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Pakistan fightback to restrict Australia to 187/6 at Stumps on Day 3 of the 2nd Test

Anything below 300 is chaseable. But Babar needs to finally stand up. And Abdullah Shafique needs to make amends!!!
 
I feel the score may already be out of Pakistan’s reach. They are not chasing 220 let alone 275 or 300.
The score board pressure will be huge on Pakistan.
 
happy to see mir hamza finally do well at test level, these are just the conditions he needed
 
Now we will see the grit of Shafique with the bat. Backing him to get out in single figures and making good use of acting going back to the pavilion.

I'm a big supporter of Shafique with the bat in hand though. But cannot see him fight it out in this match.
 
Champ_Pal said:
I feel the score may already be out of Pakistan’s reach. They are not chasing 220 let alone 275 or 300.
The score board pressure will be huge on Pakistan.
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Chasing under 260 is different mindset as Pakistan can think we are in the game . anything above 300 is difficult to chase
 
40,000 people in attendance to watch two biggest titans of cricket go at it
 
Suddenly, Pakistan's fielding has woken up. This is what 1 good catch can do to the team's confidence.
 
terrific catch , 224/5 , Starc & Cummins to follow , not very bright prospects for Pak imo
 
Ahmed216 said:
Tabish khan Sohail Khan Mir Hamza
Deserved to play a lot more
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Sohail khan definitely, he had everything a fast bowler shd have , speed , movement, height.. can’t believe he was discarded after 1 game in 2009 and then brought back after 6 years when had lost most of his pace and venom ..
 
Pakistan has done so well in this match except for the middle order batting so far, yet the posts here are so negative.
 
Pakistan should not give up hope. Irrespective if the target.....Bobsy the king karlega.
 
partnership 7 from 39 - since the Bison departed , run making ebbed , shows the value of his attacking knock .
 
Pakistan can chase anything under 180

Babar 12 again flop king 😠

I think Target will be 409 🎯

200 plus runs defeat is coming ✍️
 
Called at 23/4 that Aus will have a massive partnership which will take the game away from Pakistan
 
that drop catch was the match guys. Australia will bat till lunch tomorrow, lead will easily be 375+ and there is no way in hell we are getting anywhere close.
 
Dr_Bassim said:
Pakistan have been the better side all this Test match.

Its a travesty that a bad middle order 1 hour where Pakistan slipped from 123-1 to 150-5 could decide the fate of this match.

Feels really unfair.
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it's really unfortunate. i feel for the bowlers, they have bowled beautifully without luck.
 
To be fair even if Marsh got out early, Australia lower order can score 200 runs against us. We were never in winning position rather than dominate them here and there. Chasing even 150 is too much for our batsmen. Lyon will eat Parchi Imam, softie and useless Babar, Salman without any problem.
 
iRfaN_LA said:
that drop catch was the match guys. Australia will bat till lunch tomorrow, lead will easily be 375+ and there is no way in hell we are getting anywhere close.
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Common even Alex, Lyon, Cummins, Hazzle, Starc are capable batsmen to score at least 170-200 all together unlike Imam, Babar co
 
Shaping up to be a cracking finish. Keep it going boys. Do the country proud.

Still on track to roll them out for under 300 In Sha Allah.
 
Shafi said:
Common even Alex, Lyon, Cummins, Hazzle, Starc are capable batsmen to score at least 170-200 all together unlike Imam, Babar co
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Posts like these ruin your credibility as a poster. I know you are a pessimist and at times it makes sense but when you take it too far then it becomes totally irrational.
 
Shaheen gets another one in the last moments. First it was labu and now smith.
 
Shafi said:
To be fair even if Marsh got out early, Australia lower order can score 200 runs against us. We were never in winning position rather than dominate them here and there. Chasing even 150 is too much for our batsmen. Lyon will eat Parchi Imam, softie and useless Babar, Salman without any problem.
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Australia would have been bowled out much quicker if that had happened.
 
