SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017 SPORTS Misbah bemoans bowling flaws in Pakistan’s series loss SYDNEY: Pakistan’s failure to take 20 Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday when pointment was probably leg-spinner Yasir “If we are not touring more often in “To win in Australia, your fitness is wickets in all three tests was responsible they crumbled to a 220-run defeat to lose Shah, who arrived on his first tour Down Australia and South Africa, this could hap- vital, in any other country you can survive for their series loss in Australia and the sit- the series 3-0. “Our bowling is always our Under with a big reputation but departed pen again and again,” he said. but in Australia you need supreme fit- uation will not improve unless players get strength but in this series I was a bit dis- with eight wickets at a cost of 672 runs. “I’ve already suggested that some of ness,” Misbah added. more exposure to conditions Down appointed that we couldn’t take 20 wick- He was not the first vaunted spinner from our players should be sent to Australia on Misbah, who has said he will return to Under, captain Misbah-ul-Haq said yester- ets in any of the tests,” the 42-year-old South Asia to struggle to adapt to the a regular basis to play games here... this is Pakistan before deciding on his future, day. Misbah’s team arrived in Australia Misbah told reporters. “That’s why we conditions. the only way we can improve. thought the manner of the defeat in the with their hosts in disarray after a 2-1 were so behind in every game, that’s “If you are coming here after four or second test in Melbourne, where the home series loss to South Africa and the important for you in Australian condi- ALIEN CONDITIONS five or six years, seven or eight guys are tourists were dismissed for 163 on the tourists were confident they could at tions. “It’s difficult for any Asian side to Saturday’s defeat was Pakistan’s 12th coming here for the first time. We are final day, had been another decisive fac- least take one test in the series, if not come here and take 20 wickets in a test straight in Australia through four series going to struggle.” tor. “The last day of the MCG was the emulate the Proteas. match. That’s an art and we could not do sweeps since 1999 and Misbah said Pakistan’s bowling woes were not biggest disappointment of the tour and Despite the odd patch of competitive- that and that mainly cost us the series.” youngsters identified as test prospects helped by the number of injuries with we got demoralised from that and could ness, Pakistan were largely outclassed If most of the Pakistan tour highlights had to be given a chance to taste the con- pace spearhead Mohammad Amir in the not recover,” he said. “This is how it is. and their demise was completed at the came from batsman, the biggest disap- ditions earlier in their careers. treatment room for much of the series. Australia is not an easy place.” — Reuters Australia’s Smith warns of ‘difficult series’ in India SYDNEY: Skipper Steve Smith is switching over there. “It’s going to be a great chal- his focus to the difficult challenges con- lenge and learning curve for this group.” fronting his new revamped team in India Smith said he expected the core of the after polishing off a Test series clean sweep current team to play in India. “A few of us over Pakistan yesterday. Australia crushed have been there before and we know it’s the tourists by 220 runs by tea on the final difficult to play in their own backyard. day in the third Sydney Test to inflict 12 They’re a very good team,” he said. “There’s straight Test defeats over Pakistan in obviously going to be a few people added Australia, stretching back to 1995. to the squad. We’re going to have to play Smith has led Australia to four Test victo- incredibly well over there.” ries and a three-game one-day series win Selectors will meet next week to chose over New Zealand since the nadir of an the touring party but coach Darren innings debacle to lose their home series Lehmann has confirmed there will be no against South Africa in Hobart in November. reserve wicketkeeper in India, leaving The Australians have looked a vastly differ- Matthew Wade and Peter Nevill in a battle ent team with the inclusion of young bats- for one spot in the side. “We’re pretty lucky men Matthew Renshaw and Peter with Pete Handscomb being able to be Handscomb, but now face their moment of back up (wicketkeeper), that probably truth on a gruelling four-Test series in India, allows us to take a specialist and then him starting next month. Smith said having a as back up,” Lehmann told reporters. new set of players may help deal with the Smith said Australia’s fortunes turned mental scars of past tours to India, where after the nightmare in Hobart, where they Australia have not won a Test match since went down by an innings and 80 runs to 2004 and have lost the last seven. South Africa inside four days forcing drastic “It helps in a way (with the new guys), team surgery. “It was pretty tough times to but the guys also haven’t experienced the be honest. You lose your first two Tests of conditions as well which is going to be a an Australian summer and you are not in a tough one too,” Smith told reporters after good place,” Smith said. “It wasn’t great the Sydney Test win. “It’s a completely dif- times but I’m really proud of the way the ferent place to play, playing on those wick- guys have come in and turned it around ets is nothing like playing here in Australia. since then. “I think it was when we all got “Guys will have to adapt quickly and find a together as a group and trained for the first way to be successful in those conditions.” time in Adelaide. “Straight away I felt a shift in attitude and energy and enthusiasm ‘A GREAT CHALLENGE’ amongst the group and we were able to Smith, who was a member of the put all of that out in the middle and get the Australia team that was hammered 4-0 in performance we were after.” SYDNEY: The Australian team pose for a photo with their trophy after defeating Pakistan in their cricket Test match in Sydney, Australia, India in 2013, said he was anticipating a Rookie opener Renshaw scored 184 in yesterday. —AP testing time ahead. “It’s going to be a very the first innings of the Sydney Test against difficult series going over there,” he said. Pakistan, while number five batsman “We’re under no illusions it’s going to be Handscomb finished with two centuries tough. We’re going to have to play some and a series average of 114.66 against Australia romp to emphatic very good cricket if we want to compete Pakistan. —AFP victory for series sweep SYDNEY: Australia ended Pakistan’s resistance Wahab Riaz in the 40 minutes before tea, the waveform. Mohammad Amir, who is carrying before the scheduled tea break on the final day latter clubbing three successive fours off Lyon a rib injury, then ran himself out for four of the third test to claim an emphatic victory for his 12. before Hazlewood performed the coup de by 220 runs and a 3-0 series sweep yesterday. Should the 42-year-old Misbah decide to grace by having Imran caught in the cordon. Two months after being plunged into cri- retire, he will not want to be reminded of his Sarfraz Ahmed fired his 11th test half cen- sis and overhauling their side in the wake of a final stroke in test cricket, a mistimed heave tury to frustrate the Australians and finished series humiliation at the hands of South which looped into the waiting hands of Lyon unbeaten after a 70-ball 72. The hosts had Africa, Australia reasserted their dominance at mid-off. Wahab was less to blame for his won the day-night opening test in Brisbane of home tracks in some style. exit, given out caught behind when a review by 39 runs and the second test in Melbourne The tourists had shown great fight at vari- revealed a tiny spike in the Snickometer by an innings and 18 runs. — Reuters ous points of the series but, handed a test record victory target of 465 to chase, wilted SCOREBOARD in the Sydney Cricket Ground sunshine and lost their final nine wickets for 189 runs. SYDNEY: Scoreboard after the fifth day of the third Test between Australia and Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Paceman Josh Hazlewood led the way with Ground yesterday: three for 29, striking with two early wickets and again to remove final batsman Imran Australia first innings 538for 8 declared (M. Renshaw W. Riaz c Wade b O’Keefe 12 Khan with the new ball as Pakistan were dis- 184, D. Warner 113, P. Handscomb 110; W. Riaz 3-89) M. Amir run out (O’Keefe) 5 SYDNEY: Australia’s captain Steven Smith, center, shakes hands with his counterpart missed for 244. Pakistan first innings 315 (Y. Khan 175 not out, A. Ali I. Khan c Bird (sub) b Hazlewood 0 Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq after Australia defeated Pakistan in their cricket Test match 71; J.