ZCZC
BSP-27
CRICKET-AUS-PAK
Australia skittle Pakistan to seize control at the Gabba
BRISBANE, Australia, Nov 21, 2019 (AFP) – Australia seized the advantage
on the opening day of the first Test when they bowled Pakistan out for 240
just before stumps at the Gabba in Brisbane on Thursday.
After the visitors resisted stubbornly in the first session, reaching 57
for no wicket at lunch, pace trio Mitchell Starc (4-52), Josh Hazlewood (2-
46) and Pat Cummins (3-60) tore through the Pakistan batting order to put the
hosts in charge at the close of play.
Australia seized the initiative after lunch when they took five wickets
for just 19 runs, reducing Pakistan from 75 for none to 94 for five.
The pacemen then struck again late in the day, with 16-year-old debutant
Naseem Shah just squeezing out Starc’s hat-trick ball.
“It was quite a welcome to Test cricket wasn’t it?” Hazlewood said.
Hazlewood said the fast bowlers had enjoyed the extra bounce at the Gabba.
“The way we fought back in the second session was perfect,” he said.
“We probably bowled too short in the first session, but we got better as
the day went on. It was a pretty good comeback I thought.”
Pakistan were rescued from complete disaster by Asad Shafiq who played a
lone hand, scoring 76 well-made runs.
Shafiq came to the crease with his side 75 for two, then saw Haris Sohail
(1) and Baba Azar (1) fall for the addition of only two runs.
But good partnerships of 49 between Shafiq and Mohammed Rizwan, who made
37, and then 84 with Yasir Shah (26) enabled the visitors to achieve a
respectable score.
“I knew that if we could build a good partnership it could help the team,”
Shafiq said.
“We didn’t reach the total we wanted but still we got a respectable total
and with the bowling unit we’ve got, we will put up a very good fight.”
– No-ball controversy –
Rizwan, who was counter-attacking fearlessly, fell controversially with
Cummins appearing to have just overstepped the mark, only for TV umpire
Michael Gough to give the benefit of the doubt to the bowler.
Yasir batted bravely but when the Australians took the second new ball,
Pakistan’s resistance was all but over.
The visitors had frustrated the Australian pace attack in the first
session, going into lunch at 57-0 with openers Azhar Ali and Shan Masood
unbeaten on 28 and 21 respectively.
The pair began to open up after the break with some sparkling attacking
shots, but Hazlewood and Cummins at last found their length and began to turn
the screws.
The pressure began to tell and with the score on 75 Masood waved at a
Cummins delivery outside off stump and edged to Steve Smith at second slip.
Azhar went the next ball when he edged Hazlewood to Joe Burns at first
slip, before Sohail and Azam both fell to poor shots.
When Nathan Lyon had Iftikhar Ahmed caught at bat-pad for seven, Pakistan
were reeling at 94 for five before Shafiq and Rizwan steadied the ship in the
half-hour before tea.
Pakistan earlier won the toss and chose to bat on a hot and humid morning
in Brisbane.
Azhar and Masood began cautiously against the Australian pace duo of Starc
and Hazlewood, who bowled quickly without really troubling the Pakistan
openers.
The visitors crawled to 33 at the first drinks break and took almost two
hours to reach 50, bringing up the half-century opening stand with a Masood
boundary through square leg in the penultimate over before lunch.
BSS/AFP/BZC/2025HRS