Key events
57th over: Pakistan 133-3 (Imam-ul-Haq 39, Babar 0) Starc to Imam-ul-Haq who is happy to imitate a wall, getting his front foot down and eyes over the ball. Although his stoicism has been admirable and the occasional attacking shot has caught the eyes, his abysmal running between wickets has been the most entertaining part of his game so far. Four times he’s been involved in vaudevillian mix-ups in the middle. Each time Pakistan survived but it’s clearly heridatary as his uncle Inzamam was equally woeful on the toe. Maybe that’s why Imam doesn’t trust his legs anymore, hence a maiden to Starc.
56th over: Pakistan 133-3 (Imam-ul-Haq 39, Babar 0) Cummins comes again, this time to Babar Azam a true warrior for Pakistan cricket. His 49 Tests so far have yielded nine centuries and 26 fifties for an excellent average of 47.7. He is watchful to Cumkins though who is whistling them down at 136kph and working the corridor of uncertainty outside offstump. Pakistan trail by 354 and this partnership represents the last of the Big Five. Cummins bowls a maiden.
55th over: Pakistan 133-3 (Imam-ul-Haq 39, Babar 0) What a statement over that was from Pat Cummins – pressure from the get-go (a run-out narrowly missed by Travis Head), power in spades (sowing the seeds of doubt in Shahzad with a magnificent outswinger past the edge) and finally precision (and he obliterates the timberwork). The skipper’s golden season just gets better. It’s Imam-ul-Haq facing up to Starc now. Loose yesterday and struggling with his final stride, Starc will be desperate to have an impact today, with Boxing Day Test hero Scott Boland waiting in the wings.
WICKET! Shahzad b Cummins 9 (Pakistan 133-3)
What a chaotic start for Pakistan – almost a run-out on the first ball, almost an edge on the second and finally, mercifully, Cummins smashes Shazad’s stumps with the third ball of the day. What a three card trick that was!
54th over: Pakistan 133-3 (Imam-ul-Haq 39, Babar 0) Almost a run-out first ball! Cummins whistles the next one past the outside edge of nightwatchman Shahzad. And then he goes one better, destroying Shahzad’s stumps with his third ball! That brings Babar Azam to the crease, a world-class batter who will need to draw on every iota of skill and courage if he’s to save this Test for Pakistan.
Both Australian openers have harvested plenty of headlines over the course of their long careers – Warner and Khawaja have been playing cricket together since they were six-year-olds in the Sydney suburbs) – and that continued in the lead-up this Test, albeit for very different reasons.
Here’s Daniel Gallan on that most princely (and principled) of opening bats Usman Tariq Khawaja…
And there’s plenty happening off-field too. Here’s the Guardian’s Barney Ronay with a wonderful take on the duality of David ‘The Bull’ Warner
For those who came in late, here’s a wrap of Day Two
Preamble
Hello cricket fans and welcome to Day Three of the first Test between Australia and Pakistan at Perth Stadium. Angus Fontaine here with you to rattle through the early hours of play with Geoff Lemon to bring you home.
This series got exactly what it needed on Day 2 as Pakistan fought back with ball and bat. After starting the day at 346-5 courtesy of David Warner’s 164 on Thursday, Pakistan were on their knees at lunch. Hometown hero Mitchell Marsh was 90 not out and flaying the bowlers to all ends of the ground as Australia hurtled to a total beyond 500.
Instead, Pakistan blew Marsh’s stumps to smithereens with the first ball after lunch and rapidly wrapped up the tail, with Aamer Jamal’s six wicket haul marking the first five wicket haul on debut by a visiting bowler in Australia since 1967. Pakistan’s batsman then dug in and withstood an onslaught of fast, aggressive bowling from the world’s best attack, with openers Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq combining for a slow yet stoic 74-run opening stand.
Shafique fell first, chipping Nathan Lyon to Warner at slip for 42. Pakistan skipper Shan Masood then upped the tempo of the game, breaking the drought of runs with a rapidfire 30 designed to inspire his team and take the game to the home side. It worked beautifuly until Mitchell Starc picked him up 13 minutes before stumps to leave the visitors 132-2.
With the Perth pitch starting to hiss and spit, Day Three shapes as a beauty. Australia’s pace attack will be ripping in, hoping to redeem some wayward bowling yesterday and Nathan Lyon needs just three wickets to join Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath as Australians to have cracked the 500 barrier.
Pakistan will draw strength from their courage yesterday. They have the brilliant Babar Azam to bat next and he has performed against Australia before. Can they do it? Or will they crumble in the Perth heat to let Pat Cummins’ worldbeaters bat (and batter) them into submission?
Batten ‘em down and buckle ‘em up. We’re about to find out…