Aussies make solid start in second Test in rainy Melbourne
Pakistan needed something to restore its morale after a heavy defeat as well as a couple of injuries. Left-arm seamers Shaheen Afridi and Mir Hamza soon got the ball moving both ways to trouble the Australian openers.
Marnus Labuschagne plays a shot during first day of second Test
MELBOURNE: Australia made a solid start to the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan on Tuesday but rain washed out a chunk of play and tight bowling restricted it to 187 for three at the end of the opening day.
Marnus Labuschagne, who had made 44 not out, and Travis Head, who was unbeaten on 10, will resume on Wednesday as the host seeks a victory that would seal a series triumph with the third and final Test to spare.
After an emphatic 360-run victory in the first Test in Perth two weeks ago, the world Test champion was looking to quickly drive home its advantage when it was put in to bat on a greenish wicket at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Pakistan needed something to restore its morale after a heavy defeat as well as a couple of injuries. Left-arm seamers Shaheen Afridi and Mir Hamza soon got the ball moving both ways to trouble the Australian openers.
David Warner, playing the penultimate Test of his career, should have departed for two in the third over when he edged an Afridi delivery to the slips only for Abdullah Shafique to ground a regulation catch.
It was not until just before lunch that Pakistan finally winkled Warner out for 38, the opener loosely reaching for a wide delivery from spinner Agha Salman and edging it to Babar Azam in the slips.
“It was quite challenging,” said Warner. “When they put the ball in the right areas, they challenged our front-foot defence.”
“They didn’t give us too many freebies, which in Perth I felt they did a bit. So yeah, it was a tough start.”
Usman Khawaja, sporting the names of his daughters on his boots as part of his continuing feud with the International Cricket Council, lasted another six overs before he edged a Hasan Ali delivery to Salman in the slips for 42. Labuschagne and Steve Smith came through a thorough examination before heavy rain sent a large part of the 62,167 crowd scurrying for the exits and forced an early tea break.
The questions continued to be asked when play resumed and Smith was dismissed by Aamer Jamal for 26 runs. At stumps, Australia registered 187 runs on the board.
BRIEF SCORES: Australia (1st innings) 187/3 in 66 overs (Usman Khawaja 42, Marnus Labuschagne 44*) vs Pakistan