AUS vs PAK Test: Bowlers keep Australia in check and extend lead on Day 3
Test between Australia and Pakistan, day 3. Photo: ICC
Australia retained control of the opening Test against Pakistan despite an early stutter in the second innings after failing to enforce the follow-up Saturday.
Steven Smith and Usman Khawaja took Australia to a watchful 84 for two in the final session on Day 3 for an overall lead of 300 after Pakistan collapsed to 271 at tea time to concede a 216-run lead.
Smith was unbeaten on 43 and needed brief on-field treatment after being hit on the shoulder by a sharp ball from Shaheen Shah Afridi late in the day, while Khawaja was not out on 34.
Nathan Lyon took three for 66 and was just a wicket away from the elusive milestone of 500 Test wickets as Pakistan's resistance faded in the first few sessions. The Australian pacers bowled with a disciplined line and length and Lyon also squeezed the batters onto a wicket, giving him some help.
All-rounder Mitchell Marsh took the prized wicket of Babar Azam in the first session and went along with his spirited knock of 90 in Australia's formidable score of 487 in Australia's first innings.
David Warner, who scored a century in the first innings, and Marnus Labuschagne both fell to an impressive opening spell from debutant fast bowler Khurram Shahzad as Australia slumped to five for two early in the final session.
Warner went without scoring when he holed out to Shahzad's short ball at mid-wicket, while Labuschagne also got an edge against the pacer before Smith and Khawaja carefully played the Pakistani pacers out and put the home side in the driver's seat in the opening Test. of the three-match series.
Earlier, Australian pace trio Mitchell Starc, captain Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood combined well with Lyon and broke Pakistan's resistance in the first few sessions after Pakistan resumed at 132 for two.
The visitors lost nightwatchman Shahzad for seven in the first over to Cummins (2 for 35) after he survived a close run-out off the first ball when Travis Head missed the stumps at the non-striker's end.
Babar and the Imam-ul-Haq worked together to keep Pakistan steady as the Pakistani skipper opened his account with his trademark cover-driven boundary.
The pair had seemingly blunted Australia's vaunted bowling attack for most of the first session until Marsh (1 for 34) got the ball. They teased Babar (21) into falling behind with his fifth ball of the day, ending the stubborn 48-run partnership after 17 overs.
The star batsman's demise caused a flurry of wickets in the final overs before lunch as Pakistan lost three wickets for 14 runs and went to lunch at 203 runs for six.
Lyon ended Imam's impressive and patient innings on 62 off 199 balls, with the opener beaten by Alex Carey for his 498th Test wicket.
It was Imam's ninth half-century in Tests and there were four boundaries, but the southpaw eventually ran out of patience after staying at the wicket for over five and a half hours.
Starc (2 for 68) then claimed his second wicket of the innings, putting Ahmed (3) through the gate with a ball that came back to the right-hander and uprooted the stump.
Australia continued to put pressure on Pakistan's middle position after lunch with the second new ball as Saud Shakeel (28) turned to Hazlewood's sharp bouncer and flicked a simple catch to Warner in the slips and Faheem Ashraf (9) brilliantly wise low on square leg was caught by Khawaja .
Lyon then let Aamer Jamal (10) down before Travis Head left the offspinner waiting for an elusive milestone as he ended the innings with No. 11 Shaheen Shah Afridi, who offered a simple catch to Khawaja at mid-off.
On Friday's second day of the three-match series, Pakistani fast bowler Jamal took six for 111 in his debut Test as Australia were bowled out for 487 after Warner's first century in almost a year in his farewell Test series and Marsh's 90.
The opening pair of Abdullah Shafique and Imam then thwarted the hosts' attack for 36 overs before Lyon got Shafique for 42. Starc then removed captain Shan Masood for 30 overs late in the day.
The Australians are the world Test champions. Pakistan has not won a Test match in Australia since 1995.
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First print: December 17, 2023 | 12:56 pm IST