Given the itinerary for the three-leg Bangladesh tour, we will only get the final result of the Test series in a couple of months’ time, when the second and final Test is played in Karachi. However, by winning the first Test convincingly in Rawalpindi, the Pakistan cricket team has underlined that it is well and truly on the path towards resurgence in a format they had been struggling in for the best part of two and a half years.
Misbah-ul-Haq got all the flak in the world following the team’s struggles during his initial couple of months in charge as the coach-selector, and should deservedly get the plaudits for the successes in Tests. However his input, coupled with the return of Test cricket to Pakistan, might be major contributions in the jigsaw that is being put together for Pakistan’s successes in five-day cricket – but not the whole thing.
Shan Masood
Granted Misbah should get some credit for selecting the right group, and their performances, especially the batsmen – most notably Babar Azam who has witnessed a complete turnaround in the only format he was struggling to conquer – but at the end of the day, it is the players who have turned this around.
That turnaround came from a sticky spot in the third innings of the Karachi Test when Shan Masood and Abid Ali came out to bat. With a challenging deficit to mount, the duo became one half of the four centurions in Karachi in December, which eventually laid the foundation of Pakistan wining the match and the series against Sri Lanka.
While Abid Ali might have missed out on runs in the Rawalpindi Test, it is the same batting solidity that laid the basis for Pakistan’s win against Bangladesh last week as well. Shan Masood’s century, followed by Babar Azam continuing his prolific run of form, meant that Pakistan capitalised on a modest Bangladesh total and an increasingly flattening Rawalpindi wicket.
Shaheen Shah Afridi
The challenge is only going to increase, with more formidable sides to be played in the World Test Championship
Runs throughout the lineup, especially Haris Sohail’s lead-extending half-century, means that Fawad Alam – the most prolific run scorer domestically – would continue to wait for his turn. Having spent over two years without a clear idea of what the strongest Test 11 for Pakistan is, the team now has a bench strength to envy.
That strength runs deep into the bowling as well, which Pakistan cricket has long taken for granted. Naseem Shah’s hat-trick wasn’t just historic, it could not have been timed better, given that it came at a moment when Bangladesh were clearly sniffing a fourth innings shot at Pakistan, where even a modest target could’ve been tricky.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, at 19 years of age, appears to have the aura of a pacer who has been leading the fast bowling pack for Pakistan for a decade. He is now firmly Pakistan’s number one pace bowler across the three formats.
Naseem Shah
Mohammed Abbas continues to underline why he is a specialist in the longest format for Pakistan. While Yasir Shah got a decent haul in the fourth innings, to keep the monkey off the back for the time being. That monkey prowls around captain Azhar Ali as well, who failed to capitalise on a decent start in Pakistan’s innings.
However, overall the team looks in good shape, to start building a stronghold in Pakistan, which – with effort and dedication – gradually resemble the fortress that the side had built in the Emirates over the 2010s.
Again, the challenge level is only going to increase in the future, with more formidable sides to be played in the World Test Championship. For the time being, though, especially after prolonged struggles in Tests, Pakistan stringing two wins – and hopefully two series – together is a veritable sign of revival.
