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Honours even as Australia ends a rain-affected Day 1 of the 2nd Test at 187/3

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jnaveen1980 said:
This is a defensive move as some suggested here rather than offensive move. THey did not want a blow out scenario hence opted to bowl rather than trying to run through Aussies. Speeds at the start of the innings was indicative of that. They were not bending their back to win the first session big. Terry o keefe has mentioned in an article how Australia is very keen on winning first two sessions of a Test. That is their standard template.
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These are their speeds in Test cricket currently and they bowled a similar pace in the last match as well. They are not capable of bowling much quicker.

Issue is PAK are not good enough to take advantage of either batting or bowling conditions. 2.x degrees of swing is massive. A better bowling attack would have had OZ at 5/6 down.
 
Eng would have tried to bazball their way here and miserably failed. Indian seniors are useless, past their prime, Kiwis too are past their prime. Other sides don't have the quality.

Even when out of form, in difficult batting conditions, Aussies are showing tremendous application and patience. Most well rounded batting side right now. They will win this WTC as well.
 
MCG is a nightmare for the fielders. Since ball doesn't race to side boundaries easily you will be forced to chase all the way every single time.
 
This is why Warner's wicket is important for Pakistan. If he had stayed a little longer scoreboard would have been different.
 
Smith has had a career of hardly 10 years and decline started. This is why it makes no sense to compare him with Sobers, Viv, Sachin, Lara, Kallis etc who had 20-25 year long careers at the top.
 
Swashbuckler said:
Legacy defining series for Shaheen, so far yet to impress. Imran and Wasim gave Aussies plenty of nightmares in their pomp, the two greatest Pak quicks of all time. Waqar couldn't but he was limited by his height, Shaheen has all the tools to succeed.
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Relax man. He is only 23.
Bowled much better today with absolutely zero luck.
 
Swashbuckler said:
Smith has had a career of hardly 10 years and decline started. This is why it makes no sense to compare him with Sobers, Viv, Sachin, Lara, Kallis etc who had 20-25 year long careers at the top.
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He played a lot of tests when he was at his peak. Tendulkar probably played the least number of tests when he was at his peak.
 
Good spell by Jamal. I quite like the guy. Saw his interview during the Perth test. Dude took a loan to buy a taxi and earn money. Went to the NSW leagues and boarded with another player and mentioned his thanks to the hosts during his interview. Imagine the number of people who must have told him to give it up, he soldiered on and is now realizing his dream. Is pacy, this spell is really top class, has the fire and the spirit...fantastic to watch...
 
jnaveen1980 said:
He played a lot of tests when he was at his peak. Tendulkar probably played the least number of tests when he was at his peak.
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India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka were content playing 3-4 tests per year in the 90s. And instead filled with mindless ODI tri series in Sharjah, Toronto etc. No wonder guys like Sachin, Sanath, Afridi have 400-500 ODIs, unimaginable today.
 
Pakistan need to bowled out Australia around 300 to remain in the game .
 
Even India match had a few rain interruption. After one such interruption Starc was swinging the ball crazy.
 
Swashbuckler said:
India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka were content playing 3-4 tests per year in the 90s. And instead filled with mindless ODI tri series in Sharjah, Toronto etc. No wonder guys like Sachin, Sanath, Afridi have 400-500 ODIs, unimaginable today.
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And now they have T20 to gamble with. But atleast India is playing decent amount of tests now a days
 
adi_62941 said:
And now they have T20 to gamble with. But atleast India is playing decent amount of tests now a days
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BCCI improved in this regard after 2000, yes.

PCB, SCB have almost given up on tests and ODIs now.
 
Australia will be happy with anything over 350 from current position. But given the way Shan masood uses his bowlers seamers will get tired soon. He should use a spinner from one end and rotate seamers at the other end. Otherwise by the time they come to bowl in the 2nd dig they will be thrashed around.
 
