Sydney: Great fight by Pakistan in the third cricket test against Australia. Half-centuries from tail-ender Amir Jamal (82 off 97 balls with four sixes and nine fours), wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan (88 off 103 balls with two sixes and 10 fours) and Agha Salman (53 off 67 balls) rescued Pakistan from a massive collapse. Their first innings ended on 313 runs.
When play was stopped on the first day, Australia were six runs without losing a wicket. David Warner and Usman Khawaja (0) who scored six runs are at the crease. Pakistan, who were crushed at the rate of 96 runs for five, rushed towards 300 runs. Pakistan skipper Shan Masood won the toss and elected to bat first.
Abdullah Shafiq (0) is out in the very first over bowled by Mitchell Starc. Shafiq, who put the bat on Starc’s out-swinger, made a mistake. The ball is firmly in Steve Smith’s hands. Opener Saeem Ayub (0), who is playing his maiden Test, also failed to shine. A good length ball from Josh Hazlewood put Ayub in the hands of wicketkeeper Alex Carey. When Shan Masood (35) and former captain Babar Azam (26) joined, the scoreboard started to run. Pat Cummins broke the partnership by trapping Babar in front of the wicket. Saud Shakeel (five) who came after him could not shine. Cummins hands Shaquille to Carey. Shan Masood was also dismissed by Mitchell Marsh and the Pakistan score was 96 for 5.
Pakistan hit back with Rizwan and Agha Salman joining. Sixth wicket combined 50 off 61 balls. Rizwan crossed his half century in 74 balls. Aaga crossed his half century in 64 balls. Rizwan was handed over to Cummins Hazlewood just before tea time. Rizwan, who tried to lift the Aussie skipper’s short pitched ball, made a mistake. The lifted ball is safe in Hazlewood’s hands. The score crossed 200 with Agha and Sajid Khan (15).
Cummins took the fourth wicket by dismissing Sajid. Aga was also returned by Mitchell Starc while adding six runs. In the very next over, Cummins dismissed Hasan Ali (0) and took five wickets for the third time in a row. When Hasan Ali returned, Pakistan were 227 for nine. Jamal, who came to the crease at number nine, swung the bat in ODI style.
Jamal smashed the last batsman Mir Hamza (seven not out off 43 balls) as a witness. Both of them scored 86 runs for the last wicket. Jamal mostly attacked off-spinner Nathan Lyon. Jamal scored his maiden Test half-century in 71 balls. 27-year-old Aamir Jamal’s highest score till then was 33 runs. Yesterday was the 10th highest last wicket partnership in Tests. In 2001, England’s Alex Stewart and Andy Caddy had previously scored 103 runs against Australia.
Hamza was a mere spectator as Jamal thrashed the Aussie bowlers. The player scored the first run after facing 22 balls. Pak’s first innings ended when Jamal was caught by Starc who lifted Nathan Lyon. Mitchell Starc took two wickets and Hazlewood, Lyon and Mitchell Marsh took one wicket each for the Aussies. The Aussies had secured the three-Test series 2-0.
2024-01-03 19:40:00
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