Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith dug in to stretch Australia’s lead and take the first Test away from Pakistan on Saturday, as veteran spinner Nathan Lyon moved within one wicket of the 500 mark.
The hosts reached stumps on day three in Perth at 84-2, building their lead to 300 after bowling out the visitors on the cusp of tea for 271 in reply to their first innings of 487.
Veteran spinner Lyon was the best of the bowlers with 3-66, but he was made to wait to reach a milestone that would put him in elite company alongside just seven other players.
At the close, Khawaja was on 34 and Smith 43 as Pakistan’s hopes of a first Test win in Australia since 1995 faded.
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“A 300 lead now and we’ve got Travis (Head) and Mitch (Marsh) coming in next and things can tick along pretty quickly with those two,” said Australian pace spearhead Josh Hazlewood, who pointed to a declaration on Sunday.
“For me, probably the general idea would be halfway through the day tomorrow (to declare), could be earlier or later but that will be the rough guide.”
The home side had a shaky start with first-innings century-maker David Warner out for a duck.
The 37-year-old, fresh from his defiant 164, mistimed a pull shot from Khurram Shahzad and lobbed to Imam-ul-Haq at mid-wicket.
Marnus Labuschagne also surrendered cheaply on a pitch offering uneven bounce, out for two with Shahzad again the tormentor, tempting a big edge taken by wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed.
He took a nasty blow to the hand shortly beforehand and was due to have a scan.
It left Australia tottering at 2-5. But Khawaja and Smith steadied the ship with an unbeaten 79-run partnership heading into day four.
Pakistan resumed on 132-2, but they were no match for Australia’s top-class attack.
“Getting used to the pace and bounce of this wicket was a little bit hard,” said Pakistan batting coach Adam Hollioake.
“And obviously the Australian bowling attack is arguably one of the best we’ve seen in recent history. We’re still getting used to the Australian pitches, but I think we’ve learned.”
Stoic opener Haq began on 38 and nightwatchman Shahzad on seven.
Shahzad, on his debut, lasted just two balls before Pat Cummins took out his middle stump in the first over.
That brought dangerman Babar Azam to the crease in his 50th Test, tentatively facing 13 balls before getting off the mark with a cover drive to the ropes off Cummins.
Biding his time against a seam attack finding bounce and speed on a pitch baked by the sun, he struck another in Cummins’ next over to ensure the scoreboard ticked over.
At the other end, Haq continued chipping away and brought up a ninth Test 50, and his first in Australia, off a glacial 161 balls with a single off Lyon.
But the runs were hard to come by and when Marsh was introduced, he immediately removed Azam for 21, with the former captain edging to wicketkeeper Alex Carey.
It sparked a mini-collapse, with Haq stumped for 62 when Lyon was brought back into the attack, charging down the wicket with Carey whipping off the bails.
Sarfaraz Ahmed lasted just six balls, having no answer to Mitchell Starc’s swinging delivery that sent the stumps flying.
Australia took the new ball after lunch and Hazlewood produced a quality bouncer that Saud Shakeel tried to fend off but lobbed to Warner at slip.
He departed for 28 and Faheem Ashraf followed for nine, caught low by Khawaja.
Lyon returned to take his 499th wicket, with another stumping from Carey accounting for Aamer Jamal, before Head’s part-time spin took care of Shaheen Shah Afridi.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – AFP)
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