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'No mercy' warns Waugh
Wisden CricInfo staff - October 12, 2002

In an ominous warning for Pakistan, Steve Waugh has promised to show no mercy after Australia's massive innings victory inside two days in the second Test at Sharjah. "There will be no sympathy in the third Test because we are looking at a clean sweep," said Waugh, after taking a decisive 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Pakistan slumped to their lowest Test score for the second day running, following up their first-innings 59 with a paltry 53 in the second to hand Australia, the world champions, an easy win by an innings and 198 runs.

"It was a clinical and professional finish," said Waugh, who admitted he had hardly expected a result inside two days. "It's hard to understand why Pakistan's batting capitulated. It's a bit concerning that one of the best sides in the game goes down in the fifties twice in one match.

"We played exactly as we had planned, but never thought Pakistan would succumb so easily. We pressurised them all through the two innings, and our four bowlers bowled very, very well," said Waugh. "I think we are playing our best cricket since defeating South Africa twice within one year."

Waugh said that the oppressive heat and humid conditions were difficult, but added that his team "was always at its best in difficult conditions". Temperatures rose to 51 degrees Centigrade in the middle, and the humidity stayed around 60% through the two days. "You could boil an egg on your head out there," said Shane Warne, whose eight wickets in the match gave him a tally of 19 in the two Tests so far.

Waugh paid rich tribute to Matthew Hayden, who batted for more than seven hours in the stifling heat to make 119, his ninth Test hundred, the eighth in his last 19 Tests. "Hayden is batting as well as Sachin Tendulkar or Rahul Dravid," said Waugh. "It's hard to say who is the best, but Hayden is one of the best."

Waqar Younis, Pakistan's downcast captain, said he would plead with his young team to "forget this match as fast as they can". He went on: "We did not play well, the batsmen played poorly. Their inexperience was exposed by a professional side. But we have to think about the next Test and save our skins."

Waqar was asked if this was the worst defeat of his 82-Test career. "Maybe, or maybe not," he hedged. "But we never lost a Test in two days before."

To add injury to insult, Pakistan lost two more key players after the withdrawal of their leading batsmen Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana before the series. Rashid Latif, the wicketkeeper, suffered a hamstring injury while batting, and allrounder Abdul Razzaq was ruled out for six weeks with a fractured left wrist after being hit by a rising ball from Brett Lee.

Waqar, who has been plagued by back pain himself, said the team management would be asking for Youhana to join the team for the third Test, providing he has recovered from his shoulder injury.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd