Mitch Marsh saved the hosts from a historic collapse at the MCG with an easy catch as Pakistan looked to have lost their best chance of winning a Test in Australia in a generation.
Marsh (96) and Steve Smith (50) defeated Pakistan’s best side in the Boxing Day Test to save their side at 4-16 – Australia’s first at the MCG since 1911 Worst start to a Test innings.
The duo put on a 153-run stand for the fifth wicket to lead Australia to 6-187 at stumps on day three, leading by 241 runs to take a 2-0 lead in the three-match series and win the 16th consecutive home series. Pakistan.
But Smith dismissed Pakistan quick Shaheen Afridi (3-58) off the last ball of the day, leaving wicketkeeper Alex Carey (16 not out) ) continues Friday against Mitchell Starc.
Pakistan could have completely dominated the Test had opening batsman Abdullah Shafiq not taken a simple catch at slip for the second time in three days. Shafiq missed a golden chance to remove Marsh after bowling Warner in the third innings of the first day’s play on Thursday as Australia were slumped to 4-46.
“This is a big, big opportunity… it could be the difference between winning and losing this game,” Pakistan star Waqar Younis said on Channel 7 commentary. “Pakistan played very, very hard all game and this catch could have cost them the game.”
The missed opportunity took the wind out of Pakistan’s attack and Marsh continued his fine form after being recalled to the squad for the third Test of this year’s Ashes. But things took an extraordinary turn and Marsh (96) was just shy of his fourth Test after Salman Ali Agha took a brilliant diving catch at slippage Just shy of the century.
Smith fought hard to reach his first Test 50 since the Ashes with 176, the second slowest half-century of his illustrious career.
Pakistan quicks Afridi and Mir Hamza (3-27) wreaked havoc on both sides during the lunch break to tip the match in the tourists’ favour. Hamza took his hat-trick after consecutive deliveries to David Warner (six) and Travis Head (first ball duck), leaving Australia trailing 4-16.
The devastating spell harkened back to Pakistan’s heyday, when the likes of Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram and Imran Khan terrorized batsmen with their crafty swing bowling.
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Warner received a standing ovation from the MCG crowd after leaving the field in the final Test match at the famous venue before retiring at the end of next week’s series final in Sydney.
Australia were 2-2 on Thursday after Usman Khawaja (duck) and Marnus Labuschagne (4) both fell during a chaotic 15 minutes of play. 6 Entering into lunch. Australia were forced to play a tricky stretch before the break after Pakistan were bowled out for 264.
Earlier, captain Pat Cummins took his tenth five-wicket haul in Tests to help end Pakistan’s innings. Cummins went into Australia’s favor in the second Test later in the day and grabbed two wickets on Thursday morning to finish with figures of 5-48.
Pakistan’s notoriously crisp tail showed more resistance than expected, pushing their overnight score from six to 194 in response to Australia’s 318. Fast bowler Aamer Jamal scored an unbeaten 33 while Afridi (21), averaging 6.74, also bowled his opponents. reached his highest test score.
Cummins is well supported by spinner Nathan Lyon (4-73), who is fifth in Tests at the MCG and shows no signs of slowing down after breaking into the 500-wicket club in the first Test in Perth . For Australian bowlers who have taken over 100 Test wickets, Cummins has the highest strike rate (47.25), followed by Mitchell Starc (48.94).
