Australia duly completed a 3-0 series whitewash against Pakistan following an emphatic 231-run victory in Hobart. It was a fifth win from six Tests in its summer, and a fourth successive 3-0 series whitewash over Pakistan. “I think we improved a lot through the summer,” said skipper Ricky Ponting, whose team play four more Tests before the Ashes begins in November 2010. Pakistan resumed on 103-4 on the final day chasing 438 but was all out for 206, spinner Nathan Hauritz with 3-30. The run of 12 straight victories equals the record successive wins over the same opposition in Test cricket, first set by Sri Lanka against Bangladesh. After taking his first five-wicket hauls in the second innings of Australia's wins in Melbourne and Sydney, the three wickets for Hauritz on the final day in Hobart saw him finish with an impressive 29 wickets in six Tests for the summer. It looked as though Australia would capture the six wickets they needed before lunch, as Peter Siddle removed Shoaib Malik in the second over of the day. Hauritz soon struck with his first ball of the morning as Sarfraz Ahmed edged on to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin's pad, the ball then ricocheted to Michael Clarke at first slip and after initially fumbling the chance he took the catch when it rebounded off his boot. Manzoor batted through the entire two-and-a-half-hour first session as play began 30 minutes early to make up for play lost on day four, and helped his side reach 168-6 at lunch. When a light shower lingered after the interval it appeared as though Pakistan might escape with a draw but 25 minutes into the afternoon session Manzoor edged Hauritz to Haddin for 77 as his 315-minute vigil finally came to an end. The tail offered little resistance and Siddle ended the match by bowling Danish Kaneria for one in the second over with the new ball. “It's been a great summer,” added Ponting. “There was a fair bit of conjecture coming into the summer after the end of the Ashes about where we were going with our Test cricket and I spelled things out pretty clearly to the team about where I thought we were going.” Counterpart Mohammad Yousuf rated the Australians the best team in the world. Yousuf said: “They are the best, they have a good side, good players - all good players - and they have good batsmen and bowlers and a wicketkeeper averaging in the early 40s.” Pakistan dropped a total of 16 catches in the three Tests and Yousuf lamented: “That is where I think we lost the series, otherwise it may have been a different result.” Looking ahead to the summer tour of England he admitted he was unsure whether he would still be in charge. “That is a difficult question,” stated the 34-year-old. “But I enjoy my job and I am trying to do it sincerely and to keep trying to lift the team and myself up.” Scores: Australia 519-8 dec. and 219-5 dec. beat Pakistan 301 & 206 by 231 runs.
