Leeds, July 24: Pakistan held their nerve to claim their first Test victory against Australia in 15 years in a tense fourth-day finish at Headingley here on Saturday. Pakistan, set 180 to win, lost four wickets for 40 runs before finishing on 180/7 and a three-wicket win as they levelled this two-Test series at 1-1.
Left-arm quick Mohammad Aamer was five not out and Umar Gul, who hit the winning run off Mitchell Johnson, one not out as Pakistan ended a run of 13 straight Test defeats by Australia — a record for one country against another.
Pakistan were still five short when Australia’s Michael Hussey appealed for a gully catch against Kamran Akmal on 13, off the bowling of Mitchell Johnson but replays were inconclusive.
And then left-arm quick Mohammad Aamer, who took seven wickets in the match, edged Ben Hilfenhaus through the slips for four to tie the scores. But there was one more twist with Kamran Akmal brilliantly caught by Hussey off Johnson and this time there was no doubt.
Gul, though, hammered his first ball from Johnson through the offside and Pakistan had won with more than a day and two sessions to spare. Left-arm quick Doug Bollinger, starting Friday, took 3/5 in 17 balls on his way to 3/51 and Ben Hilfenhaus 3/39 but even Australia could not turn this match around. Ultimately, Australia paid the price for being bowled out for just 88 in their first innings — their lowest Test total since they were dismissed for 76 by the West Indies at Perth in 1984 Australia ‘held’ Pakistan to 258, with medium-pacer Watson taking a Test-best 6/33, following his previous best of 5/40 in Australia’s 150-run first Test win at Lord’s last week, after the frontline quicks had been mostly ineffective. And Australia then made 349 with Michael Clarke and Steven Smith, in his second Test, both making 77.
Aamer managed to take 4/86, giving the teenage left-armer Test best match figures of 7/106.
Aamer and Watson won their teams’ respective man-of-the-match awards. Pakistan resumed Saturday on 140 for three, needing 40 more runs to win with Australia requiring seven wickets. However, as recently as the Sydney Test in January, Australia bowled Pakistan out for 139, chasing a victory target of 176. Azhar Ali resumed on 47 not out, with Umar Akmal unbeaten on two. Ali, off Bollinger’s third ball Saturday, cover-drove a full toss to the boundary to complete a maiden Test fifty off 108 balls with six fours.
But next ball, he could only edge Bollinger to keeper Tim Paine. Ali was out for 51 and Pakistan were 146/4. Bollinger appealed for caught behind and lbw against Kamran Akmal, still on nought, in successive balls but Rudi Koertzen, in the South African umpire’s 108th and last Test before retirement, correctly rejected both pleas. Shoaib Malik — on 10 — was brilliantly caught at the second attempt off a well-hit drive by Marcus North at short extra-cover off Hilfenhaus and Pakistan still needed 19 to win, with four wickets standing.
Scores: Australia 88 & 349 lost to Pakistan 258 & 180/7 (I. Farhat 67, A. Ali 51; Hilfenhaus 3/39, Bollinger 3/51)