Rauf Reflects on Sloppy Mistakes as Pakistan's MCG Ghosts Lurk
“We were all trying our best, whether in the field or with the ball,” Rauf reflected after the match. “We had a plan to bowl short from my end. We had success; we took a few wickets this way.”
Pakistan’s latest defeat to Australia at the MCG, a comprehensive loss by 99 runs, adds to a growing list of frustrations for the visitors on Australian soil. With 27 wins in their last 28 completed games against Pakistan at home, Australia continued their dominance, but the match was not without its dramatic moments.
The game initially seemed like a routine victory for Australia, who were chasing down a modest target of 204. They were comfortably placed at 139 for 3 in the 20th over, well on course for another easy win. But then, a sudden shift. Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed Josh Inglis, and Haris Rauf, bowling the very next over, made his presence felt. His pace extracted extra bounce, resulting in Marnus Labuschagne’s leading edge flying to third man. A few balls later, Rauf drew Glenn Maxwell into an edge, sending the ball flying to Mohammad Rizwan behind the stumps. In the blink of an eye, Australia had lost three wickets for no runs in just five balls, and Pakistan were back in the game, sensing an unlikely victory.
“We were all trying our best, whether in the field or with the ball,” Rauf reflected after the match. “We had a plan to bowl short from my end. We had success; we took a few wickets this way.” Despite this mini-collapse, Australia managed to recover, with Pat Cummins once again proving to be the calming influence, steering the team to victory with a two-wicket win.
However, Rauf could not hide his disappointment with his team’s errors, particularly in the extras column. Pakistan gave away 21 extras to Australia’s four, with Rauf himself contributing a wide down the leg side for four runs. Naseem Shah followed suit with a series of wides, and Mohammad Hasnain, after dismissing Australia’s seventh wicket, bowled two more that flew well over the batter’s head. These mistakes allowed Australia to claw back control, shifting the pressure back onto Pakistan.
“We did give away extras, but when you attack, you have to accept that these things happen,” Rauf said. “We did make mistakes, and we were a bit untidy. We know these little things make an impact. If you're a good bowling unit, then you can cover the batters falling 20-30 runs short if you tighten up in the field as well. We could have defended this and we all tried really hard. The game didn’t go our way, but we gave no quarter in terms of our energy and our effort.”
Rauf’s reflections echoed the theme of Pakistan’s struggles at the MCG. This ground has been the site of several close losses, including the unforgettable T20 World Cup 2022 match against India, where Rauf’s penultimate over to Virat Kohli changed the course of the game, allowing India to snatch a win off the last ball. Just weeks later, an injury to Shaheen Shah Afridi robbed Pakistan of their momentum in the T20 World Cup final, sealing another agonizing loss.
“We have memories on this ground which we remember. We lost a couple of very close matches here against India and the World Cup final,” Rauf admitted. “We’ve made mistakes in the past, but we try to stay in the present moment. The future isn’t in our control either, and we are enjoying the present. Sometimes the result doesn’t go your way, and you have to accept that. And you then try and learn from those failures.”
While the ghosts of the MCG seem to haunt Pakistan, they remain determined to move forward, focusing on learning from past mistakes and staying positive despite the setbacks.