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Aussie batters dig deep on challenging day

The home side's batters all made starts as Pakistan were left to rue a wasteful start in favourable conditions.

On a damp Melbourne day that saw almost a session lost to rain and bowlers revel in conditions that more closely resembled English summer, Australia can feel satisfied if not comfortable with a stumps scoreline of 3-187.

Whether or not that position can translate into one from which they can push for a series victory in the second NRMA Insurance Test rests heavily with unbeaten pair Marnus Labuschagne (44no off 120 balls faced) and Travis Head (10no).

Labuschagne survived almost three hours at the crease, plus the mid-afternoon rain break that cost around 90 minutes of playing time, to end the day in sight of a hard-earned half-century.

He was a watchful 14 not out from 47 balls faced when the downpour hit an hour after lunch, and withstood some quality seam bowling throughout his stay that did not yield a boundary until the 76th delivery he faced.

He added another when he belatedly decided to pull out of a shot against a short ball from Shaheen Shah Afridi that clipped the edge of his bat and soared above the keeper, and he then survived a hopeful lbw review (on 35) which was shown to be comprehensively missing leg stump.

But having endured a lean trot by his own exacting standards, during which he had failed to reach 20 in the four previous Test innings after his match-saving 111 in the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford, Labuschagne again showed he is the man for tough conditions.

The battle faced by batters could be seen on a score sheet that showed all of Australia's top-order made starts – David Warner (38), Usman Khawaja (42) and Steve Smith (26) – with none able to push on to a half-century.

If Australia is to take solace into day two when the rain is forecast to be reduced to occasional showers, it comes from knowing their position might have been significantly more fraught had Pakistan's bowlers been on target from the day's outset.

The challenge they posed when they got it right after lunch could be seen by the difficulties faced by two of the foremost runs scorers in the modern Test game.

Prior to the first rain break, Smith and Labuschagne had laboured for almost 10 overs to chisel out six runs and Smith might have perished soon after the resumption if Babar Azam had been able to pluck a scorching, low chance diving to his right at extra cover when the prolific batter was on 10.

Smith was granted another reprieve on 19 when adjudged lbw by umpire Michael Gough, but the decision was overturned on the former captain's immediate review which confirmed his view the delivery from Shaheen was bouncing over leg stump.

However, the 34-year-old's fortune finally expired in the following over when Pakistan chose to review a speculative and unsuccessful decision for a catch behind the wicket with technology confirming the faintest edge to send Smith on his way for 26.

Head then celebrated his own slice of luck, although his came as a result of not being seriously injured by a head-high full toss that slipped from the hand of an apologetic Shaheen that slammed into the batter's right shoulder as he ducked in fear.

Should he repeat the dose during the remainder of Australia's first innings, Shaheen will be unable to bowl again until the second innings which would seriously damage his team's cause after they chose to field first.

Australia skipper Pat Cummins conceded at this morning's toss he would also have taken the bowling option had the coin landed in his favour, which was hardly surprising given he boasts a 100 per cent winning record as captain after sending in rivals at the MCG.

But despite the combination of clawing humidity after Melbourne copped 15mm of rain on Christmas Day, and a seam-friendly pitch that had spent 24 hours under covers, bat dominated ball for much of the 66 overs bowled on the unseasonal day.

Allowing for those variables, Pakistan's satisfaction at their fightback having gone wicketless for all but the final ball of the opening session would perhaps have been tempered by knowledge their position could easily have been even stronger.

As their captain Shan Masood prophetically noted having won the toss, teams to have fielded first have done well in recent years at the MCG before he added the qualifying caveat "we'd like to take every opportunity we can with the ball".

Those words were doubtless still ringing in the ears of his men when a priceless opportunity was presented, and inexcusably squandered.

The final delivery of spearhead Shaheen's second over saw Warner anchored to the crease and fending as the full ball shaped perfectly away with the resultant edge flying at knee height to first slip.

But so clumsy was Abdullah Shafique's attempt to claim the catch he didn't manage to lay a hand, and instead took the impact on his left wrist from where it rebounded to his waist then on to the turf.

