan bowling attack has enough teeth to take to the challenge, while with the bat, Sami Aslam, Babar Azam, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed will need to provide solidity and consistency to accompany old stalwarts, Misbah and Younus Khan. 

On paper, the Pakistan unit will have Australia worried about successive home series defeats, but the unfortunate manner of Pakistan's capitulation in the series against New Zealand has surely eased any tensions on this issue.

And in fact, Australia's home victory in the Day/Night Test against South Africa in the final game of the recently concluded series puts them firmly in the ascendancy when they face Pakistan in similar conditions starting on 15th December in Brisbane.

West Indies, South Africa and Australia represent the final frontier as far as Pakistan's quests for away Test series victories are concerned, but the upcoming encounter against Australia will have a special edge to it. 

For a start, Australia will be looking to avenge their humiliating defeat against Pakistan in the UAE in 2014, while from a Pakistan point of view, this provides Pakistan's trusted warriors of Misbah and Younus to write a golden chapter in their legacies and the possibility to sign-off from international cricket with a flourish.

But all that is conjecture and will depend entirely on what Pakistan can deliver on tour. Their record in Australia may be abysmal and their recent whitewash defeat to a less fancied New Zealand may have put them on the back foot, but this team is capable of some fantastic performances - something Misbah will be banking on.