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Report - 2nd Test, Day 3 : David Warner (144) leads Australia's fightback after Pakistan made 443/9d

Abdullah719

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Toss: Pakistan won the toss, Misbah-ul-Haq opted to bat first.

Teams

Australia: MT Renshaw, DA Warner, UT Khawaja, SPD Smith (c), PSP Handscomb, NJ Maddinson, MS Wade (wk), MA Starc, JR Hazlewood, NM Lyon, JM Bird.

Pakistan: Sami Aslam, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq (c), Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Mohammad Amir, Sohail Khan, Yasir Shah, Wahab Riaz.

Day 3 of the MCG Test began with the Pakistan batsmen batting a bit more conservatively as the bowlers searched for a breakthrough. Starc got that very breakthrough as the around the wicket angle to Amir worked, with the batsman tickling one down the leg-side to the wicket-keeper for 29. Sohail was circumspect first up while Azhar surpassed 150 at the other end. Azhar soon went past Majid Khan's 158 to take ownership of the highest score by a Pakistani batsman in Australia. Sohail began to get going as well as the rain interrupted play, dampening proceedings. The break proved to be a short-lived one but seemed to gallivanise the Pakistan batsmen as they showed more intent straight away. Azhar played orthodox shots while Sohail went after Lyon, using the long handle to good effect. He smashed three sixes on his way to a maiden Test fifty while Azhar looked to pick gaps in the field to his advantage. The batsmen continued to plunder runs in the lead up to the Lunch interval, with 88 off the last 10 overs as Sohail raced to a run-a-ball 65 while Azhar was on 196*.

Sohail's innings came to an end in the first over after the break as the batsmen went for a quick single, which he wasn't quite up to, ending up getting run out for 65. Azhar brought up his double-hundred in the next over, becoming the first Pakistani batsman to get to the landmark in Australia. Wahab didn't last long as he tried to hoick one over mid-wicket and was caught - Misbah decided that was enough and declared the innings at 443/9, Azhar finishing on 205*.

The Pakistan pacers began well at the start, bowling good lines as Warner and Renshaw played and missed several times with a few edges as well. One genuine edge that Sohail got frm Renshaw fell well short of slip while Warner somehow survived despite a couple of dangerous attempted shots. His aggressive style of batting meant that despite all the plays and misses, he still put the pressure back on the bowlers by putting the bad balls away more often than not. Yasir and Wahab came into the attack and the former struck in his second over as Renshaw looked to go for a big slog sweep, but missed the ball completely, getting bowled for 10. Warner continued in his trademark manner, getting to his fifty and completing 5000 Test runs. Wahab struggled with no-balls while Yasir seemed to completely lose control of his line and length as Pakistan wilted towards the end of the session, leaking runs in a hurry. With the leggie going for over six an over, Azhar came on to bowl a few before Tea as Australia went to the break in the ascendancy at 131/1 after just 28 overs.

The bowlers came out looking more focused after the interval but Wahab's no-ball problems were to prove costly for Pakistan. He had the ball reversing and built up a good head of steam, bowling 150 kph and had Warner bowled for 81, only for it to be adjudged a no-ball. Wahab continued to struggle with his front-foot, bowling several more no-balls as the Australians made hay. Amir returned to bowl and continued with tight lines, inducing a few false strokes but failed to make the cruicial breakthrough as Warner sped towards his ton. He brought up his first Test ton as the MCG with an inside-edge for four while Khawaja also moved to a fifty. Yasir in the meantime continued to struggle as the batsmen found the boundary with alarming regularity. Warner's innings finally came to an end as Wahab had him caught down the leg-side after he made a run-a-ball 144. Khawaja took over with the clock winding down but was made to wait for his hundred as Australia ended the day at 278/2 with the left-hander not out on 95.

Summary: A manic day of Test cricket with over 400 runs scored. Azhar was sublime on his way to Pakistan's highest score Down Under while Sohail exhibited some clean hitting as the Australian bowlers tired. However, once it was Australia's turn to bat, they survived the initial period without much damage despite several close calls and then plundered the bowling as Yasir and Wahab badly struggled. Credit must go to Warner as he did not allow the bowlers to settle at any point after he got a start and Khawaja was effective in his own right. Australia have edged ahead in the game - Pakistan will now probably look at a draw as a positive outcome.

Fall of wickets:

7-317 (Mohammad Amir, 105.1 ov)
8-435 (Sohail Khan, 124.6 ov),
9-443 (Wahab Riaz, 126.3 ov)

1-46 (Renshaw, 13.1 ov)
2-244 (Warner, 48.5 ov)
 
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If it doesn't rain tomorrow and Australia can add another 300-350 , Pakistan would be looking at an ugly 150 runs deficit with entire day 5 to play out.
 
Pakistan just ahead of Australia. Just need the rain to play it's part in what will be a hard earned moral victory. :azhar2
 
need overcast conditions tomorrow to have any chance of making inroads.
 
Had that Warner dismissal been a legal delivery, Pakistan may actually be better placed in the match. Can't believe Wahab is still making amateur mistakes like that. Needs to be more disciplined with his bowling at this level.
 
We've never bowled very well in Oz...dissapointing after azhars great innings..
 
Had that Warner dismissal been a legal delivery, Pakistan may actually be better placed in the match. Can't believe Wahab is still making amateur mistakes like that. Needs to be more disciplined with his bowling at this level.