It was a graphic symbol of Pakistan's tour to date, whereby every positive passage has been counter-balanced by their penchant for profligacy.

With their new-ball bowler from the opening Test, Khurram Shahzad, out of the series with a side strain and stress fracture, Pakistan deployed a new-look attack for this Test including recalled duo Mir Hamza and Hasan Ali.

It meant the first time since 2007-08 that Boxing Day saw two left-arm pace bowlers (back then it was India pair Zaheer Khan and R.P. Singh) start against a left-handed opening combination (Australia's Matthew Hayden and Phil Jacques).

But while conditions might have suited Pakistan's seamers and history suggested bowling first was the smart option – the past three MCG Tests have been won by teams batting second – apart from the muffed chance in the first 10 minutes, the visitors' attack at first seemed decidedly unthreatening.

The balls that threatened the stumps proved challenging for the veteran combination of Warner and Khawaja, but they were the exception rather than the rule and Pakistan's waywardness was exemplified by a scorecard showing 12 byes and a wide conceded in the first session.

In stark contrast to his memorable double-century against South Africa in his 100th Test appearance a year ago, Warner struggled to find fluency and several times threw his hands at deliveries he might well have left alone.

One of those resultant edges grazed the outstretched fingertips of second slip, and another inside edge off Hasan bounced marginally short of keeper Mohammad Rizwan who was preferred to fellow gloveman Sarfaraz Ahmed.

Warner's struggle was best illustrated by his attempted reprise of the audacious crouching lap-shot he unfurled in Perth, but the lower bounce and slower pace of the MCG pitch meant instead of clearing the fine leg fence, it instead dribbled from toe of his bat through mid-wicket.

Pakistan had hoped their four-pronged pace armoury would grab early wickets in the seam-friendly conditions, but it was the introduction of off-spinner Salman Ali Agha shortly before lunch that brought their much-needed breakthrough.

With what proved to be the final ball before the break, Salman floated a wide offering that Warner tried to muscle through the off-side with feet anchored to the crease and managed only to slice a looping head-high catch to slip.

His 90-run opening stand with Khawaja proved an invaluable foundation as the weather closed in during the afternoon session, and batting became increasingly problematic as the light dramatically deteriorated.

Khawaja seemed destined for his 10th score of 50 or above in his 23rd innings of 2023, but added just six to his lunch score from 21 balls faced after the break before he also fell in trying to lift the scoring rate.

In the midst of an impressive post-lunch spell from Hasan, the left-hander attempted a dab to third from a delivery pitched too close and which bounced more than he expected with the catch he presented to second slip resembling the pre-match drills performed by fielding coaches.

Over the next 40 minutes, Hasan and Shaheen pressed repeatedly for a follow-up breakthrough as the ball began to swing beneath the heavy cloud with the MCG floodlights ablaze and severe weather warnings flashing from the ground's electronic scoreboards.

Despite playing and missing a number of times and demonstrably showing their frustration at the difficulties they faced in combating the moving ball in the gathering gloom, Smith and Labuschagne remained unbeaten if not unfazed when the rain first arrived at 2.23pm with Australia 2-114.
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SOURCE: https://www.cricket.com.au/news/383...-one-second-test-mcg-melbourne-cricket-ground
 
I'm happy with Pakistan's bowling performance today. We're still in the game.Our bowling needs to be more disciplined tomorrow. If we can manage to contain Australia under 300-350, we'll stay relevant in the game. Shaheen and Hasan Ali they bowled exceptionally well. I am looking forward to a strong performance from Pakistan tomorrow.
 
