Australia exacting sweet revenge at Gabbatoir

Australia’s on the verge of exacting sweet revenge over Pakistan for humiliating UAE series loss
DECEMBER 17, 201611:19PM


Ben Horne
The Daily Telegraph

TWO years after being subjected to endless hours of torture under a hot Arabian sun, Australia is now on the verge of extracting the sweetest of revenge against Pakistan at the Gabba.
After going within a whisker of being dropped for this Test match, cult hero Nathan Lyon made a damn-busting breakthrough late to leave Pakistan fighting desperately to avoid the kind of abject humiliation they dished out to Australia in the UAE back in 2014.
Steve Smith extended his joy and Pakistan’s agony by declining a chance to enforce the follow on and instead plunder another ruthless half century that along with a quick-fire 74 to Usman Khawaja set up a world record run-chase of 490.
“I think we just wanted to have a crack at them at night time. Try and get a big lead and try and give our bowlers another little rest,” said Khawaja.

“You probably don’t see it, but it’s quite tough to bowl out there. It’s humid and it can be hot at times so it’s tough for the bowlers to back up. I don’t think (follow on) was ever going to happen.
“We’re going to have to do a lot of tough work early. If we can get two new batsmen … hopefully the rain stays away.”
Pakistan showed more fight and determination than they did the previous evening to scramble to 2-70 at stumps, but with two days still to play and a 420 deficit still to overcome, the visitors find themselves in the deepest of holes.

Former greats might have disagreed with Smith’s tactic to bat again when the lead was already 287 at the end of Pakistan’s first innings, but then again it’s hard to imagine what it’s been like to live in Smith’s shoes these past few months as the avalanche of seismic defeats stacked up.
Smith may never get a better opportunity to enforce the follow-on, but the skipper elected to rub Pakistan’s noses even further into the Brisbane dirt.
And he had no regrets.
“No not really, I always wanted to bowl in the night,” said Smith on Nine.
“That was the plan from the start of the day.
“We saw the other night things can happen quite quickly. We beat the edge a few times tonight … hopefully we can start well tomorrow and build some pressure and take the wickets.
“I thought the bowlers did pretty well tonight, we probably bowled a little bit short at times … but hopefully we can exploit it tomorrow.”

The Australian captain was forced to carry the can for the 3-0 drubbing in Sri Lanka, followed by the dual humiliations against South Africa in one-dayers away and then the Test match disgrace at home.
However, when it comes to Pakistan, the built-up frustration goes back even further.
Australian players to tour the UAE back in 2014 will never forget the punishment they had handed out to them by a Pakistan side across the most lop-sided two-match series you could ever see.
Smith performed better than his teammates with a 55 and a 97, but in the end there was nowhere to hide as Australia was crunched by 221-run and 356-run defeats.

Back in control of his Australian team at last, Saturday was Smith’s chance to finally flex his muscles again.
Mitchell Starc made an early breakthrough when he claimed opener Sami Aslam, but unlike the previous evening, the flood gates failed to open.
Josh Hazlewood and Jackson Bird went wicketless despite some near misses, with under-pressure 39-year-old veteran Younis Khan still to get off the mark after facing 19 balls.

It will be up to Khan and 42-year-old captain Misbah ul-Haq to perform a miracle if Pakistan are to get out of this.
Lyon went within an hour or two of not playing this Test match, despite making a huge impact in the pink ball Test in Adelaide.
The Brisbane crowd have got behind the spinner, with chants of “Bowling Gazza” emanating and t-shirts being handed out with Lyon’s face on them.
After going wicketless in the first innings, Lyon struck late with a beautiful delivery that caught the edge of Babar Azam’s bat and carrying to Smith at first slip.

Khawaja admits he’s never seen anything like the reception Lyon has received from the Brisbane faithful.
“I think he’s been bowling well for a while now. He just hasn’t been getting the rewards. I’ve seen a few dropped catches here and there and that’s just a part of cricket,” he said.
“If you just look at his stats, yeah they didn’t look great but I always felt like he was bowling alright he just wasn’t getting the rewards.
“He bowled quite well last game in the pink ball game. Obviously the crowd is on his side which I’m sure always helps. I’ve seen anything like it so it’s really fun.”

Earlier in the day, fast bowlers Hazlewood, Starc and Bird finished with three first-innings wickets apiece in a quality all-round performance that ended Pakistan’s innings at 142.
The last two wickets on day three didn’t come quietly – with Mohammad Amir’s faint nick behind and the run-out of Rahat Ali causing plenty of angst in the Pakistani ranks – even though both decisions appeared correct.

However, the Australian openers raced off the field and any thought of following Pakistan on evaporated instantly.
David Warner and Matt Renshaw fell cheaply trying to rush the scoreboard on and Australia were 2-24.
But that was before superman Smith arrived at the crease to provide a superb follow-up to the masterclass hundred he produced in the first innings.
Smith smashed 63 in a 111-run partnership with Khawaja (74) that almost certainly pushed the game out of Pakistan’s reach.
Khawaja had another Gabba century at his mercy, but he too was selflessly trying to move the match along.

I was hoping Pakistan put a beating on them Ozzies . ::confused::

Nothing like getting that revenge from our opponents, even if it's two years later.  ;D I see you support Pakistan as well @Alien, but this time I don't think you will be lucky.

Just a cricket match . What does vengeance  got to do wid it  ?  Just a f,ucking  cricket match and there will be winners and losers at any given time, Are these writers paid to write  such drivel?

Haha, a cricket match is far more than a cricket match, at least for newspapers that have as goal more to sell than to inform. Sadly this reality causes them to write this revenge titles, but surely that the teams that lose have an extra motivation to win.

"A cricket match is only a cricket match..." well yes, that is true I guess. Then again, it's only sport at the end of the day and realistically it means nothing so why bother playing in the first place? In fact...why bother playing ANY sport? There will always be winners and losers and it doesn't really matter who they are so lets just cancel it all...

Personally I don't think there's much wrong with the media, fans, and even the players talking up a bit of rivalry between teams, and to some extent it WAS sweet revenge for Australia...unless you was a fan of the losing team and then it's just another game I guess...

Yep, it's all a matter of perspective. Some might not like what the media write, and I agree that sometimes they go too far, others love these revenge situations the media create. The more fascinating is that sports and cricket move millions, so it's a lot happening around the game.  ;D