Pakistan’s results against New Zealand, Australia will determine their dominance over other subcontinent teams

Pakistan performed incredibly well in the four-Test series against England and registered a thumping win the fourth and final match  to level at 2-2. It was a well-contested series, between two excellent sides, and not many can argue that this was a fair result in the end. Pakistan’s performance in England or even their performance of late in the longest format in general should be a lesson to teams around the world. Pakistan have not witnessed Test cricket in their nation since the 2009. That however has not deteriorated Pakistan’s performance across the globe – is something the subcontinent teams can especially learn from. Full Cricket Scorecard, England vs Pakistan , 4th Test match Pakistan have the right blend of youth and experience in their side. They have players, who can play on any conditions. Yes, there will be a few exceptions, but that does not take away from the fact, that they are the most complete side among the subcontinent nations. Pakistan vs England 4th Test, Day 4 Full Updates Misbah-ul-Haq, has led the team extremely well and Pakistan are on the cusp of becoming the No. 1 team in the world – a feat they thoroughly deserve, if they get there. Pakistan last lost a series in South Africa in 2013 – a place, where both India and Sri Lanka have had trouble winning. Pakistan did have a good team even back then, but South Africa had better firepower, in their batting and bowling department. But if one pits the current Pakistan team against the Current Proteas team in South Africa, the result may be just different. READ: Is this the beginning of Pakistan's resurgence? Pakistan since then have been on a rampage. They have not lost their last nine series, including two series against England (UAE and in England). England again is a tricky place to play for subcontinent teams. We saw Sri Lanka recently get a beating in the three-match Test series. They failed to win a single One-Day Internationals (ODI) and also lost the one-off T20I as well. India on their last tour, despite their good showing in the first couple of Tests, lost miserably in their next three. They however had some consolation as they won the ODI series after that. READ: The day Pakistan became Misbah-ul-Haq But coming back to Pakistan, they have depth in their team. They have three quality left-arm seamers in Rahat Ali, Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Aamer. Not to forget Sohail Khan, who bowled beautifully in the last two Tests and also Imran Khan. But their secret weapon happens to be leg-sppiner Yasir Shah. Pakistan have finally found a capable spinner since Saeed Ajmal. Yasir played pivotal roles in their wins at The Lord’s and The Oval. Pakistan have Zulfiqar Babar too, but he will have to take a back seat, while playing outside the subcontinent as Yasir is the preferred spinner for the team. Point being, Pakistan have options. India too have gone through a drastic change in the last couple of years and may fare well, if they play in alien conditions. They are also a reasonably balanced side, proving to be quite a handful for West Indies in the Caribbean at the moment, but will they be able to dominate stronger, well-oiled teams? That still remains a doubt. They too have a long season coming up, with likes of England, New Zealand, Bangladesh and Australia touring. They too will be thoroughly tested and by the looking at the way their team is performing, seems like they will be up for the task. READ: Younis Khan and the art of batting with the tail Pakistan have proved that their squad can beat world class teams like England in their own den, but they have bigger challenges ahead of them. First up is the tour to New Zealand, followed by their tour to Australia. They are certainly, well equipped to take on those teams, but it will not be easy. If Pakistan can manage to remain unbeaten in those two series, they would have achieved something special. But for now, they can enjoy their success in this series and look forward to the challenges ahead. They are a complete side, but the upcoming tours will decide, if they are indeed the best among their Asian counterparts. (Pramod Ananth is a reporter at CricketCountry.com. He is a sport enthusiast and a keen observer of cricket, the contests, and its personalities. When not tracking cricket, he follows the world’s soccer leagues and is somewhat partial towards Liverpool. His Twitter handle is @pramz)