World Cup 2015: Pakistan avoid humiliation, but greater challenges lie ahead

Pakistan sunk their teeth a little deeper into this 2015 World Cup with their second victory of the campaign; a 129-run victory over a lacklustre United Arab Emirates in Canberra. Having lost heavily to India and West Indies before stumbling past Zimbabwe, a strong performance from Pakistan against the UAE was much-needed, and gratefully received. Pakistan, having been put into bat by the UAE, managed 100 more runs than their previous highest score this tournament, racking up an impressive 339-6 with a near-perfect display of modern ODI batting. The target was always going to prove a tough task for a UAE side who managed just 102 against India last week and they did indeed fall well short, finishing at 210-8 in 50 overs. Pakistan’s innings got off to a poor start with opener Nasir Jamshed’s horrendous form continuing when he fell to a mistimed pull shot for a 12-ball 4 — a score that more than quadrupled his tournament tally. It is now sixteen innings since Jamshed last went past fifty in an ODI. The opening partnership of just 10 was Pakistan’s seventh first wicket partnership of less than eleven in their last eight ODIs. Indeed, there was more than a degree of hesitation and nerves to the opening few overs before and after Jamshed fell as a Pakistan team desperate for a win settled into their innings. [caption id=“attachment_2135699” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Shehzad took longer to get going than Sohail but as Pakistan moved out of the Powerplay and furrowed towards the middle overs both men found their timing and fluency. AFP[/caption] The UAE will live to rue two dropped catches in a tense and edgy first ten overs that had they been held the match could’ve — and probably would’ve given Pakistan’s fragile batting — a very different challenge. As it was, Jamshed’s opening partner Ahmed Shehzad and number three Haris Sohail carefully consolidated the early loss, with Pakistan facing 41 dot balls in the first ten overs, laying a solid foundation for the rest of the innings. Two boundaries in three balls in the twelfth over preceded the fifty-run stand being brought up in the thirteenth over as Shehzad and Sohail looked to build on the platform they had been careful to lay. Shehzad took longer to get going than Sohail but as Pakistan moved out of the Powerplay and furrowed towards the middle overs both men found their timing and fluency. Indeed, with the score 148-1 after thirty overs, Pakistan felt comfortable and confident enough to call for the batting Powerplay. This admirable ambition and pragmatism proved to be the downfall of a thirty over partnership worth 160 runs when Sohail mistimed an attacking shot to mid-on to fall for a really impressive 83-ball 70. Two overs later it seemed as if Pakistan might throw their excellent start away as Shehzad was run out when his bat bounced up upon being grounded when he was scampering for a second run. It was at least a run out caused by positive intent, better than, say laziness or insouciance. At 176-3, Pakistan’s innings reached another crucial juncture with two new men — Shoaib Maqsood and Misbah Ul-Haq — at the crease. Against better opposition they may have faltered. Under more pressure they may have stumbled. But we can only judge them on what they did do against who they were up against and what they did do was mightily impressive. 143 runs came from Pakistan’s final 12 overs with Maqsood, 45 off 31, and Misbah, 65 off 49, surging the innings beyond 200 and towards 300. UAE’s bowling wilted under the sustained assault as the pair plundered 75 from 53 balls before they were separated when Maqsood fell giving way to Umar Akmal and then later Shahid Afridi and Wahab Riaz who continued the onslaught. Pakistan had twice, for the second wicket and for the fourth wicket, stayed calm at pivotal moments in their innings and, as has become customary in this tournament under these ODI regulations, reaped the benefits of building a partnership and playing themselves in, consolidating and accelerating their way to an imposing target. Some pressurised Pakistan bowling in the early overs quickly weighed heavy on the UAE batsmen who lost three wickets in four overs before the end of the Powerplay and the chase never once threatened the Pakistani target. Although two fifty partnerships, for the fourth and seventh wickets carried the UAE to a respectable total. Pakistan will be disappointed with the second of the two fifty partnerships, which came for the seventh wicket and took UAE past 195, a figure which meant their run rate will remain below the West Indies. This was, however, an encouraging victory for Pakistan who desperately needed their batting to fire having previously only posted a high score of 235 in the tournament. Nasir Jamshed’s time as opener is surely up, and with Younis Khan already tried, tested and failed as an opener, it would afford Sarfraz Ahmed the opportunity at the top of the order; a move that could also see the gloves taken away from Umar Akmal who has struggled behind the stumps so far this tournament. Concerns will linger over the two UAE partnerships that spiralled out of control, especially the seventh wicket onslaught that undid some pressurising middle overs bowling. Ultimately though, given Pakistan were 10-1 and then later uncomfortably placed at 176-3 with no batting form behind them, they’ll be quietly very happy with today’s performance. If anything, a humbling humiliation was avoided. Of course, greater challenges lie ahead.