Suleiman said:
Shaping up to be a cracking finish. Keep it going boys. Do the country proud.

Still on track to roll them out for under 300 In Sha Allah.
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I think our limit is 230 max but at least 300 would be better than chasing customary 400+ in Australia.
 
Dr_Bassim said:
Pakistan have been the better side all this Test match.

Its a travesty that a bad middle order 1 hour where Pakistan slipped from 123-1 to 150-5 could decide the fate of this match.

Feels really unfair.
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Oh we have let it slip a few times.
The Marsh drop is HUGE and more unforgivable than the the collapse.
We know what Cummins and Hazelwood are capable of but Abdullah Saabs fielding has been a shocker this test.
Even the first innings drop meant we didn't get into the Aussie middle order until conditions had eased and ball was older.
Hoping for a miracle tomorrow.
We should feel OK about chasing down 280-300 here.
 
Seen Sheen said:
Posts like these ruin your credibility as a poster. I know you are a pessimist and at times it makes sense but when you take it too far then it becomes totally irrational.
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We lost many time chasing around 150-175 even with good batsmen. Currently there is not a single World class batter in our team. Imam is in the team because of his uncle, this guy will not even selected in Australia school teams. Babar always fail in pressure games. Shan has very limited ability to score over 50+. Shafique has solod defence but tuk tuk like no tomorrow. Apart from Rizwan others are just rubbish.
 
Shafi said:
To be fair even if Marsh got out early, Australia lower order can score 200 runs against us. We were never in winning position rather than dominate them here and there. Chasing even 150 is too much for our batsmen. Lyon will eat Parchi Imam, softie and useless Babar, Salman without any problem.
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disagree brother. Marsh is a game changer. He is aggressive and can take the game away from you which is what he did. That drop catch was the match
 
Dr_Bassim said:
Pakistan have been the better side all this Test match.

Its a travesty that a bad middle order 1 hour where Pakistan slipped from 123-1 to 150-5 could decide the fate of this match.

Feels really unfair.
Click to expand...
We don't have any good middle order batsman in current team...Even Asad Shafique surpassed them significantly in performance.
 
Dr_Bassim said:
Pakistan have been the better side all this Test match.

Its a travesty that a bad middle order 1 hour where Pakistan slipped from 123-1 to 150-5 could decide the fate of this match.

Feels really unfair.
Click to expand...
this is what aus always does, somehow comeback despite being dominated by the opposition. it was a constant theme throughout this year's ashes
 
imshally81 said:
We don't have any good middle order batsman in current team...Even Asad Shafique surpassed them significantly in performance.
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Don't know what has happened to them. Maybe not adjusted to the conditions but Babar, Saud and Salman are better than that.
 
Again good performance from our bowlers...
They seemed to be the weak link when the series started.
 
Romali_rotti said:
This game is done...

I knew it, never believed Pakistan had what it took to win a game like this..

Hope they can prove me wrong but won't happen.
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Good fightback. I mean this aussie side isn't even that Good. Just have 2 good bowlers and home bully batsmen.

Shame on a team that allowed them to win wtc.

We let them off the hook.

AGAIN.

Could have buried australia

We fought hard. Could have done better.
 
aboveandbeyond said:
There's always a first time. Pakistan could chase down 350. Over the last few years , the MCG has flattened out as the match gone on.
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Against this overrated attack yes we can but we won't. Don't have the attitude and the mental toughness to do it.
 
kron said:
Good fightback. I mean this aussie side isn't even that Good. Just have 2 good bowlers and home bully batsmen.

Shame on a team that allowed them to win wtc.

We let them off the hook.

AGAIN.

Could have buried australia

We fought hard. Could have done better.
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Make no mistake that catch off Marsh should not have been dropped.

This would have been a different game had that catch was held on.. Looks like Pakistan is destined to not win in Australia...
 
kron said:
Against this overrated attack yes we can but we won't. Don't have the attitude and the mental toughness to do it.
Click to expand...

