On fifth day, old ghosts catch up with Pakistan

MITCHELL STARC spearheaded Australia to a stunning final day innings victory over Pakistan to claim the series in Melbourne on Friday. The fast bowler smashed 84 off 91 balls with a record seven sixes and then captured four wickets for 36 to lead Australia to a resounding innings and 18-run victory over the hapless tourists.

Skipper Steve Smith set the ball rolling for a dramatic victory when he declared Australia's first innings at 624 for eight just before lunch. That gave Australia a 181-run lead and a minimum of 70 overs to bowl out Pakistan. In the end the Australians needed only 53.2 overs to pull off an emphatic victory and with their 39-run win in the first Gabba Test to clinch the three-test series.

While Smith was named man-of-thematch for his unbeaten 165, it was Starc who put his stamp on the game with his sensational effort with bat and ball. Starc clubbed seven sixes, the most in an innings in a Melbourne Test, and was severe on Yasir Shah, belting the leg-spinner for five sixes. He then got into the act with the ball and took the wickets of Babar Azam, Sarfraz Ahmed, Wahab Riaz and Yasir Shah to clean up the Pakistan tail for Australia.

It was an astonishing collapse by the tourists, who appeared safe from defeat after amassing 443 for nine declared in their first innings over the first three rain-affected days before losing control of the match. The defeat was Pakistan's 11th straight test loss in Australia after their last win in Sydney in 1995. Skipper Smith set up the exciting finish with a calculated declaration shortly before lunch. He called a halt to a massive first innings at 624 for eight--remaining unbeaten on 165 off 246 balls to give his fast bowlers a crack at the Pakistan openers just before the interval. Starc's seven sixes surpassed the record in an innings in a Melbourne Test held by Andrew Symonds with six in his 72 against South Africa in 2005. Starc put on 154 runs for the seventh wicket with Smith off 172 balls and upon Lyon's dismissal, caught and bowled by Yasir for 12, Smith said that was enough and raced from the ground.

Misbah ponders over future

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-haq will contemplate his playing future prior to the third test against Australia and is not ruling out retiremen. Pakistan have lost the series after falling 2-0 down with a match to play and Misbah was disappointed with his contribution after managing just 11 runs in total across two innings at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. "I need to think about that because I always believe that if I could not contribute anything to the team there is no point staying there," the 42-year-old told reporters. "In the next couple of days I will think about that because there is no point hanging around and doing nothing.

Pakistan 443 & 163 (Azhar Ali 43; Starc 4/36, Lyon 3/33) lost to Australia 624/8 dec (Smith 165 not out, Warner 144, Starc 84) by an innings and 18 runs.

BRIEF SCORES:

AP Starc, who scored 84, also plucked four wickets in the second innings.