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Pakistan emphatically ended Australia’s hopes of regaining the number one Test ranking with a 221-run win in the first Test in Dubai.
Australia entered the two-match series needing to win both games to displace South Africa at the top, but will instead head to Abu Dhabi later this week looking to try and avoid a first series loss to Pakistan since 1994.
Pakistan had won just two Tests against Australia in the intervening period – at one point losing 13 in a row - and while they were without mystery spinner Saeed Ajmal following his ban for an illegal bowling action, their slow men led the way to a memorable success.
Left-armer spinner Zulfiqar Babar fittingly completed the job, and his first five-wicket Test haul at the age of 35, when Peter Siddle squeezed a bat-pad catch to Azhar Ali to dismiss Australia for 216.
Zulfiqar and debutant leg-spinner Yasir Shah claimed 14 wickets between them in the match to leave Australia in a spin ahead of the second Test, which begins on Thursday.
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The tourists lurched to 105 for seven in the morning session before Steve Smith and Mitchell Johnson half-centuries offered the merest hope they might fight out a draw.
Smith’s wicket was the only to fall during the afternoon session, after he dug in for 55 from 175 balls, before he fell victim to Yasir, who returned 4-50.
Smith had expertly used his feet to the slow men but after skipping down to the leg-spinner he popped a catch to short-leg with the umpire review confirming he had to make a slow walk off.
Johnson then teamed with Siddle in a 43-run stand that took Australia into the final session of the match until he over-stretched attempting to smother Yasir’s spin.
It was a close call that went Pakistan’s way as TV umpire Nigel Llong ruled Johnson’s back foot was still on the crease as wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed removed the bails.
Siddle then survived a reviewed lbw call by the barest of margins before Zulfiqar had him caught pressing further forward to finish with figures of 5-74 and seven wickets for the match.