So a bowler in Cummins who has a better strike rate in Tests than other Australian great seamers is overrated?
Seriously , you ain't got a clue.
 
zaidihusain said:
Pakistan should fight tooth and nail to win this. This is a golden opportunity to win a test match on Australian soil after around 3 decades. All batsman must take responsibility and contribute. I am sounding too optimistic but this embarrassment on Australian soil must end. Anything under 300 can be chased
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I hope so... But you are asking for too much 😎
 
aboveandbeyond said:
There's always a first time. Pakistan could chase down 350. Over the last few years , the MCG has flattened out as the match gone on.
Click to expand...
New ball would be crucial. Though I hate to say it but We wd need Imam blunt the new ball and hold one end up. Rest of the batters can play around him. That’s our only chance or someone playing a blinder like Asad Shafeeq in 2016 Perth.
 
Pakistan's new-ball blitz and late wickets give the visitors hope but they will still need a record fourth-innings run chase

Pakistan's enigmatically erratic slips fielding might have robbed Mitchell Marsh of a cherished Boxing Day Test hundred, but it also seems likely to have cost them a chance of snapping a lengthy losing streak in Australia.

With his family watching on, Marsh seemed destined to secure the century that had agonisingly eluded him in Perth earlier this month before being brilliantly caught one-handed by Salman Ali Agha diving low to right with the Australia allrounder just one hefty blow shy of the milestone.

The moment was rendered more ironically bittersweet because Marsh should have been dismissed 76 runs earlier when he nicked seamer Aamir Jamal to the same fielding spot only to see a significantly more simple chance spilled.

That proved the pivotal moment of a previously finely balanced contest, with Australia recovering from a dire 4-16 to reach 6-187 at stumps on day three, holding an overall lead of 241.

Pakistan will need a record fourth-innings score at the MCG to snare a drought-breaking Test win, with the challenges facing batters on a bowler-friendly underscored by the fact Steve Smith's struggling knock featured the second-slowest 50 (off 153 balls) in his lengthy and prolific Test career.

And while he was dismissed from the day's final ball having been marooned on 50 for 23 balls, Australia resumed tomorrow with Alex Carey 16 not out and looking to push their advantage beyond the 332 which remains the highest successful fourth-innings run chase at the ground.

That was achieved by England in 1928-29, and Pakistan's task would surely appear vastly less daunting if that earlier opportunity had been grasped.

Marsh was on 20 and already looming as the most formidable obstacle standing between Pakistan and a gettable fourth-innings run chase when he was gifted the life by Pakistan opener Abdullah Shafique.

Adding to the dark humour of his eventual dismissal, Marsh might still have been removed on 20 if Salman (at that stage standing at second slip) had taken the rebound as the ball bounced from Shafique's iron hands.

If it's imaginable, the catch that flew at waist height to Shafique at first slip was even more straightforward than the one he shelled off David Warner on the opening morning of this match.

But whereas the Australia opener added just 36 more after that howler on Tuesday, Marsh not only pushed on to the highest individual score of the game but forged a decisive 153-run fifth-wicket partnership with Smith.

Marsh celebrated his reprieve by driving Aamir's next delivery with force to mid-off, where Pakistan skipper Shan Masood's fumbled attempt to intercept it brought four runs and a howling, derisive cheer from the almost 40,000-strong MCG crowd.

Had Shafique held that routine offering, Australia would have been on the mat at 5-46 holding a precipitous overall lead of just 100.

As it transpires, Pakistan already need to find the highest successful fourth-innings total by a visiting team at the MCG since South Africa's 4-297 in 1952-53 to level the NRMA Insurance Series at 1-1 and snap a streak of 15 consecutive Test defeats in Australia stretching back 28 years.

Until that pivotal moment that came from the first ball after the drinks break that signified the mid-point of this match, Pakistan resembled an irresistible force due to the potency of their pace bowling.

