Usman Khawaja falls for 160, Australia 407-7 at tea in second Test against Pakistan

 

KARACHI, MAR 13: Usman Khawaja fell after a marathon 160 as Australia lost three wickets in the second session to be 407 for seven at tea on day two of the second Test against Pakistan on Sunday.

Islamabad-born Khawaja added 33 runs to his overnight 127 to depart after a fine knock that included 15 boundaries and a six.

Alex Carey was batting on 26 at the tea break with Mitchell Starc giving company on one.

Earlier, after Australia resumed on 251-3, Shaheen Afridi subjected Nathan Lyon to a bouncer barrage but the nightwatchman did not flinch and kept pulling occasionally finding the boundary much to Pakistan’s chagrin.

Lyon hit five boundaries in an entertaining 38 before he had his stumps rearranged by a Faheem Ashraf express delivery.

Lyon put on 54 runs with Khawaja and left having played the pesky nightwatchman’s role to perfection.

Khawaja had shelved the reverse sweep on Saturday but Pakistan were convinced they had him caught in the slips on Sunday when the opener attempted the shot against Nauman Ali.

However, replays ruled out any ball-bat contact and Pakistan lost a review.

Khawaja duly brought up his 150 but could not better his highest score of 174 as Sajid Khan dealt a double blow.

The off-spinner first trapped Travis Head lbw for 23 and then spun one past Khawaja’s bat to hit the off-stump.

Cameron Green, who was not even born when Australia last toured Pakistan in 1998, made 28 before Nauman confounded him with a sharp-turning ball that pitched outside leg stump and went on to hit the off.

Australia’s first test in Pakistan since 1998 ended in a draw in Rawalpindi where the pitch was rated as below average by the ICC.

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Courtesy Dawn News

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Usman Khawaja hundred leads Australia to 251-3 in second Test against Pakistan

 

KARACHI, MAR 12: Usman Khawaja smashed his 11th Test hundred and forged a 159-run partnership with Steve Smith to power Australia to 251 for three on the opening day of the second Test against Pakistan on Saturday.

Islamabad-born Khawaja had fallen agonisingly short of a hundred in the opening Test in Rawalpindi where he top-scored for his side with a breezy 97.

The elegant left-hander made amends in Karachi where he shelved the reverse sweep and made an unbeaten 127, which included 13 fours and a six.

Smith made 72 before falling to Hasan Ali in the penultimate over of the day.

Nightwatchman Nathan Lyon had yet to open his account.

Earlier, Australia got off to a strong start after Pat Cummins elected to bat on a dry surface at the National Stadium which offered reverse swing as early as in the second session.

Khawaja looked in sublime touch and scored freely on the leg-side after being fed regularly on his pad.

His opening partner David Warner was less convincing, though, surviving a couple of LBW appeals and getting hit on his shoulder by a short delivery from Hasan.

Warner hit Sajid Khan for a six to bring up Australia’s 50 in the 11th over.

Sajid conceded two more sixes in his fourth over, prompting Pakistan captain Babar Azam to take the spinner out of the attack.

Seamer Faheem Ashraf broke the 82-run opening stand with a back of a length delivery that Warner, who made 36, could only edge to M Rizwan behind the stumps.

Pakistan tasted a second success soon afterwards when Sajid ran out Marnus Labuschagne for a duck with a direct throw from mid-off.

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Courtesy Dawn News

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Pakistan declare at 476-4 in first Test against Australia

 

RAWALPINDI, MAR 5: Pakistan declared their first innings at 476-4 on Saturday in the first Test against Australia after brilliant hundreds from Azhar Ali and Imamul Haq on the second day in Rawalpindi.

Ali scored 185 and Haq 157 as Australia toiled hard after Pakistan won the toss and batted on a flat, batting-friendly Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium pitch.

The 37-year-old lofted spinner Nathan Lyon for his eighth boundary towards mid-wicket to complete his 19th hundred in his 92nd Test.

With that, Pakistan reached 312 without losing another wicket after starting the day on 245 for one.

