Pakistani bowler Zulfiqar Babar (C) claimed five wickets in the 2nd innings of the 2nd Test to leave Australians in tatters.
© AFP
Abu Dhabi: Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul Haq rates the 2-0 series win over Australia as his country's "best ever" considering his team were without three key bowlers.
Ace spinner Saeed Ajmal and frontline pacemen Junaid Khan and Wahab Riaz were all missing as Pakistan inflicted a 356-run defeat on Australia -- their biggest win in Test cricket -- in Abu Dhabi.
That gave Pakistan their first series win over Australia in 20 years, prompting Misbah to rate the win the "best ever", slightly ahead of Pakistan's 3-0 rout of then world number one England, also in United Arab Emirates in 2012. (Pakistan 3rd in Test Rankings)
"It's really tough to rank both series, but considering the fact that we had far better bowling combination for England and this time despite having an inexperienced bowling line up nobody could have thought we can turned around and beat Australia so this you can understand is a big achievement," said Misbah.
Ajmal was suspended due to an illegal bowling action while Riaz and Junaid were injured.
Spinners Zulfiqar Babar, who had played two Tests before the series, and leg-spinner Yasir Shah, who made debut in the first Test, shared 26 wickets between them. (Sethi Backs Misbah for World Cup)
The win also put Misbah equal with Pakistan's most successful Test captains -- Imran Khan and Javed Miandad -- with 14 wins.
Misbah credited the turnaround, after losing the preceding one-day series against Australia 3-0, to team effort.
"I think we got the belief (to win) that's why we delivered and everyone performed. The way we played as a batting unit you could say there was belief and this could be the reason we performed the way we did," said Misbah, declared man-of-the-match for his fiery 56-ball hundred which followed his 101 in the first innings.
Misbah equalled the record for the fastest Test century held by West Indian Vivian Richards and set a new record for the fastest half-century off just 21 balls.
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