The fightback that had begun when the four quicks added 49 invaluable runs with their bats in gloomy, drizzly conditions this morning became a full-scale victory charge when Australia crashed to 4-16 immediately after lunch.

It represented the worst start by the men's team to a Test innings on home soil since the infamous Hobart defeat to South Africa in 2016, when a first morning scoreline of 5-17 became 85 all out and then a bruising series defeat that ended a number of international careers.

The carnage began just two balls into the innings which Australia began with a lead of 54, when Usman Khawaja copped a ball from Shaheen Shah Afridi that angled and held its line before grazing the bat's edge.

Australia's first innings top scorer Marnus Labuschagne then managed a solitary scoring shot in the second, a leg glance from the start of Shaheen's next over that prompted the left-armer to instigate a field change that proved a stroke of genius.

Sensing Labuschagne's vulnerability around leg stump, he positioned a catcher behind square and targeted the Australian's left ankle and was rewarded with a tickle down the leg side that keeper Mohammad Rizwan gleefully accepted from what proved the final ball before lunch.

The visitors' surge was slowed only by a malfunctioning MCG lift that entrapped third umpire Richard Illingworth on his way back from the venue's lunch room, ensuring play's resumption was delayed by six minutes until he could scramble back to his post.

When play eventually began, the attack was taken up by Shaheen's new-ball partner Mir Hamza whose dismissal of Warner – in his final Test innings at the MCG – might be viewed as somewhat fortuitous given the opener dragged a half-hearted pull shot on to the base of his stumps.

But the warm applause that accompanied Warner from the field had barely subdued before Hamza produced perhaps the ball of the series to date that speared through Travis Head's speculative defence and bent back middle stump.

Head could do little except shake his head in wistful disbelief as he walked off watching a replay of the delivery that began outside his off stump then snaked back late in the air to scythe between bat and pad.

It was a feat of bowling craftmanship reminiscent of another lethal left-armer, former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram who greeted the dismissal with understandable enthusiasm in the Fox Cricket commentary box.

Hamza's hat-trick ball was pitched too wide of off-stump to lure Marsh into playing, but for the next half-hour it seemed Australia's innings was hanging by a thread as the quicks repeatedly threatened, with Hasan Ali flashing past Marsh's outside edge twice in his opening over.

The manner and speed at which Pakistan then unravelled from dominant to dormant after Shafique's inexcusable lapse would have proved an unsolvable mystery had it befallen any other Test outfit.

But such is the riches-or-rags nature of the perennially volatile team the sudden shift that came over the game could hardly be described as unexpected.

Of similar contrast was the output of Smith and Marsh, with the former waging a war with himself as well as opposition bowlers to find rhythm and timing while the latter mixed brute strength with stour defence to take the game away from Pakistan.

Marsh's half-century, his third from four innings thus far in this series, arrived from just 70 balls faced and 94 minutes at the crease during which he struck nine boundaries.

Smith, on the other hand, did not find the rope until the 101st delivery he faced by which time he'd been in occupation for more than two and a half hours and advanced his score to 32.

In addition to the dropped catch, the pair enjoyed some good fortune with Marsh surviving a tight lbw shout on 25 when he shouldered arms to Hasan Ali and Pakistan's review failed to overturn umpire Michael Gough's not out call even though the ball was found to be clipping the top of off stump.

And having ground his way to 40, Smith seemed to be finding some fluency when he walked across his wicket and was pinned by Shaheen who couldn't hide his disbelief when another review also upheld the umpire's call with an insufficient portion of the ball grazing leg stump.

However, apart from the early stages of their stand when Marsh claimed he felt "like a cat on a hot tin roof … with a defence like Swiss cheese', the duo not only blunted the world-class seam bowling on a challenging surface but broke the Pakistan spirit that had soared immediately after lunch.

That sagging of spirits was understandable given the effort their bowlers had expended to get them back in the game, initially with the bat after they seemed destined to cede Australia a hefty first innings lead.