He has been Pakistan’s mainstay in the Test batting line-up since making his debut in 2010, and boasts a triple hundred against the West Indies — the first since day-night Tests were introduced.

Haq was the slowest of the Pakistan pair on Saturday morning, adding just six runs in the first hour and not hitting a boundary until the 90th minute.

Haq was lucky to survive a caught-behind appeal on 143 off Lyon the Australians didn’t challenge when replays showed it hit the bat.

Meanwhile, Skipper Babar Azam made 36 while Mohammad Rizwan (29) and Iftikhar Ahmed (13) remained not out.

For Australia, Pat Cummins, Lyon and Marnus Labuchagne took a wicket apiece while Azam was run out.

Earlier today, the Australian and Pakistan teams paid tribute to legendary spinner Shane Warne with a minute’s silence as play resumed.

“It’s a sad way to start the day,” the television commentator said as players wore black armbands to pay homage to Warne, who died of a heart attack in Thailand on Friday.

The handful of early-morning spectators in the stands also stood in respect.

The Australians were playing in Pakistan for the first time since 1998, having declined to tour previously because of security issues.

Warne was widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all time — a larger-than-life character whose tally of 708 Test wickets has been surpassed only by fellow spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.

His death is a double blow for Australia after another cricketing great, Rod Marsh, also died on Friday after suffering a heart attack.

Cummins admitted the team was shaken.

“Yeah, these are really tough times with, you know, both Rod and Shane gone,” the Australian skipper told the host broadcaster ahead of the day’s play.

“I just encourage everyone to talk about it.”

Cummins said Warne was popular around the world.

“You know, his showmanship and all those things that he brought to Australian cricket are probably my longer-lasting memories.

“I think playing across the world, you realise just it wasn’t only Aussies that felt that it was … in all corners.”

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Courtesy Dawn News

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Pakistan in strong start against Australia in 1st Test

 

RAWALPINDI, MAR 4: Opener Imamul Haq cracked a maiden Test century Friday to lead Pakistan’s solid start in the first match of the series against Australia in Rawalpindi.

The 26-year-old left-hander struck Australian paceman Mitchell Starc through the covers to the boundary to reach three figures in the final session of play on the opening day after Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat.

Haq reached his hundred in 277 minutes off 220 balls, hitting 13 boundaries and two sixes as a near-capacity 12,000 fans erupted with joy at his achievement.

Pakistan were 192-1 with Haq’s opening partner Abdullah Shafique (44) the only man out. The duo put on 105 for the opening wicket.

Azhar Ali and Imam combined in an unbroken stand of 66 runs in the second session as Australia tried all its bowling resources, including part-time spinners Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne without success after Pakistan resumed after lunch on 105-1.

Australia seemed to have erred in their selection as they went into the Test — their first in Pakistan in 24 years — with three pacers, a fast-bowling all-rounder and a lone spinner in Lyon.

In contrast, Pakistan included two spinners, a part-time slow bowler and two frontline pacers.

Australia’s pace bowlers did not take a wicket in the first session, and Lyon was brought in to bowl in the eighth over.

Lyon, who so far has figures of 1-36, turned his first ball sharply and beat the bat for an unsuccessful caught behind appeal off the fourth.

Shafique hit a six in the spinner’s third over, but the very next ball Lyon induced an edge to leg-slip — only to see Travis Head drop a sharp chance with the batsman on 21.

Haq, playing his first Test since December 2019, was solid as he hooked Cummins for his eighth boundary to complete his third 50 in 12 Tests.

Haq, nephew of former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, started his Test career with a match-winning knock of 74 against Ireland in Dublin in 2016. His previous highest Test knock, of 76, came against Australia in Dubai in October 2018. This is his 12th Test.

Historic moment

Before the start of the match, Pakistan Cricket Board Chief Executive Officer Faisal Hasnain said the start of the first is a historic moment in Pakistan’s cricket history, adding that it sends a powerful message to the rest of the world.

