LAHORE: Pakistan’s performance against New Zealand in the two-Test series can only be described as pathetic and abysmal. The way Team Pakistan bating line-up caved in against the Black Caps, and on the tracks that had not much swing except for up-and-down bounce showed all and sundry that our players can perform in the United Arab Emirates only. We are lions of desert and lambs elsewhere. Don’t except performance from them on turning, seaming or bouncy tracks. The batting was as brittle as ever, the bowlers lacked rhythm and control, and catches were dropped at crucial stages. The expectations of fans were unnecessarily raised by tall claims made by the selectors, the captain and the head coach. New Zealand took nine wickets in a dramatic final session of the second Test against Pakistan to win by 130 runs in Hamilton and clean sweep their series 2-0. Pakistan created a ‘world-record’ in Hamilton – no team in 140 years of Test cricket had ever lost nine in the last session of a Test. From eyeing a win or at worst a draw, Pakistan crashed spectacularly leaving almost nine full overs of the post-tea session on the fifth day unused. While the fourth innings heists in Sharjah 2014 and Pallekele 2015 against Sri Lanka are indeed extraordinary, the batting unit with arguably the most experienced quartet in Pakistan’s Test history Azhar Ali, Younus Khan, Misbahul Haq and Asad Shafiq failed miserably. It was New Zealand’s first series win over Pakistan since 1985. Pakistan were faced with an imposing 369-run target in their second innings but set themselves up for a run-a-ball slog when they reached tea on the final day at 158-1. The match edged towards a cliff-hanger finish before Tim Southee removed Pakistan’s leading run scorer Sami Aslam for 91. That started a rapid collapse which saw their last eight wickets fall for 49 in 20 overs with Neil Wagner taking the last three for no runs in just six deliveries. The series win to New Zealand, after a first Test triumph in Christchurch, meant Pakistan fell from second to fourth in the world rankings while New Zealand remained seventh. Against Australia, unpredictable Team Pakistan must play with a game plan and aggressively. If bowlers can get the ball to swing, while batsmen continue taking runs, they may have a shot at beating Australia in the upcoming series. It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan have never beaten Australia in a Test series in Australia, losing the last six series all the way back to 1981. Mohammad Amir is a very good bowler but he’s exceptional if he swings it. Yasir Shah is a very, very good spinner. We didn’t see a lot of him in New Zealand due to the conditions, but Yasir is an exceptional bowler. If he gets on a surface that offers a bit of up and down bounce he can challenge the Australian batting line-up. If Pakistan’s top order is able to show the discipline that might allow their middle-order stroke-players to build on that. Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed are very talented and can change a game quickly. All have to put up a good show Down Under. (The writer is student of Aitchison College and canbe reached at abdulhadiimran@gmail.com)