For all those who were hoping for a close contest between Australia and Pakistan, there was disappointment in store as the hosts pummelled the Azhar Ali-led team in both the matches. This win is another indication of the fact that Australia is returning to being among the top Test teams in the world.
For Pakistan, this defeat is painful but shouldn't lead to hasty conclusions. The team is in the process of rebuilding and would need time to fully bloom as a side. Their young pacers have shown good potential and need to be given more opportunities. The batting order also looks very capable, so it needs to be persisted with.
With the series done and dusted, let us look at the 5 big takeaways for both sides from this contest.
Home comfort for Warner
After suffering failures for five successive matches in the 2019 Ashes, David Warner proved once again that in Australian conditions, he is as good as any other player. His voracious appetite, possibly exacerbated by failures in England, led to a massive cascade of runs. With him pummelling the Pakistani bowlers at the top of the order, Australian batting was impossible to stop.
Yasir's innocuousness
This series was a big test for Yasir Shah. His previous tour to Australia had been very disappointing. For a bowler who holds the record for taking fewest matches to reach 200 Test wickets, his lack of success in Australia was a big black mark. Unfortunately, things only got worse for the leggie. His returns this time around were even worse. With him, their primary wicket-taker left without teeth, Pakistan's bowling attack became a sitting duck.
Rise of Labuschagne
For a long time, the major load of Australia's batting has been carried by two men – Steve Smith and Warner. It seems that the Baggy Greens have now discovered another dependable run-getter in Marnus Labuschagne. He showed glimpses of his ability in the Ashes. With him stamping his class on this series, Australia probably has another big scorer in their ranks.
Pakistani pacers' lack of experience
Despite the great pedigree of fast bowling that Pakistan possesses, Australia has been a difficult country for them in the last couple of decades. This time around, they sent a young pace attack without any senior bowler to guide them. In this scenario, the youngsters were left in a vulnerable situation and suffered for it.
Pakistan's batting looks good
Despite the result, Pakistani fans should feel very optimistic about their team's batting department. Yes, captain Azhar Ali disappointed but there were many encouraging performances. Babar Azam proved what a good player he is while Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed's replacement also came good. Shaan Masood showed glimpses of good form and Yasir Shah scored a brilliant hundred. Amidst all the disappointment, the batting was a silver lining.
