It was the stuff of legend, literally a blood, guts and glory story for the Ages.
It was the stuff of legend, literally a blood, guts and glory story for the Ages.
Australia's sensational 36-run victory over Pakistan yesterday will be spoken of for generations whenever courage, indomitable spirit, a refusal to accept defeat and, correspondingly, a fervid desire to achieve victory, are discussed.
Australia's Great Escape, when all seemed lost, will rank alongside Ricky Ponting's team's heart-stopping win over India two years ago when Michael Clarke claimed three wickets in five balls in the penultimate over and when, with only minutes to spare, Mitchell Johnson bowled injured South African captain Graeme Smith to pull off a spectacular win last year.
The fact that all three dramatic finishes have come at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in as many years testifies to the exemplary wicket which curator Tom Parker produces at this famous venue.
The excellent SCG wicket is a far cry from the disgraceful strip prepared at New Delhi's Ferozeshah Kotla last month which has besmirched India's reputation the world over.
Even the most ardent Australian supporter (barring prime minister Kevin Rudd who was off the mark by a solitary run when he predicted a 37-run Australian win on the second day of the Test) gave their side much of a chance of a victory when play resumed yesterday.
But 'Mr Cricket' Michael Hussey's heroic unbeaten 134 (16 X 4, 1 X 6) and his stubborn 123-run resistance for the ninth wicket with Peter Siddle steered the home side to a total that was beyond the reach of the curiously adventurous Pakistanis.
It would be churlish to attribute man-of-the-match Hussey's gallant century to luck in the form of three dropped catches by wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal (he also granted Siddle a reprieve).
If ever there was an apt exemplification of the adage that fortune favours the brave, it was Hussey's 11th Test century.
Shane Watson's 97 and wicket-keeper Brad Haddin's nine dismissals in the match also contributed greatly to the home side's shock win from the jaws of defeat, as did Nathan Huritz's five wickets for 53 off 12 overs in the second innings.
But Hauritz's return catch, that sent back Pakistani captain Mohammed Yousuf and left the offspinner's palm bloodied, and Haddin's airborne diving catch to dismiss Salman Butt yesterday will surely go down in Australian cricketing folklore.
That said, it must be pointed out that Pakistan's misery yesterday was, largely, of its own making.
Yousuf set an absurdly defensive field upon resumption at a stage when the situation demanded unremitting application of pressure on the batsmen.
Moreover, the Pakistanis' apparent lack of urgency in preventing Hussey from taking singles off the fifth and last balls of overs enabled him to shield Siddle, a quasi bunny at the best of times, from the strike for extended periods.
Ecstatic after the win, Ponting judiciously avoided reference to the carping criticism levelled against him for his decision to bat after winning the toss on a track that assisted swing and seam bowling in overcast conditions.
However, speaking to the media yesterday, the Australian skipper admitted the criticism over his captaincy had steeled him and his team to bring off one of cricket's great Houdini acts.
Meanwhile, a Sydney tabloid has graciously apologised to Punter (Ponting).
Under the headline: "Hey Punter, We're The Mugs", the newspaper's sports editor writes: "OK, it's time for me to order some pie of the humble variety".
Saying the Australian capain has "delivered the ultimate retort to his legion of critics", including his newspaper, he concedes Ponting, who he had earlier described as a "mug 'punter'", had a "deserved last laugh".
Visibly disappointed, Pakistani captain Mohammed Yousuf graciously shouldered blame for his team's dramatic batting collapse in the second innings.
Yousuf admitted his dismissal, off the brilliant return catch by Hauritz, was the result of an injudicious stroke.
"My shot this afternoon was very pathetic," he told the media. "It turned the game. Otherwise we would have won. Not easily, but a win.
"We are professional and we have to perform. Especially me. I am a very experienced player. They are all young. I have to carry them in the whole game. Same happened in the first innings. I threw the wicket.
Otherwise we would have won the game."
The Australians reportedly partied until early this morning at their harbourside hotel.
The third and final Test, now rendered inconsequential because of Australia's 2-0 lead, starts in Hobart from January 14
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