Abbas takes ten-for as Pakistan seal 1-0 series win
The 28-year old became the first fast bowler to record a ten-wicket haul in the UAE as Pakistan sealed an emphatic 373-run win
The 28-year old became the first fast bowler to record a ten-wicket haul in the UAE as Pakistan sealed an emphatic 373-run win
Pakistan's scoreline of 57 for 5 on the first day represented the seventh time in Tests that they've been at that score or worse and yet gone on to win
In the aftermath of Sandpapergate, Australia have undergone cultural reviews for their on-field behavior, but that hasn't meant the end of the verbals
The low quality of Australia's batting, particularly in the first innings of both Tests, reflected a wider pattern, not only for the national team but also the domestic system beneath
Australia have to quickly review a number of strategic decisions and selection matters ahead of a high-profile home summer
He became only the second Pakistan fast bowler in the last 28 years to take a 10-wicket haul against Australia
All the reactions from the cricketing world as Mohammad Abbas produced another incisive spell on the fourth day of the Abu Dhabi Test
Hit close to his left ear while ducking a bounce on Thursday, the Pakistan captain woke up with a headache and didn't take the field
After testing the opener outside off and denying him room, the seamer moved one in to hit the pad - a result that everyone saw it coming - in a tussle that defined the series
Australia were left with needing 491 runs more with two full days of Test cricket still to go
Scans have confirmed that the batsman has suffered a meniscal tear in his left knee and could require surgery
Australia have already underestimated Siddle's value in helpful conditions once, and to do so again would be to pay scant regard to the bowler who has had to cope with far many more average teams around him
But his performance in Test cricket this year - he averages 54 - suggests it is only a matter of time before he gets that maiden century
A hundred and thirty Tests between them, and the two managed to become involved in one of the most bizarre run-outs ever, even by Pakistan's standards
Babar Azam was the closest to a century, falling one short in the end
Pakistan tightened their grip on the second Test match after they increased their lead to 281 runs with eight wickets still in hand
Quite a few rare talents from Pakistan have disappeared after record-breaking starts. But Abbas is here to stay
Azhar Ali was ruled not out on referral, despite ball-tracking showing the ball hitting middle and off stumps halfway up, since the point of impact with his pad was more than 3m from the stumps
Yet another abject first-innings performance against top-class opposition has left the team management with more headaches
He was brought in to inject positivity, but Pakistan gladly took his strike rate of 47.47 during the course of his debut 94
In a country that is used to seeing openers who build by attrition rather than fire, Fakhar Zaman is a raging strokemaker who doesn't allow himself to get tied down by circumstances
Fakhar and Sarfraz added 147 to revive Pakistan from the pits of 57 for 5 to 282 before Abbas struck late in the day to make it even-stevens
The MCC introduced a rule last year confirming that substitute fielders will be allowed to keep should the original wicketkeeper suffer an injury during play
With the pressure "coming from all corners" and his side 57 for 5, Sarfraz Ahmed produced the sort of punchy innings that used to be his trademark
Starting with the steady envelopment of Azhar Ali, it was the sort of spell occasionally delivered by great bowlers at moments of import
He used hands, body and knee before clasping the ball to his chest to take an extraordinary catch at short leg in the third over of the Test
And was Pakistan's Abu Dhabi total the biggest to not include a century?
As a recent example shows, we still tend to think of fielding teams as wrong when they lawfully run sloppy batsmen out
In a phase where Shadab Khan and Faheem Ashraf were pulled into Test cricket, Fakhar Zaman's entry is an exciting prospect for a team that normally takes two days to make a play
While hugely encouraged by the efforts of his side to salvage an unlikely draw in Dubai, Australia's captain is mindful of the need to view the result in perspective
Constant shuffling around the order and a scratchy start to the series have made Azhar look like a diluted version of his fluent 2016 self, but his record against Australia should give him heart
If Dubai was anything to go by, Australia have shown they're up for a fight. For a bruised Pakistan, nothing but a win will do