14 Consecutive Losses In Tests In Australia - Pakistan Created Unwanted World Record

It is official! Pakistan's nightmare in Australia has now been prolonged after the innings and 48-run loss in the Pink Ball Test in Adelaide. Pakistan, who last won a Test in Australia in 1995, has now suffered fifve consecutive whitewashes in Test series Down Under. After their win in Sydney in 1995, Pakistan were whitewashed 3-0 in 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2016. Heading into the series, there was less expectation from the Pakistan side to stem their losing streak in Australia. However, after twin innings defeats in Brisbane and Adelaide, Pakistan have now lost 14 consecutive Tests in Australia. The mark of 14 now gives Pakistan the unwanted world record of suffering the most consecutive defeats in a single country in the history of Test matches.

Pakistan went past Bangladesh's tally of 13 consecutive losses which they suffered at home from 2001 to 2004. The streak began when they lost by eight wickets to Zimbabwe in Chattogram and it continued until their innings and 83-run loss to India at the same venue in 2004. With the loss in Adelaide, Pakistan have now assumed the mantle.

The day started positively for Pakistan with Shan Masood slamming two boundaries off Mitchell Starc and he neared his fifty with a six off Nathan Lyon. Asad Shafiq also gave Masood good support but it was Masood who notched up his sixth fifty with a drive past mid on. Masood and Shafiq continued to find the boundary on a regular basis and they negotiated the first hour superbly. The partnership between Masood and Shafiq went past 100 but Lyon broke the stubborn stand by mistiming a lofted shot to mid off.

Shafiq also went past his fifty with a single off Josh Hazlewood but he played a rash shot on 57 as he glanced a flighted delivery to leg slip where Warner took the catch. Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed then kept the Australian bowlers at bay until the tea break. After the interval, Rizwan and Iftikhar continued to hang in but it was Lyon who continued to use the conditions brilliantly. He dismissed Iftikhar for 27 and then trapped first innings centurion Yasir Shah LBW for 13. Rizwan was defiant at the other end but before the tea break, Lyon grabbed his 16th five-wicket haul and first against Pakistan when Shaheen Afridi played a rash slog to be caught at mid-off.

After the dinner break, it took Australia just 15 balls to wrap up the innings. Hazlewood ended Rizwan's resistance with a sharp inswinger for 45 and the innings ended when Mohammad Abbas was run-out by a direct hit from Pat Cummins, with the batsman giving up the opportunity to make his crease.

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Following the loss, Pakistan skipper Azhar Ali rued that the team did not click in several departments. "As a bowling unit, we need to control the scoring rate. You have to field really well here. And when you get in as a batter, you have to make big partnerships. Yasir Shah put up a brilliant fight in all the innings. Babar Azam has been a big positive for us in this series. And there is no doubt, he will be a big player for Pakistan in the future," Azhar Ali said.

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