“The pitch looks nice so we’ll try to put runs on the board,” Pakistan captain Babar Azam said, predicting spinners would play a key role in the first match of the three-Test series.

Australia players wore black armbands in memory of former wicketkeeper Rod Marsh who died aged 74 on Friday.

A sell-out crowd of 16,000 is expected.

The second Test is in Karachi (March 12-16) and the third in Lahore (March 21-25).

Teams:

Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah.

Australia: Pat Cummins (captain), Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner.

Umpires: Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza

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Courtesy Dawn News

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Unfamiliar conditions, unpredictable talent await Australia in first Test against Pakistan since 1998

 

RAWALPINDI, MAR 2: Ashes-winning Australia will face unfamiliar conditions, heavy security and unpredictable, but talented, opponents when they begin their first Test in Pakistan for 24 years on Friday.

Having landed in Islamabad just three days ago to be immediately engulfed in “head of state-level security”, the Australians have had little time to acclimatise to conditions in Rawalpindi, where the first Test will be played.

But they may like what they see as they practise, with a pitch often more conducive to seam bowling than the more typical spinners' wickets more usually found across Pakistan.

In three Tests played in Rawalpindi since Pakistan were allowed to host matches again in 2019, 10 years on from the fatal terror attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore, fast bowlers have snapped up 52 wickets with spinners only bagging 21.

Australia captain Pat Cummins, fresh from leading his side to a 4-0 Ashes drubbing of England in his first series in charge, admitted it would be all new to his players.

“You know most international players — and conditions — but this series comes with a few more unknowns than perhaps normally, so it's going to be interesting and challenging,” said Cummins.

“I have a big belief in making sure our own game is in order. We must think that we are in great form since the Ashes and look at that, rather than on the opposition.”

The Australian will not have encountered some of Pakistan's players before.

Spinners Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan have come in to replace leg-spinner Yasir Shah and fast bowler Mohammad Abbas, who both starred in Pakistan's 1-0 win over Australia in the United Arab Emirates in 2018.

“I think the one thing with the Pakistan team is that they have some young guys who come and shine straight away so it's a new challenge,” said Cummins.

Teen sensation

Australia have not won an away Test series since their tour of New Zealand in 2016, but have an experienced line-up capable of adapting to conditions.

Opener David Warner and the prolific Steve Smith have scored 15,368 runs between them in 173 Tests, more than the Pakistan top seven batsmen's combined 13,120.

They also have the top-ranked Test batsman Marnus Labuschagne plus the in-form duo of Pakistan-born Usman Khawaja and Travis Head, who both plundered two centuries in the Ashes.

Cummins leads a world-class pace attack alongside left-armer Mitchell Starc and the fit-again Josh Hazlewood.

They are complemented by Australia's greatest off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who passed 400 Test wickets in the Ashes and has taken 95 of those in Asia.

Pakistan's batting will heavily rely on the talented trio of veteran Azhar Ali, skipper Babar Azam and in-form Mohammad Rizwan.

But their opening pair of Abdullah Shafique, who has played two Tests, with either Shan Masood or Imam-ul-Haq, looks vulnerable.

Pakistan will miss the injured duo of pace bowler Hasan Ali and fast-bowling all-rounder Faheem Ashraf, while another quick Haris Rauf has tested positive for Covid.

It means teen sensation Naseem Shah — who became the youngest bowler to take a hat-trick at 16 years and 359 days at the same venue against Bangladesh two years ago — will share new ball duties with Shaheen Shah Afridi.

With Covid cases on the wane, the ground will be full to capacity with fervent home support — the first three days are sold out.

“It's the first Test between the two countries in 20-odd years, so it's a special moment and we as players feel privileged to be part and I hope that fans come and make noise,” said Cummins.

The second Test is in Karachi beginning on March 12 and the and third in Lahore from March 21.

Pakistan squad: (from) Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Wasim Junior, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Zahid Mahmood, Naseem Shah

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (captain), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Mark Steketee, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner

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Courtesy Dawn News

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