If any team can beat the best side in the world the it will none other than them. Or, if any team can blow away an opportunity from the most safest of positions then it will be them again. They will make you cry one day and the other day they will make you smile. They will astonish everyone with something superb and thus, leaving them clueless.
They just love being whimsical, but they do know how to play cricket and on their day they just don't show any respect to anyone superior to them but outclassing the opposition remains their main aim. And, oh, yes! They are the drama queens! Without creating unnecessary dramas they don't relish winning cricket matches. And they play for a team named Pakistan.
The victory over Australia at Leeds surely remains as one of the finest moments in Pakistan cricket's history. Before the Leeds Test, the team took a severe blow at the hands of the mighty Aussies at Lord's and their appointed captain added more woes by suddenly retiring from Test cricket in the middle of the series. Pakistan seemed to be a ship without a radar. In such a critical moment, Salman Butt was given the job of leading Pakistan at Leeds.
Australian skipper Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to bat on a gloomy morning and on a track with plenty of life. A bold decision and it seemed that Punter took the Pakistani pace trio Asif-Amir-Gul pretty
lightly. But the new sensation Mohammad Amir and the wily Mohammad Asif made the Aussie captain relaize of how big a mistake he had made!
Asif's nagging line and incisive length while Amir's seamers left Australia baffled as they were all out for 88 runs. When did you last see an Australian side to get packed below 100 runs? It last happened at Adelaide
against the West Indies way back in 1984-85.
The Pakistani batting didn't fare well in their first innings as all wished their men to take at least a lead of 300 runs. But it just didn't happen. Whereas, the Aussies responded strongly in their second. Especially Steve Smith's powerful surge gave Pakistan a total of 180 to chase down in their second innings.
And you know what, Pakistan seemed determined to bring back the memories of Sydney! 137 for 2 suddenly turned into 6 for 161 and everyone was pretty sure that Pakistan are all set to blow away another opportunity here. But, phew! No such didn't happen at Leeds. Umar Gul hit the winning runs and Pakistan finally have won a Test match against Australia since 1995.
A very Pakistani-way to notch-up a win. A very heart-stopping, drama-queen-like way to break the jinx.
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
