After Australia took control of the first Test match against Pakistan in Perth, Nathan Lyon is likely to claim 500 Test wickets on Sunday.
On the third day of the first-round series at Perth Stadium, the hosts were 2-84 at stumps, 300 runs down. Only Steve Smith (43*), vice captain, and Usman Khawaja (34*) were unbeaten overnight. Australia’s undefeated third-wicket partnership of 79 runs put them in control at stumps after Pakistan’s rookie Khurram Shahzad dismissed David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne for a pittance, giving the tourists hope for an unexpected recovery.
Smith and Labuschagne’s fieldside medical attention after violent hand and arm strikes will worry the Australians. Before Sunday morning’s game, Labuschagne’s right little finger will be scanned. Smith minimized his injury.
Pat Cummins, the Australian captain, decided not to follow-on after Nathan Lyon took three wickets and Pakistan was eliminated for 271. The experienced off-spinner may exceed 499 Test wickets in the second innings.
Pakistan started the third day at 2-132, and Travis Head failed to dismiss nightwatcher Khurram Shahzad. After bowling a few deliveries, Cummins dismissed the youngster without adding to his nightly total.
Imam-ul-Huq became the first player to get fifty runs in sixteen1 deliveries after a thrilling battle between Cummins and Babar Azam, who escaped being put back for six runs.
At a time when Australia was suffering, hometown hero Mitchell Marsh struck with his seventh delivery of the morning, twisting the ball away from Azam and kissing his outside edge. A pout by Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey dismissed Pakistan’s most threatening player for twenty-one runs.
Pakistan’s batting attack collapsed to 7-90 when Azam went, with the other batters barely trying.
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Carey knocked down Imam for 62 after he stormed down Lyon deck 15 minutes before lunch. Mitchell Starc’s renowned inswinger broke through Sarfaraz Ahmed’s defenses and uprooted his off stump for three runs.
The Kookaburra’s uneven bounce prevented Starc from controlling Australia’s second new ball early in the afternoon. Delicately, Josh Hazlewood handled the cherry. An accurate bouncer hit the glove and sailed straight to Warner at first slip to dismiss Saud Shakeel for 28.
All-rounder Salman Ali Agha overturned Cummins’ LBW ruling when Hawkeye suggested a missing leg stump. The Australian skipper dismissed Faheem Ashraf for nine runs with Khawaja’s low catch at mid-wicket. After several minutes of side-on replay review by third umpire Michael Gough, Nathan Lyon rallied. They quickly removed debutant Aamir Jamal, stumped by a millimeter.
Perth fans cheered the tweaker on for his 499th Test wicket. Australian supporters must wait till Lyon collects their 500th wicket after part-time player Travis Head grabbed Shaheen Shah Afridi’s final wicket to ruin the party.
“Travis told Nathan Lyon that when they replay your 500th wicket, you want a good wicket up top,” Hazlewood said at the post-match press conference.
Australia’s second inning started poorly, as youngster Shahzad dismissed Warner and Labuschagne. Both players got caught in the ring and fell virtually identically after top-edging a pull shot for 0 or 2.
Afridi’s wild pitch bounces hit Smith twice in the arm during his second stint in the penultimate hour.
“Anyone who walks out there and bats is pretty brave,” Hazlewood added, calling Smith “incredibly brave.”
“That might be a play in the second inning with the up and down movement.”
Late in the evening, Imam misjudged Smith’s chance to catch a deep, fine leg on the boundary rope, giving the New South Walesman a significant reprieve on 34.
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