FearlessRoar said:
I'm happy with Pakistan's bowling performance today. We're still in the game.Our bowling needs to be more disciplined tomorrow. If we can manage to contain Australia under 300-350, we'll stay relevant in the game. Shaheen and Hasan Ali they bowled exceptionally well. I am looking forward to a strong performance from Pakistan tomorrow.
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You are aware that Cummins, Hazelwood and Stac will be bowling to the pak batters on this wicket. If Australia make 350, pak could easily lose the match by an innings
 
Advantage Australia clearly. This is a tough pitch, will be surprised if PCT cross 200 when it's their turn to bat.
 
Bowling was OK from glimpses I saw before I had enough and went to sleep. Biggest concern apart from the catching is we don't have the pace to force the AUS batsmen onto the backfoot or for the edges to carry.

One thing's for sure - we wouldn't be 187-3 if we chose to bat first.
 
Aus will def look to be more positive tomorrow and will depend a lot on how long Head stays in the crease. I'm sensing a big century from him, although I hope I'm wrong.

We need to try everything we can to keep Aus under 550.
 
Bowlers kept things tight but I feel like they are 2 or 3 wickets short of where they should be on a helpful surface.
 
batandballbattle said:
-Bowlers kept things tight but I feel like they are 2 or 3 wickets short of where they should be on a helpful surface.
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I was just about ti type the same. The score of 187-3 actually favors Australia at the moment. Pakistan need to take some some quick wickets tomorrow morning to seize the initiative.
 
Pak bowlers were too inconsistent in the first couple of hours. Like 2 good balls an over, with the other 4 being wide or down the legside. The batsmen didn't have to play.

And then the dropped catch. Who knows what would have happened had that been taken.
 
jnaveen1980 said:
He has been invincible for Pakistan for the last 5 or 6 years across the formats. Every team has a nemesis. For Pakistan this has been Warner.
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He Has been dropped by pakistan fielders in every test over the years he s played us and the outcome could of been so different. but credit to him for cashing in.

It would be interesting to see if someone makes a meme of all the dropped warner catches and how much it cost the team and most importantly the result.

Abdullah helped warner out in this test dropping him in shaheen s second over.
 
Blistering Barnacle said:
Pak bowlers were too inconsistent in the first couple of hours. Like 2 good balls an over, with the other 4 being wide or down the legside. The batsmen didn't have to play.

And then the dropped catch. Who knows what would have happened had that been taken.
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Hassan Ali bowled well. Shaheen was unlucky and mir hamza was decent but not playing sajid instead of him after seeing salman get some turn and bounce could be a miss or playing wasim jr instead of mir as everyone is bowling at a similar pace.

This could be a missed opportunity by shan and the management.

Wasim jr offers 140k plus which would of added another dimension to the attack.
 
With a pop gun seam attack and no spinner. It could have been worse but 187-3 is not bad at least they didn't embarrass themselves on Christmas day in Australia. I was dreading something like a 341-1 score with Warner 180 not out. They bowled well enough for what they are but this attack is not going get anyone excited.
 
Croma said:
I was just about ti type the same. The score of 187-3 actually favors Australia at the moment. Pakistan need to take some some quick wickets tomorrow morning to seize the initiative.
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Yeah need to be better with our lines, there were too many straying down leg in the first session
 
Croma said:
I was just about ti type the same. The score of 187-3 actually favors Australia at the moment. Pakistan need to take some some quick wickets tomorrow morning to seize the initiative.
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Yeah need to be better with our lines, there were too many straying down leg in the first session
 
People have to be realistic with their expectation with this bowling. This bowling has no express pace. It's mostly medium paced. If you remember in the last Test of Day 1 how much thrashing Australia gave. Pakistan was out on Day 1 of that Test match.

Yes the conditions were supporting the bowlers a bit but they were doing a bit in Perth as well and a Test match is long. Not played for a day. While Pakistan did not picked up many wickets, they have not let Australia run away with it in terms of runs and run rate. I don't need to remind how poor our bowling has been in Australia in last couple tours.

The bowlers at least now have given themselves with a chance to get Australia out for under or around 300. Which is the minimum you need to do as a bowling unit in Australia against Australia to draw or win a Test match. This is what Indian bowling was able to do.

