Australia made a convincing begin to the Boxing Day Check in opposition to Pakistan on Tuesday earlier than rain washed out most of play and tight bowling restricted them to 187-3 on the Melbourne Cricket Floor.
Marnus Labuschagne (44no) and Travis Head (9 not out) will resume on Wednesday constructing on their unbeaten 33-run partnership because the hosts look to win the sequence with a 3rd and ultimate Check to spare.
Australia thrashed Pakistan within the first Check with an empathic 360-run victory in Perth two weeks in the past which noticed Nathan Lyon take his five hundredth Check wicket.
Australia had been trying to capitalise on their dwelling benefit after being put into bat on a inexperienced wicket in Melbourne with openers David Warner (38) and Usman Khawaja (42) sharing a 90-run stand from 163 deliveries.
Pakistan’s left-arm seamers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mir Hamza received the ball transferring each methods to hassle the Australian openers.
Warner, who’s enjoying within the penultimate Check of his profession, was dropped on two after he edged Afridi to Abdullah Shafique at slip however the Pakistan opener grounded a regulation catch.
Warner departed shortly earlier than lunch when loosely reaching for a large supply from spinner Agha Salman (1-5) and edging to Babar Azam within the slips.
Usman Khawaja, who inscribed his daughters names – Aisha and Ayla – on his boots after being banned from sporting references to the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, lasted six extra overs earlier than he edged quick bowler Hasan Ali (1-28) to Salman Agha within the slips for 42.
Labuschagne and Steve Smith (26) added a 46-run partnership earlier than the heavy rain despatched many of the 62,167 crowd scurrying for the exits and compelled an early tea break.
After play resumed Afridi appeared to have Smith trapped lbw however a evaluation confirmed the ball going over the stumps and the Australian right-hander survived on 19.
Nevertheless, a evaluation for caught behind off the bowling of Aamer Jamal (1-47) did ship Smith packing after DRS confirmed he feathered behind to Muhammad Rizwan.
Warner: It was a troublesome begin
Australia’s opening batter David Warner (38):
“It was quite challenging. When they put the ball in the right areas, they challenged our front-foot defence. A lot of play and misses,” mentioned Warner.
“They didn’t give us too many freebies, which in Perth I felt they did a bit. So yeah, it was a tough start.”
What’s subsequent?
The second Check will resume on December 27 till December 30 earlier than each side head to Sydney for the ultimate Check from January 2 to January 7 2024.
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