Pakistan threatened to take cost of the second Test after dismissing Australia for 318 and was making a very good begin to its reply on Wednesday however was decreased to 194 for six at stumps after the intervention of house skipper Pat Cummins.
The vacationers seemed in superb form at 124-1 an hour after tea however will resume on day three of the match 124 runs in arrears with hopes of a primary Test win in Australia since 1995 to stage the sequence at 1-1 fading quick.
Cummins (3-37) modified the day in two overs, brilliantly catching Abdullah Shafique for 62 off his personal bowling and dismissing dangerman Babar Azam for one with a elegant supply that had the Melbourne Cricket Ground crowd roaring in delight.
Off spinner Nathan Lyon additionally performed a number one function in Australia’s fightback, breaking an stubborn opening partnership between Imam-Ul-Haq and Shafique earlier than returning to take away Shan Masood for 54.
Masood had performed a gutsy captain’s innings for his eighth Test half century however frittered all his good work away when he tried to membership the ball again over Lyon’s head solely to balloon it to Mitch Marsh at level.
Josh Hazlewood then chipped in to bowl Saud Shakeel for 9 and Cummins returned late within the session to have Agha Salman caught behind for 5.
Also learn | From insurgent excursions to comm field, South Africa stays fixed for Mike Haysman
Mohammad Rizwan was unbeaten on 29 on the shut of play with Aamer Jamal two not out from 26 balls on the different finish.
“I thought we bowled decently before tea without too much reward, they obviously batted quite well,” mentioned Cummins.
“It was good at the end there to get a few big wickets and we feel like we’re well into their order now.
“I thought our batters did well to get over 300, I think the pitch is just going to get better and better.”
The rain which had disrupted the opening day of the Boxing Day Test stayed away however situations nonetheless favoured the bowlers and Pakistan was in a position to wrap up Australia’s first innings earlier than lunch.
Jamal led the way in which with 3-64 because the vacationer, who has misplaced 15 successive Tests in Australia since 1995, took the final seven wickets at the price of 131 runs.
Marnus Labuschagne high scored with 63 however the 52 extras Pakistan conceded was a reminder of a sloppiness that Australia was all the time going to be completely satisfied to take advantage of.
Pakistan belied that tendency early in its innings, significantly as Shafique and Masood placed on 90 runs for the second wicket with courageous and disciplined batting within the face of Australia’s world class tempo assault.
Australia received the primary Test by an emphatic 360 runs in Perth two weeks in the past. The third and ultimate Test will happen in Sydney within the new 12 months.
Source web site: sportstar.thehindu.com
.jpg)