The advantage stood at 103 when Pakistan's last recognised batter Rizwan fell to a carefully constructed and flawlessly hatched plan that saw him slap a catch to short cover.

But Australia's hopes their rivals tailenders might capitulate in the morning mizzle that delayed play's start by 45 minutes were stymied as the bowlers – led by Aamir (33no) and Shaheen (21) who recorded career-high Test scores – added an invaluable 49 before the innings ended 54 in deficit.

In claiming two of Pakistan's four wickets to fall today, Pat Cummins completed the 10th five-wicket haul of his Test career while Carey also completed a notable feat.

In wrapping up Pakistan's innings with a neat stumping off Nathan Lyon, whose 4-73 extended his Test wicket tally to 505, the Australia keeper claimed his ninth such dismissal for 2023 having started the year with none to his name in a 14-Test tenure to that point.

Carey now stands equal with former great Ian Healy's record for the most Test stumpings in a calendar year, with only historic glovemen James (J.J.) Kelly (10 in 1902) and Hanson 'Sammy' Carter (11 in 1921) surpassing that number in a given year.

www.cricket.com.au

Pakistan prise door ajar with late strikes | cricket.com.au

Pakistan's new-ball blitz and late wickets give the visitors hope but they will still need a record…
www.cricket.com.au www.cricket.com.au
 
Pak bowlers did well but match is well gone.

Pak won't get more than 170 on this wicket batting last.

Aussie attack, Cummings and Lyon, will roll through the line up
 
To win in AUS your game needs to be nearly spotless. We've fought incredibly hard but our catching and middle-order batting has likely cost us too many runs.
 
Pak have been dropping catches for eternity. Yes it's part of the game but if there was a stat somewhere that showed dropped catches per match over the last 30 years, I'm sure pak would top that list
 
Mir Hamza during the Post-Day 3 presser:

”It was a pretty good day, to be honest. Despite our team getting all out, our bowlers performed exceptionally well, taking six wickets. We are hopeful that if we get a breakthrough tomorrow morning, we will still be in the game and our position will strengthen.”

“In any condition, especially with the new ball, it will swing. However, there was something on the pitch, so I was trying to gain some advantage from it, which ultimately brought positive results for our team. Abdullah is one of the best fielders in Pakistan, but he dropped those catches, and that’s just part of the game.”

“The body language of our boys was very positive, and we are trying to get wickets as soon as possible because we are in the game. That’s what we want—to have more wickets so that the target can be smaller for us.”

“To be very honest, it was a dream come true for me to play at the MCG against one of the best teams, Australia, and to get two breakthroughs in one over for my team. Yes, I was playing after a long time, but I was telling myself that I had to prove myself if I wanted to play international cricket for my country. If you look at my last three matches, I bowled well, but, to be very honest, I didn’t take a wicket for my team. That’s why, in this game, I always wanted to take wickets for my team.”

“Since the match started, I have kept things normal and basic because, as I have said before, there is something in the pitch for a fast bowler. The ball is swinging and seaming, so I kept it normal. If I can swing both ways, especially if a new batter comes, it’s a great opportunity for me because the batter is not set, and I think my plan with Travis Head was that he was ready for the outswing, so I bowled him the inswing.”

“The things that are in my control as a player, I think we all think about them. In my mind, it was that whenever I get a chance, I will try to perform. You will see in the first Test that Khurram Shahzad bowled very well, and all the bowlers bowled well. I was just waiting for my chance, and this is a great opportunity for me.”

“In my opinion, a bowler knows his qualities and skills. Some bowlers are famous for their seam or swing. Some bowlers are those who disturb the batter with pace. In my opinion, as far as you are disturbing the batter, that is the main thing, whether you do it with pace or swing. I know my skills, and I try to keep them going.”

Speaking about DRS reviews: “In my opinion, there is nothing like that in it. Umpires make a decision that is for both teams. But it was that we also took one or two reviews, but we did not get any special benefit from them, but this is part of the game.’’

