Australia win second Test, series against Pakistan
Australia defeated Pakistan by 79 runs on the fourth day of the second Test match played at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday, taking the three-match series 2-0, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Chasing a target of 317 runs to win, the Pakistan team was bowled out for 237 runs with Aussies captain Pat Cummins taking another five wickets, taking his match tally to 10.
A fired-up Pat Cummins bagged five wickets and 10 in the match to earn Australia a nail-biting 79-run win in the second Test and clinch the series against a battling Pakistan Friday.
Set 317 for victory, the visitors put up a stellar fight as they chased their first Test triumph in Australia since 1995.
But they were dismissed for 237, with the last five wickets falling for 18 runs.
Cummins was the chief destroyer, taking 5-49 to go with his first innings 5-48 -- only the second 10-wicket haul of his Test career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTQhjkk0cMA
Mitchell Starc chipped in with 4-55 as the tail collapsed after Shan Masood (60), Agha Salman (50) and Babar Azam (41) gave them a fighting chance.
It was always going to be a tough task, with the highest-ever successful fourth innings run chase at the Melbourne Cricket Ground the 332-7 England managed in 1928, with no other team getting past 300.
Opener Abdullah Shafique departed for four during a tricky session before lunch, caught by Usman Khawaja in the slips off Starc following a period of intense pressure.
Iman-ul-Haq survived the initial blitz, but was no match after the break for Cummins, who sent down a probing ball that nipped back and trapped him lbw for 12.
Masood was given out lbw by the umpire on 12, but it was overturned on review and he quickly got back in his stride.
He took a nasty ball to the ribs that needed treatment, but was undeterred and raced to a gutsy 50 before Cummins again came to Australia's rescue, enticing an edge to Steve Smith.
There was plenty resting on the shoulders of Azam as the side's premier batter and he looked in good nick.
But after reaching 41, Josh Hazlewood got a ball to jag back and it clattered into his off stump.
Mohammad Rizwan also looked dangerous on his way to 35 before Cummins again worked his magic, with Alex Carey collecting a catch behind the stumps after the ball went off the batsman's glove.
Cummins then removed Aamer Jamal and Shaheen Shah Afridi in quick succession before Starc cleaned up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMV5AY5a_fQ
- Bounced back -
The Pakistanis padded up after the hosts were all out in their second innings for 262, after resuming on 187-6.
Mir Hamza was the best of the bowlers with 4-32, while Afridi took 4-76.
Carey slammed 53 to help Australia build their overnight lead and quieten chatter about his form after losing his place in the one-day side to Josh Inglis.
He resumed on 16 after Australia had bounced back from 16-4 thanks to an attacking 96 from Mitchell Marsh and Smith's gutsy 50.
Carey, who made his first and only Test hundred in Melbourne a year ago, hit consecutive fours in his first over from Hasan Ali to build confidence.
At the other end, Starc lived dangerously and fell for nine with the impressive Afridi getting the breakthrough on a pitch still offering a bit for the bowlers.
Azam took the sharp chance at slip after Starc miscued a drive.
Cummins made a breezy 16 but was caught behind by Rizwan off Jamal, while Lyon crunched two straight fours off Jamal, then was bowled for 11 three deliveries later.
Carey brought up his sixth Test half-century before being the last man out, lbw to Hamza.
Scoreboard
Australia 1st innings 318 (M. Labuschagne 63, U. Khawaja 42; Aamer Jamal 3-64)
Pakistan 1st innings 264 all out (Abdullah Shafique 62, Shan Masood 54; P. Cummins 5-48, N. Lyon 4-73)
Australia 2nd innings (overnight 187-6)
- Khawaja c Rizwan b Afridi 0
- Warner b Hamza 6
- Labuschagne c Rizwan b Afridi 4
- Smith c Salman b Afridi 50
- Head b Hamza 0
- Marsh c Salman b Hamza 96
- Carey lbw Hamza 53
- Starc cAzam b Afridi 9
- Cummins c Rizwan b Jamal 16
- Lyon b Jamal 11
- Hazlewood not out 1
Extras (b1, lb10, w5) 16
Total (all out; 84.1 overs) 262
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Khawaja), 2-6 (Labuschagne), 3-16 (Warner), 4-16 (Head), 5-169 (Marsh), 6-187 (Smith), 7-209 (Starc), 8-237 (Cummins), 9-249 (Lyon), 10-262 (Carey)
Bowling: Shaheen Shah Afridi 27-4-76-4, Mir Hamza 18.1-6-32-4, Hasan Ali 17-2-53-0, Aamer Jamal 16-2-74-2, Agha Salman 6-1-16-0
Pakistan 2nd innings
Abdullah Shafique c Khawaja b Starc 4
Imam-ul-Haq lbw Cummins 12
Shan Masood c Smith b Cummins 60
Babar Azam b Hazlewood 41
Saud Shakeel c Carey b Starc 24
Mohammad Rizwan c Carey b Cummins 35
Agha Salman c Marsh b Starc 50
Aamer Jamal c&b Cummins 0
Shaheen Shah Afridi c Labuschagne b Cummins 0
Hasan Ali not out 0
Mir Hamza c Smith b Starc 0
Extras (b1, lb6, nb1, w3) 11
Total (all out; 67.2 overs) 237
Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Shafique), 2-49 (Haq), 3-110 (Masood), 4-146 (Azam), 5-162 (Shakeel). 6-219 (Rizwan), 7-219 (Jamal), 8-237 (Afridi), 9-237 (Salman), 10-237 (Hamza)
Bowling: Mitchell Starc 13.2-1-55-4, Josh Hazlewood 15-7-34-1, Pat Cummins 18-2-49-5, Nathan Lyon 19-1-84-0, Mitchell Marsh 2-0-8-0
Toss: Pakistan
Result: Australia won by 79 runs
Umpires: Michael Gough (ENG), Joel Wilson (WIS)
TV umpire: Richard Illingworth (ENG)
Match referee: Javagal Srinath (IND)