Australia V Pakistan Boxing Day Test
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AUSTRALIA V PAKISTAN DECEMBER 27, 2016 BOXING DAY TEST FACT SHEET - DAY 2 LIBRARY Beginning with the inaugural Test match in March 1877, 108 Tests have been staged at the MCG. One Test, in 1970/71, was abandoned without a ball bowled and is not counted in the records. Nine of the matches have involved Pakistan, Australia winning five of those contests, Pakistan two, with the other two drawn. The other sides to play Tests at the MCG are England (55), West Indies (15), India (12), South Africa (12), New Zealand (3) and Sri Lanka (2). Only Lord's Cricket Ground (133) has hosted more Test matches than the MCG (108). As Lord's currently has two Test matches per summer (it hosted three in 2010), it will extend its lead as the MCG has not hosted two Test matches in the same season since 1981/82. Of the 60 Tests between Australia and Pakistan to date, Australia has won 29, Pakistan 14 and the remaining 17 drawn. The current Test is Australia's 796th and Pakistan’s 406th. Of its 795 Tests to date, Australia has won 374 (47.04 per cent), lost 213 (26.79 per cent) and tied two. The remaining 206 have been drawn. The fact sheets for today's game will review five Tests from the nine played at the MCG between the two countries. A summary of each match will appear during the course of this game, followed by each of the remaining games on the sheets for subsequent days. 150 years ago today on the MCG - “Natives vs The World” The 1866 Boxing Day match featuring T.W. Wills’ and the Aboriginal cricketers against the Melbourne Cricket Club was described as, “novel and sensational attracting over 10,000 to the opening day.” There was great excitement amongst the crowd with high expectations on the indigenous team. Unfortunately the aboriginal side proved no match for an exceptionally strong MCC team, which won by nine wickets in a day and a half. A scratch match was arranged in the remaining time scheduled on December 27 and 28, 1866. This match, known in the press as “Natives vs The World” was held between a combined team of black and white native-born Australians versus a team of Immigrants. This filled in until the end of the time arranged for the original three-day match. While there was some very th entertaining cricket, as the game was incomplete at the end of the 28 , the second match resulted in a draw. 1978/79: Pakistan’s Third Tour of Australia Pakistan’s third tour of Australia, in March 1979, was made towards the end of the second divisive season of Kerry Packer’s privately-promoted World Series Cricket, which had contracted more than 50 of the world’s leading players, almost half of them Australian. As with its two previous tours down under, Pakistan included New Zealand in its itinerary, on this occasion completing its obligations there before undertaking those in Australia, a reversal in the order of its inaugural tour arrangements 14 years earlier. This time, the Australian leg included two Tests in a program of four first-class matches and a one-day state fixture. Less than a month prior to the opening engagement, England had completed a one-sided Ashes campaign in Australia, winning the six-Test series 5-1 against a completely recast Australian side, weakened by the absence of those contracted to WSC. The same players were also unavailable against Pakistan. By contrast, Pakistan arrived full of confidence, having begun the season by defeating India 2-0 in a three-Test series on home soil and then accounting for New Zealand by winning the only match to achieve a result in the three-Test series just completed. In addition, it was at full strength with the inclusion of its WSC players – Asif Iqbal, Haroon Rashid, Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Majid Khan, Sarfraz Nawaz and Zaheer Abbas. Their touring party was completed by Mushtaq Mohammad (captain), Anwar Khan, Ashraf Ali, Iqbal Qasim, Mohsin Khan, Mudassar Nazar, Sikander Bakht, Talat Ali, Wasim Bari and Wasim Raja. THE CAPTAINS: A stylishly-correct A younger brother of previous left-hand batsman, Graham Yallop had captain Hanif Mohammad, Mushtaq been thrust into the Test captaincy Mohammad was a skilful right-hand following the departure of Bob Simpson, batsman who made the last of his 57 who had been coaxed out of retirement a Test appearances (21 as captain) in year earlier to lead an inexperienced the two matches played during the Australian side in the wake of the WSC Australian tour, by the end of which he incursion. Yallop entered the 1978/79 had made 3643 runs at 39.17, season having played only eight Tests and with virtually no including 10 centuries. He was also the most versatile of the leadership experience, which became apparent during the four brothers to represent their country, being a very competent Ashes series. Although second in the Test batting averages wrist-spinner, with a good wrong ‘un, who claimed 79 Test against England, the ensuing Test against Pakistan was his last wickets at 29.22. In all first-class cricket, which included 10 as captain but, relieved of the responsibilities of leadership after English county seasons, he amassed 31,091 runs at 42.07, seven Tests, he returned to play 39 Tests overall for a return of with 72 centuries, and 936 wickets at 24.34. 