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Tea Pakistan 43 for 0 trail Australia 487 (Warner 164, Marsh 90, Jamal 6-111) by 444 runs
Openers Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq weathered Australia’s formidable attack in the second session of day two as Pakistan made a resolute start to their first innings in the series-opener at Optus Stadium.
After spending 113.2 overs in the field, Shafique and Imam were watchful but made it through to tea unscathed having got through 20 overs.
New captain Shan Masood had promised a continuation of Pakistan’s proactive batting approach from their successful tour of Sri Lanka in July. But Shafique and Imam, who made 9 from 49 balls, stonewalled against Australia’s trio of accurate quicks focusing on a dangerous short of a length.
Left-arm quick Mitchell Starc immediately nudged 145kph in a speed considerably higher than any Pakistan paceman.
Imam was intent on defending and he made just two runs off his first 31 deliveries faced. Shafique was more assertive in comparison, but also dug in to provide some much needed hope for the under-pressure tourists.
The pitch was playing well with deliveries not sharply rearing like on day one. But there was enough movement to excite Australia’s quicks, while offspinner Nathan Lyon conjured bounce and turn in his comeback from a calf injury that cut short his Ashes campaign.
After entering the attack in the 10th over, he almost removed Shafique with his second delivery after an edge flew past Steven Smith at slip. Shafique soon settled and used his feet superbly to smash Lyon for a boundary down the ground.
Lyon is just four away from 500 Test wickets and will fancy his chances of reaching the milestone in due time having taken 22 wickets from three previous Tests on the pace-friendly ground.
Australia were bowled out shortly after lunch for 487 in their first innings as allrounder Mitchell Marsh missed out on his fourth Test century. He was clean bowled on 90 by seamer Khurram Shahzad on the first delivery after the resumption.
Fellow debutant quick Aamer Jamal ripped through the tail to finish with 6 for 111 from 20.2 overs in the sixth-best figures for a Pakistan player on debut.
Marsh took charge of the first session and relished playing his first Test match at Optus Stadium having dominated on his home ground for Perth Scorchers in the BBL. He also justified the faith of selectors who stuck with him over Western Australia team-mate Cameron Green.
With Australia resuming at 346 for 5, after David Warner’s century dominated day one, Marsh unfurled his muscular batting with powerful strokes around the wicket as raced to his half-century off 66 balls.
He took a liking to innocuous short-pitched deliveries that were being served up by an uninspiring Pakistan attack. Pakistan’s goal of bowling Australia out an hour into the day’s play quickly eroded as their bowling became more ragged.
Spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi was unable to consistently threaten with the second new ball, while Shahzad could not replicate his energetic performance from day one where he hit the mid-130kph mark. He bowled considerably slower at the start of day two and his pedestrian pace was easily handled by Marsh.
It was left to Jamal to provide a much-needed spark for Pakistan after he entered the attack on the stroke of the drinks break. He unleashed hostile bowling, nudging 140kph, and produced spectacular deliveries to knock over Alex Carey and Starc.
Jamal resorted to a short-pitched line, with fielders spread around the boundary, against Marsh who resisted the bait and made it through to lunch. His dismissal on resumption proved a disappointment for local fans who had settled in expecting their hometown hero to reach his ton.
Instead they watched a more resilient performance from Pakistan in the second session.
Tristan Lavalette is a journalist based in Perth
