Falling short and fighting back

Seven ODI series wins, a Test series hammering, a historic surrender; in between tales of grit, capitulation and the most scorching of ripostes.

It wasn’t a cataclysmic year by Pakistan’s standards but 2013 had its share of the usual agony and ecstasy linked with the country’s cricket team.

It all began with the climax of a hurriedly-arranged bilateral series against World Champions India. This was a tour which would give credence to Pakistan’s classy bowling line, much rather, be its acid test. Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Virender Sehwag, MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh had comfortably dispatched the threat when the two teams met at the 2012 World T20, hence, the local supporters were a bit edgy before the team embarked for India for the first time since 2007. Although the two sides shared the spoils of the two-match T20 skirmish that preceded the ODIs, Pakistan managed to make a statement. Former stars suggested a dose of ‘pace and aggression’ before the series started, a formula which had accounted for India on many occasions in the past. Mohammad Irfan’s first delivery in that T20 series, a 146kph steepler, had dealt just that blow and set the tone for the rest of the trip. Junaid Khan, who was virtually unplayable throughout the series, Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal then combined to take India down. But it was opener Nasir Jamshed who shone brightest in the 2-1 series win, the left-hander scoring back to back tons in the first two games and earning high praise from fans, experts and even opponents. As Jamshed would discover later in the year though, there were far bigger tests, and better bowling lines waiting.

They came in the form of Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel, a hitherto unknown Kyle Abbot and a spicy Wanderers pitch. By the end of the three-Test series Pakistan had been bowled out for scores of 49, 268, 338, 169, 156 and 235, Mohammad Hafeez was in Steyn’s pocket and Misbah-ul-Haq was under the hammer. Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq’s identical scores off 111 in the second Test and Ajmal’s magic were the only bright spots in the whitewash of Pakistan. The team did spring back, taking the two-match T20 series 1-0 before going down fighting 3-2 in the ODI campaign. All in all the tour left Pakistan well and truly jolted. The after effects of these encounters would be felt a little later, first in the last edition of the Champions Trophy, where Pakistan lost all three group matches and failed to progress, and then on another African safari.