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Australia 6 for 0 trail Pakistan 313 (Rizwan 88, Jamal 82, Salman 53, Cummins 5-61, Starc 2-75) by 307 runs
Warner hit offspinner Sajid Khan for a four through covers first ball but had an anxious moment when he almost played the ball onto his stumps as Australia went into stumps at 6 for 0 still trailing Pakistan by 307 runs.
Earlier, Pakistan had seemingly failed to make the most of winning an important toss from captain Shan Masood in favourable conditions as they crashed to 47 for 4.
Pakistan’s hopes of a competitive total had seemingly nosedived when Rizwan holed out on 88 just before tea as they succumbed to a short-ball tactic perfectly executed by Cummins and Mitchell Starc. Cummins removed an impatient Sajid, who fell into the trap and hit straight to forward square.
Salman had defied the barrage of short deliveries to reach his second straight half-century before tamely falling to Starc, as Cummins claimed Hasan Ali for a duck and finished with 5 for 61 off 18 overs.
Babar was feeling confident on a sedate surface but confronted Cummins who had dismissed him twice in brilliant fashion in Perth and Melbourne. Cummins added a third when a hooping inswinger trapped Babar, who initially survived before the DRS overturned the decision after ball tracking confirmed the ball was hitting the leg stump.
Cummins added another after drinks when he had struggling No. 5 Saud Shakeel caught behind in a poor dismissal to leave Pakistan in disarray. But Rizwan belted 76 off 72 balls in the second session making his non-selection in the opening Test of the series even more puzzling. He received good support from Salman in a 94-run partnership off 101 balls
With Pakistan wobbling at 75 for 4, Rizwan continued where he left off before lunch as he targeted backward point and scored runs quickly. But Masood was unable to bat proactively as his preference given his team’s predicament. He had been watchful against offspinner Nathan Lyon, who he had numerously charged at in Melbourne, but his bid to play the long haul seemingly ended on 32 when he edged Marsh straight to second slip.
But Marsh’s celebrations were halted when he was found to have delivered a no-ball. Masood could not make him pay and fell almost in the exact same manner shortly after, with Marsh relieved when it was confirmed that he hadn’t overstepped again.
Rizwan had appeared set to become Pakistan’s first centurion of the series, but Australia reverted to short bowling and the tourists crumbled until Jamal and Hamza turned the innings on its head.
Despite the increasingly gloomy conditions, no rain fell on the opening day in a relief with the traditional New Year’s Test severely impacted by bad weather in recent years. But rain and thunderstorms are expected late on day two as Warner takes centre stage.