Moreover it is the batting that has to do the heavy lifting. Many of the batters are experienced now. It's time for them to deliver.

No one was and is expecting the team to beat Australia in Australia but if they can put up a better fight in this Test and the next, then it will be a satisfactory performance for this Team.
 
I think both teams will be happy with the first day of the test.need to try and take a wicket before the new ball.
 
Hasan Ali said it was Pak's day today. How?? Pak would have been bowled out for 200 in these conditions. As it stands Aus are at 185/3. They can get close to 400. Pak is done and dusted here. 2-0 loading. Whats surprising was the Pak pacers couldnt bowl 2-3 good balls on good length continuously. And having no spinner is always a stupid decision no matter where you are playing - even if it's a green mamba track in NZ.
 
Poor effort from Pakistan considering the conditions. I was only able to catch the first 15 overs of Day-1 yesterday, and all I saw was Pak bowlers trundling at 128k's even in the first 5 overs. The conditions made Pak bowlers more threatening than they really are. But at the gentle medium pace, they are not going to scare Aus batsmen into playing hurried false shots.

Pak has an uphill batlte from here on. The likes of Head and Marsh can easily score quickly and take Australia close to 400. Pak has to bat extremely well in response to make a match out of this.
 
Smith/Labuy go through a major slump. So this is a brittle line up once you go past Warner. Chancy Head and MItch are the only threat. Pakistan has a potential to come back into the game from this stage. So i say game is on a knife edge. Problem with most teams in Australia is not winning a session or two. But winning multiple sessions in a row.
 
Those who watched it, what was the pace like? What were they bowling at still at 130kph or did they get the 140kph in there too?
 
Deewana Mastana said:
Those who watched it, what was the pace like? What were they bowling at still at 130kph or did they get the 140kph in there too?
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I watched the first 25-30 overs.

120s KPH was norm. Highest pace from anyone till lunch was 138 KPH. The first ball over 140 KPH came in 27th over. Just going by what I remember. But over all 128 KPH to 132 KPH.

Not sure why pace was so down in the first session.
 
Buffet said:
I watched the first 25-30 overs.

120s KPH was norm. Highest pace from anyone till lunch was 138 KPH. The first ball over 140 KPH came in 27th over. Just going by what I remember. But over all 128 KPH to 132 KPH.

Not sure why pace was so down in the first session.
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I said it before too that they're all just going through the motions as Test cricket holds nothing for them. The attitude and desire to go hard at the opposition isn't there anymore.

Just all about playing T20 cricket and bowling 4 overs where they all will be bowling over 140kph easily.
 
Shaheen bowling his heart out, proper Test match lengths, guts and shear will despite his severe work load, inept use by the captain, injury niggles and club level bowling partners he is attempting to elevate.
 
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Asad T said:
Warner is just being nice :) it's in his interst for our bolwers to be slow during this final test in the SCG haha
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Not really. Pace has become an unhealthy obsession in Pakistan. It’s not as important as Pakistanis think it is.
In these conditions, you really only need control, brain, and variation. The better you are at that, the more success you will find. If you have extra pace to go with it without compromising these basics, then it’s a plus. Otherwise it doesn’t matter.
The reason why we didn’t get enough wickets is not because of pace, but because we lack control. Every over there is 1 bad ball, 27 extras. But this is still a better bowling performance than last time in Aus with 140+ spray guns.
 
Champ_Pal said:
Poor effort from Pakistan considering the conditions. I was only able to catch the first 15 overs of Day-1 yesterday, and all I saw was Pak bowlers trundling at 128k's even in the first 5 overs. The conditions made Pak bowlers more threatening than they really are. But at the gentle medium pace, they are not going to scare Aus batsmen into playing hurried false shots.

Pak has an uphill batlte from here on. The likes of Head and Marsh can easily score quickly and take Australia close to 400. Pak has to bat extremely well in response to make a match out of this.
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Warner and Khawaja both got out to false shots ?
 
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