ADELAIDE: As green shirts fight back, 33-year-old spin bowler Yasir Shah’s bat yielded first test century (113 with the help of 12 fours off 192 balls) here in the third day of day-night Test. His highest score so far in 36 tests was 42.
Green Shirts were batting at 39 for three when rain forced an early end. Pakistan is 248 runs behind with two days left. In reply to Australia’s 589 for three declared, they were struggling hard.
Mitchell Starc who took 6-66 held: “The first two Test matches, the huge partnerships we’ve had, the individual scores. We’ve talked a lot about big first innings totals and the guys have really responded. We’ve been fantastic in bowling partnerships as well. Pakistan have had a couple of positive innings individually, but probably haven’t had that consistency.”
Imam-ul-Haq got out leg before wicket (lbw) for a duck to pacer Josh Hazlewood. It was soon 11 for two. Rains had been threatening all day and when they returned after 30 minutes Hazlewood got the wicket of Azam for two, caught behind by Paine.
Both Yasir and Azam had kept Pakistan in the game. Shaheen Afridi plumb lbw before Mohammad Abbas fended off the hat-trick ball. Abbas scored 29 before he was sent back to pavilion due to Pat Cummins bouncer, caught at gully by Warner.
At the other end, Yasir showed composure to compile his first-ever ton, bringing up the milestone and kissing the turf in celebration. He was finally out hooking a Cummins delivery to Nathan Lyon.
ADELAIDE: Taking advantage of Pakistan’s weak bowling, Australian opener David Warner, who began day two of the day-night second Test here on 166 opener, managed to score an unbeatable 335 runs.
Meanwhile, Steve Smith became the fastest man to 7,000 Test runs. Captain Tim Paine declared at 589 for 3 ahead of the second day’s dinner break. Warner had been supported by Marnus Labuschagne (who was bowled by Afridi for 162 just minutes before Warner’s second century).
Pakistan was 96 for six with Mitchell Starc taking four scalps.
A relevant piece published earlier:
Cricket 2nd Test: Afridi gives Pakistan a breakthrough by taking a Kangaroo scalp
ADELAIDE OVAL: Although early scalp taking by Shaheen Shah Afridi (Joe Burns caught behind in the fourth over) gave Pakistan a break, the Aussies held firm on the first day of the second Test against Pakistan here today.
While Pakistan’s bowlers were once again exposed when Australian opener David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne scored centuries, Captain Tim Paine’s decision to bat first proved to be right.
His 23rd Test century came off 156 balls with a single from spinner Yasir Shah. Warner hit 12 fours supported by Labuschagne. The 25-year-old hit 14 fours. On a rain-interrupted day, Australia were 139 for one with the two batsmen adding to 131-run partnership, at dinner break.
Having lost thirteen Test matches one after another in Australia, odds are against Pakistan that badly needs to win in order to escape the imminent white wash.
Teams
Australia: Joe Burns, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Matthew Wade, Tim Paine (capt), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
Pakistan: Shan Masood, Imam-ul-Haq, Azhar Ali (capt), Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Yasir Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Muhammad Musa, Mohammad Abbas.
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Relevant: GABBA (BRISBANE): Kangaroos had beaten Green Shirts in their two-Test series here today by an innings and five runs.
Pakistan pathetically scored 240 in their first winning. In response Australia made 580 with the help of centuries scored by Marnus Labuschagne (185) and opener David Warner (154) and 97 runs made by Joe Burns.
In the second inning too Pakistan lost three wickets in the afternoon session of Saturday. On the 4th day, with the help of Babar Azam’s 100, Mohammad Rizwan’s 95 and Yasir Shah’s fighting 42 Pakistani scored 335 runs.
Josh Hazlewood got four scalps yielding 63, 4-63; Mitchell Starc took 3-73, Pat Cummins 2-69 and Nathan Lyon 1-74. The second Test begins in Adelaide on 29th day of November, 2019.
Cricket 1st Test: Pakistan struggles against Kangaroos
GABBA: On the third day of the 1st Test Pakistan were 64-3 at stumps here today, still needing 276 runs to equal the mammoth score of Kangaroos.
First three wickets of Green Shirts fell within seven overs in the second innings manifesting the form of Australian fast bowlers. Left-arm paceman Mitchell Starc sent two (captain Azhar Ali who scored five runs and Haris Sohail whose bat yielded only eight runs) back to pavilion.
Asad Shafiq didn’t get off the mark before getting a thick edge off Pat Cummins to Steve Smith at second slip and it was 25-3. Shan Masood (27) and Babar Azam (20) survived until stumps.
Cricket 1st Test: Green Shirts dismissed by Aussies for 240
GABBA (BRISBANE): Australia bowled Pakistan out for 240 on the opening day of the first Test.
Pakistan earlier won the toss and chose to bat on a hot and humid morning here. They made 33 at the first drinks break and took almost two hours to reach 50. Green Shirts reached 57 for no wicket at lunch but after the break Kangaroos took five wickets yielding only 19 runs. Asad Shafiq scored scoring 76 saving Pakistan from a complete disaster.
Haris Sohail and Babar Azam scored one run each. This debacle was followed by partnerships of 49 between Shafiq and Mohammed Rizwan, who made 37, and then 84 with Yasir Shah (26) a reasonable score was made. Commenting on the Australian performance Hazlewood said fast bowlers used the extra bounce at the Gabba.
Cricket 3rd T20I: Australia beats Pakistan to win the series
PERTH: Australian Cricket team has crushed Pakistan by ten wickets here today to win the Twenty20I series 2-0.
Chasing a pathetic target of 107 runs set by Pakistan, Australian batsmen Finch (52) and Warner (48) raced to the finish sans any loss of wicket with the help of five sixes and eight fours.
Pakistani Cricket Team, that had to win the 3rd T20I against Australia in order to draw the series, did not fare well and barely managed to muster 106 runs up for 8 wickets.
Iftikhar Ahmed with 45-runs off 37 balls was the top scorer for Pakistan. Imam-ul-Haque (14 off 15 balls) was the second batsman who managed to reach double figure. Captain Babar Azam scored six runs. Next to head towards pavilion was Mohammad Rizwan who was bowled out for a duck. Haris Sohail left the crease at eight, Khushdil Shah made eight runs, Imad Wasim scored six while Shadab Khan scored a single as Green Shirts finished with 106-8.
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