Australia take control of second Test as Pakistan flounder again

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2023-12-27T18:09:29+05:00 AFP

 


Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon put Australia in the driving seat of the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday to leave Pakistan tottering at 194-6, still 124 runs behind on day two.


At stumps, Mohammad Rizwan was on 29 and Aamer Jamal not out two after Cummins took the crucial wickets of Abdullah Shafique (62) and Babar Azam (one), then Agha Salman (five).


Lyon chipped in by removing Imam-ul-Haq (10) and Shan Masood (54), while Josh Hazlewood bowled Saud Shakeel for nine as Pakistan's dream of a first Test win in Australia since 1995 faded.


The visitors had claimed seven wickets in the morning session on a pitch offering seam and swing, restricting the hosts to 318.


Aamer Jamal spearheaded Pakistan's charge with 3-64 after Australia resumed on 187-3 after being sent into bat, with Marnus Labuschagne top-scoring on 63.


Openers Haq and Shafique made a positive start in reply, surviving a series of loud appeals. But veteran spinner Lyon, fresh from taking his 500th wicket during the first Test in Perth, finally earned a reward when Haq edged to Labuschagne at slip.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exAm7xNVhGA


Undeterred, Pakistan upped the run rate after tea with Masood hitting Lyon for six and Shafique reaching his first Test 50 in Australia, and fifth overall, with a four off Mitchell Starc.


But their 90-run partnership was broken by Cummins, who showed sharp reflexes to stick out his left hand for a catch off his own bowling to end Shafique's stay.


Fired up, he then clean bowled danger man Azam before Lyon returned to claim his second wicket when Masood miscued and Mitchell Marsh did well to hold a catch with the sun in his eyes.


Hazlewood took care of Shakeel before Cummins brought himself back and accounted for Salman, caught by wicketkeeper Alex Carey to leave Pakistan in trouble.


- Jamal strikes -


Labuschagne had been a rock on day one, digging in for an overnight 44 off 120 balls.


He padded up again alongside Travis Head on nine with the sun shining, smacking a boundary off Shaheen Shah Afridi in the opening over to signal Australia's intent.


The explosive Head drove Hasan Ali to the ropes off his first ball and followed it up with another in the same over to quickly get in the groove.


But his flair cost him on 17, lashing at a wide Afridi delivery that took a thick edge and was well collected by Salman in the slips.


At the other end, Labuschagne kept plugging away to bring up his 17th Test half-century.


Marsh was given out twice in successive balls during a fiery Ali over while on seven by West Indian umpire Joel Wilson. He reviewed both decisions -- for lbw and caught behind -- and survived.


But just as the match appeared to be slipping away from Pakistan, Jamal bagged the wicket of Labuschagne, who edged to Shafique at slip.


Carey and Starc quickly followed as Pakistan cashed in with a new ball, before Marsh holed out to Jamal off Mir Hamza on 41 and the tail folded.


Australia won the first Test of the three-match series in Perth by 360 runs.



Scoreboard


Australia 1st innings (overnight 187-3)



  1. Warner c Azam b Salman            38

  2. Khawaja c Salman b Ali            42

  3. Labuschagne c Shafique b Jamal    63

  4. Smith c Rizwan b Jamal            26

  5. Head c Salman b Afridi            17

  6. Marsh c Jamal b Hamza             41

  7. Carey c Rizwan b Afridi            4

  8. Cummins c Hamza b Jamal           13

  9. Lyon c Hamza b Ali                 8

  10. Hazlewood not out                  5


Extras (b20, lb15, nb2 w15)          52


Total (all out; 96.5 overs)         318


Fall of wickets: 1-90 (Warner), 2-108 (Khawaja), 3-154 (Smith), 4-204 (Head), 5-250 (Labuschagne), 6-260 (Carey), 7-275 (Starc), 8-286 (Marsh), 9-308 (Cummins), 10-318 (Hazlewood)


Bowling: Shaheen Shah Afridi 27-5-85-2, Mir Hamza 22-5-51-2, Hasan Ali 23.5-7-61-2, Aamer Jamal 19-1-64-3, Agha Salman 5-0-22-1


Pakistan 1st innings


Abdullah Shafique c&b Cummins        62


Imam-ul-Haq c Labuschagne b Lyon     10


Shan Masood c Marsh b Lyon           54


Babar Azam b Cummins                  1


Saud Shakeel b Hazlewood              9


Mohammad Rizwan not out              29


Agha Salman c Carey b Cummins         5


Aamer Jamal not out                   2


Extras (b8, lb6, nb3 w5)             22


Total (for 6 wkts; 55 overs)        194


To bat: Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza


Fall of wickets: 1-34 (Haq), 2-124 (Shafique), 3-131 (Azam), 4-147 (Masood), 5-151 (Shakeel), 6-170 (Salman)


Bowling: Mitchell Starc 13-2-50-0, Josh Hazlewood 12-4-29-1, Pat Cummins 14-1-37-3, Nathan Lyon 13-1-48-2, Mitchell Marsh 3-0-16-0


Toss: Pakistan


Umpires: Michael Gough (ENG), Joel Wilson (WIS)


TV umpire: Richard Illingworth (ENG)


Match referee: Javagal Srinath (IND)


 

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