“In my opinion, if I talk about the first team, we people, since we have come here to Australia and we are practicing, our main purpose is that we win from here, and in this match we have taken 16 wickets, and the effort is that we take 20 wickets and try to win the match. And as far as the family is concerned, every cricketer plays for his family and plays for his country, so for me, there is no greater honor than that I am playing for my country.”

“The memorable moment will be that we win this Test match for Pakistan, and in this match, I want to perform so that it helps the Pakistan team win. But if you talk about bowling, the best moment for me was getting Travis Head out.”

“All the cricketers try for cricket and also play and perform, but the only thing that matters is what your country needs. If my country needs performance from me in the red ball, then I am ready for it.”​
 
Last edited:
Buffet said:
Some are simply not a good slip fielder. Why not move him somewhere else? Even the ones he caught, he did not look comfortable.
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You don’t have to be a good slip fielder to catch a ball that’s coming straight to you at a comfortable height.

You’d expect a club level cricketer to take every catch he dropped. Hafeez has to fine him and handed a penalty, another drop and your back to the NCA.
 
7sins said:
He can catch but slip is not the right position for him
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Had the ball been going away from him forcing him to dive to either side then I’d agree, but nah you can’t say he can catch when he didn’t have to move a muscle.

Cross eyed Mir Hamza took two very difficult catches at the end of Australia’s 1st innings, Shafique would’ve dropped both of them.
 
Now we can see the aggression and mojo that were missing earlier. What a fight from Mir Hamza and Shaheen Shah Afridi on Day 3. Bowlers are doing their job, which we had concerns about before the series, and the batters are not doing the job, we were confident about before the series.
 
aboveandbeyond said:
So a bowler in Cummins who has a better strike rate in Tests than other Australian great seamers is overrated?
Seriously , you ain't got a clue.
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Cummins apart the attack is wildly overrated
Starc and hazlewood are average away from home. Home bully machines.

Lyon is good. It's 2 bowlers.
 
FearlessRoar said:
Now we can see the aggression and mojo that were missing earlier. What a fight from Mir Hamza and Shaheen Shah Afridi on Day 3. Bowlers are doing their job, which we had concerns about before the series, and the batters are not doing the job, we were confident about before the series.
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We let them off the hook. So angry. But yea good effort.
 
Pakistan have let this game slip thanks to some awful drops by Abdullah Shafique in this test.

You could read from his body language that he didn’t want to be fielding in the slip cordon.

I’ve been staying up to watch the first 45 overs of each day in this test but I’m not losing sleep tonight because there’s only going to be one winner.

A very disappointing end to this test match by Pakistan.
 
Dropped on 20, scores 90

That’s the game unfortunately
 
Respect for Pakistan.

Respect for Shan Masood.

He was asked to lead this side because the previous leadership group had a sulk, they wanted the party to continue for them with their unquestionable strategies, but PCB finally put the food down on them. Pakistan have shown that they can still compete with the best Test nations, even though they are fighting a losing game.
 
Rana said:
Respect for Pakistan.

Respect for Shan Masood.

He was asked to lead this side because the previous leadership group had a sulk, they wanted the party to continue for them with their unquestionable strategies, but PCB finally put the food down on them. Pakistan have shown that they can still compete with the best Test nations, even though they are fighting a losing game.
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The 2017 CT and this series (regardless of the outcome) should serve PCB a lesson on the importance of having a competent captain lead the side.

The difference between previous teams led/coached by Misbah from the 2013 CT -> 2017 CT and the 2015/16 + 2019/20 Aus tours till now is immeasurable.

It dispels the myth propagated by the likes of Mamoon regarding Babar being the only suitable captain of the Pakistan side and that changing the captain would make no difference.
 
Ruthless game is cricket

That drop catch of Marsh on 20 will haunt Shafique for the rest of his career. That was the moment where Pakistan could have broken the voodoo of losing every time in Australia
 
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