2756 runs at quite a respectable average of 41.13, including eight centuries. FIRST TEST at the MCG, March 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 1979 Australia made four changes to the side which had contested the final Test of the Ashes series a few weeks earlier, replacing Phil Carlson, Jim Higgs, Peter Toohey and Bruce Yardley by recalling Allan Border and Wayne Clark, as well as introducing Peter Sleep and Dav Whatmore. Pakistan made only the one change from its recent Test against New Zealand, substituting Mohsin Khan for Talat Ali. In ideal conditions, Yallop surprisingly sent Pakistan in after winning the toss. Opening bowlers Rodney Hogg (4/49) and Alan Hurst (3/55) continued the fine form they displayed against England, reducing the visitors to 6/99 in justification of their skipper’s decision. Only determined resistance from Mushtaq Mohammad, Imran Khan and Sarfraz Nawaz later in the afternoon carried the final total of 198. Australian openers, Graeme Wood and Andrew Hilditch then successfully negotiated the few minutes remaining to stumps, which were drawn at 0/1. Next day, a mid-wicket collision between the openers at 0/10 forced Wood’s retirement with a sprained wrist and the Australian batsmen thereafter struggled against a persistent attack spearheaded by the pace and fire of Imran (4/26). Only Dav Whatmore (43 from 147 balls in 206 minutes, 2 fours), on debut, made any worthwhile impression. Wood resumed his innings at 9/167 in the shadow of stumps but was only able to add a single before Sarfraz removed Hurst. Hogg had earlier been run out by Javed Miandad when leaving his crease ostensibly to prod the pitch. Mushtaq attempted to recall the batsman but the umpires stood firm with the decision. The incident created considerable ill-feeling between the teams which festered and was to flare again in the following Test at Perth. On the third day, boosted by an unexpected lead of 28 on the first innings, the Pakistani batsmen consolidated their side’s position. The majestic Majid Khan (108 from 157 balls in 219 minutes, 16 fours) and the wristily-elegant Zaheer Abbas (59 from 105 balls in 149 minutes, 8 fours) combined to add 135 for the second wicket and the tourists were well placed on 5/279 at stumps, with Asif Iqbal 41 and Wasim Raja 2. Rain delayed the start of the fourth day by an hour. Asif (44 from 119 balls in 153 minutes, 2 sixes, 3 fours) left after the addition of 20 runs and Pakistan declared in mid-afternoon at 9/353, setting the Australians a target of 381 in a little over four sessions. In the absence of the injured Wood, Whatmore assisted Hilditch in an opening stand of 49 before being bowled by Sarfraz, who later also removed Hilditch (62 from 132 balls in 156 minutes, 2 fours). Australia went to stumps at 2/117, Border 25 and Yallop 3. The needless run out of Yallop early next morning increased the tension in the Australian dressing room, but the phlegmatic Border (105 from 275 balls in 373 minutes, 7 fours) and the stylish Kim Hughes (84 from 209 balls in 266 minutes, 1 six, 8 fours) responded with a fourth-wicket partnership of 177 which carried their team to within 77 of victory. The dismissal of both, however, began an unprecedented clatter of wickets as seven wickets tumbled for 5 runs, all to Sarfraz at a personal cost of a single, and the visitors won an amazing match by 71 runs. Apart from some occasional variation in bounce, the tall paceman received no assistance from the pitch, finishing up with 9/86, which remain the best innings figures in an MCG Test. Sarfraz Nawaz Sarfraz is credited as the innovator of what became known as reverse swing, and there were suggestions much later that he had employed it in this match. When questioned about this, however, by Peter Oborne during research for his book, Wounded Tiger: A History of Cricket in Pakistan, Sarfraz refuted this: “No. It was conventional swing and line and length.” Sarfraz went on to play 55 Tests, in which he took 177 wickets at 32.75 and made 1045 runs at 17.71.