PAKISTAN IN AUSTRALIA
Australia strike after Younis-Azhar stand
by Cricbuzz Staff •
Younis Khan fell trying to play a reverse sweep. © Getty
Australia took a definite step towards taking a 1-0 series lead after their bowlers' discipline accounted for three Pakistan wickets in the second session on Day 4 of the first Test at the Gabba in Brisbane on Sunday (December 18). Mitchell Starc struck the crucial blow by ending a 91-run stand between Azhar Ali and Younis Khan before Jackson Bird and Nathan Lyon got among the wickets to leave the visitors five down for 203, still 287 adrift of an improbable victory.
In a session that saw as many as two small rain delays, Australia stuck to their fast bowling guns, Starc and Hazlewood, as they searched for a way past the dogged pair of Younis and Azhar. As has been his wont in the game, Starc began the session with a series of harmless short deliveries. Harmless because they conveniently flew over the batsmen's head without eliciting any defensive reaction. Success was immediate when he got his radar right.
Azhar's stoic effort came to an end when he was forced to fend at a Starc bouncer. The ball took the shoulder of the bat on its way to keeper Matthew Wade, ending a heroic 179-ball effort.
Younis, now having to single-handedly shoulder the responsibility of extending Pakistan's innings, battled his way to his 32nd Test match half-century even as captain Misbah-ul-Haq tried to find his feet on the Brisbane surface. Jackson Bird then had Misbah caught behind for a 34-ball 5, as the Pakistani skipper pushed at a length delivery outside off-stump.
The loss of the captain appeared to break Younis's resistance as he attempted another of his audacious reverse sweeps - this time the ball ballooning of his top edge to offer Smith a simple catch at first slip. Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed added 30 breezy runs at the end of the session but Pakistan will now have to contend with the second new ball under the Brisbane lights and have only five wickets to do so.
Earlier in the day, Azhar and Younis led Pakistan's fight by ensuring the visitors lost no wickets as they looked to save or maybe even secure an improbable victory in their chase of 490. Azhar completed his 24th Test match half-century off 146 balls while Younis overcame early jitters before dark clouds and a drizzle forced players to take early Tea.
Younis got off the mark with the first ball he faced in the morning - the 20th off his innings - with a streaky push through the slip cordon. The veteran batsman was peppered with a fair share of short deliveries from the seamers but neither batsmen showed any signs of budging. Azhar even copped a blow to the side of his head from a Josh Hazlewood bouncer but picked himself up to battle on.
As the session progressed and bowling changes had to be enforced, runs began to arrive at a healthy clip. Azhar preferred to play with a straight bat while Younis, despite a couple of edges not carrying to the anticipating slip cordon, soldiered on. The duo batted 326 deliveries together but Pakistan needed much, much more to dream of victory.
Brief Scores: Australia 429 & 202/5 decl. (Usman Khawaja 74, Steve Smith 63; Rahat Ali 2-40) lead Pakistan 142 & 203/5 (Azhar Ali 71, Younis Khan 65; Nathan Lyon 2-46) by 287 runs.
© Cricbuzz
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