Melbourne, Australia

Bowling great Wasim Akram reckons that should India and Pakistan compete in a Test series on turning tracks, Pakistan will prevail over their arch-rivals. The Indian Cricket Team suffered a 0-3 mauling at the hands of New Zealand recently, surrendering a home Test series for the first time in 12 years. With this win, the Kiwis also became the first team to whitewash India in their home conditions in this format.

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On the other hand, Pakistan tasted success against England during their home series. Having lost it 0-3 the last time in 2022, Pakistan turned the tables around by preparing turning tracks and trapping the visiting team in their spin web. After going down in the first Test in Multan despite scoring 556 in the first innings, the hosts won the remaining two encounters in Multan and Rawalpindi, with their spinner duo of Noman Ali and Sajid Khan sharing 39 wickets among them.

ALSO READ: Captain Pat Cummins leads Australia to narrow win over Pakistan in first ODI at MCG

For India, everyone, barring Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar, struggled against the turning deliveries, let alone the greats – Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who averaged 10.5 and 16.5, respectively. 

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The New Zealand spin trio of Ajaz Patel, Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips got superb purchases from the wickets on offer at all three venues, with Santner picking his career-best 13 wickets in the second game in Pune.

On the other hand, Patel, who made headlines for becoming only the third bowler after Jim Laker and Anil Kumble to pick ten wickets in a Test innings the last time he played in Mumbai, bagged 11 wickets across two innings at the same venue this time, restricting India to 121 in the final Test.

Pakistan to beat India on rank-turners

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Considering India’s recent struggle against spin, the former England captain Michael Vaughan asked Wasim on commentary during the Pakistan-Australia MCG ODI for his opinion on which team would stand tall should the arch-rivals face off in Tests but on turning tracks. Replying to Vaughan’s question, Wasim said, “It will be massive. It will be good for the game, for two cricket-crazy nations.”  

In response to Vaughan’s comment that “Pakistan can now beat India on turners,” Akram said, “Pakistan have a chance to beat India in Tests now on a spinning track. They have been hammered by New Zealand 3-0 at home."

India and Pakistan last played each other in Tests in 2007, where India won the three-match series 1-0. Since then, due to political tensions between both countries, no bilateral cricket took place, let alone a Test series, with India and Pakistan only facing each other in ICC events or the Asia Cup tournament. 

(With inputs from agencies)