It's something that comes from being ill-disciplined in training. You see it all the time, at all levels of the game, where bowlers will overstep in the nets and when you point it out they invariably say some rubbish like "Oh I won't overstep in a game, don't worry".

It is one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to training, in any sport I've played or coached, because it's something that is SO simple to avoid but people are too lazy/cocky to bother with it.

You need to drill the take off point constantly until it becomes second nature. You can't just move the marker half a step back like Wahab did in the middle of his no-ball horror show and expect your front foot to land 12 inches further back because your eyes/brain don't work like that. You'll be running in from your adjusted starting point and the closer you get to the bowling crease the more your brain starts going "Something's not right, I'm going to take off from a spot I'm not used to, this is freaking me out man!" and all that happens is your legs will adjust the run-up so you take off from the same spot as before with the end-result being your front foot lands in the same place it usually does.

REMEMBER KIDS, DON'T NO-BALL IN THE NETS!
 
i think only an Aus win or Draw is possible here. Draw is the most likely result but if Aus bat all today tomorrow get around 600 AO. then we have to find 80 overs for the draw with no chance of winning the game we could collapse like we did at Edgbaston in the summer that's assuming the rain stays away.
 
Huge test of character for Pakistan tomorrow. I hope Australia have to bat in overcast weather tomorrOw
 
If it doesn't rain tomorrow and Australia can add another 300-350 , Pakistan would be looking at an ugly 150 runs deficit with entire day 5 to play out.

i have the same fear...this team can gift this match if they score 500 or more...
 
Huge test of character for Pakistan tomorrow. I hope Australia have to bat in overcast weather tomorrOw

I don't think overcast conditions will make any difference until the new ball which is still 20-odd overs away and if we don't pick up wickets before then our chances of winning the game will already have gone from slim to none. If Yasir continues to spray it everywhere then we might be the ones praying for rain.

It's a real shame because Sohail bowled alright and Amir bowled really well at times, but Yasir and Wahab gave them zero support from the other end.
 
I don't think overcast conditions will make any difference until the new ball which is still 20-odd overs away and if we don't pick up wickets before then our chances of winning the game will already have gone from slim to none. If Yasir continues to spray it everywhere then we might be the ones praying for rain.

It's a real shame because Sohail bowled alright and Amir bowled really well at times, but Yasir and Wahab gave them zero support from the other end.
Rain @70% in the second half tomorrow. If we don't get it together in the morning, we'll need it.
 
Pakistan's woes with the ball continue in Australia. I thought they began well with the new ball and were unlucky not to pick up a couple of wickets but Yasir and Wahab were very disappointing thereafter.

Excellent from Warner though. Australia were being pounded in the morning by the Pakistani batsmen and the force seemed to be with the tourists but how quickly Warner reversed that. It is amazing to think that now it is Pakistan that might be grateful if it rains! That is a big turnaround.
 
Lets just get outta this test first...they've scored 100 runs too many.
One bad day from 2 of the bowlers ....and the series might be nearly over.
 
So much illdisiplined bowling from Riaz and Yasir has really let the Aussies not just get away but close to getting an advantage.

I don't know why the bowlers keep bowling short rubbish in Australia- not just now but in the past as well when our attacks were much better
 
This just backs up what I was saying earlier in this thread:

For the most part, there was great discipline and a tangible sense of process in how they went about their work. For the most part. On one of the days, Wahab Riaz was constantly over-stepping, sometimes by a lot, sometimes by not so much, but each time to a degree that it was clearly visible to any observer.

For a while, this continued unchecked. Eventually, the bowling coach asked a member of the support staff to stand to the side of the stumps (and not behind, where the umpire would stand) and asked him to call no-balls when they occurred.

This member of the staff had a number of other duties to fulfill and, as he would scan around the nets, he would miss some no-balls Wahab bowled, and call some others that he spotted. It was not dedicated observation and it wasn't the staff member's fault.

Ian Gould arrived, for a little bit of practice himself. Wahab overstepped a couple of times under his watch, and when told, was bemused by having done so, as if he wasn't a habitual over-stepper. Even by an approximate count, Wahab's count dwarfed the combined transgressions of the other bowlers. Maybe let's put it down to one bad day, shall we?

If you overstep in the nets, you WILL overstep in the middle.
 
One thing about Wahab and no-balls - under Misbah there has probably been for Pakistani teams an unprecedented level of attention to detail, to being organised and disciplined. In this context Wahab's continued no ball problem is a bit surprising, although Wahab himself is ultimately responsible for it.
 
One thing about Wahab and no-balls - under Misbah there has probably been for Pakistani teams an unprecedented level of attention to detail, to being organised and disciplined. In this context Wahab's continued no ball problem is a bit surprising, although Wahab himself is ultimately responsible for it.

When you keep being no-balled in games and have staff members and umpires telling you you're overstepping in training then you have nobody to blame but yourself.

I have zero sympathy for any bowler who struggles to keep their foot behind the popping crease.
 
When you keep being no-balled in games and have staff members and umpires telling you you're overstepping in training then you have nobody to blame but yourself.

I have zero sympathy for any bowler who struggles to keep their foot behind the popping crease.

Totally agree, it's 100% Wahabs fault.

And this has been going on for years. He really should be ashamed of himself that he hasn't sorted this simple issue a long time ago because this will not just him wickets but could be the difference between winning and losing.

He's not only letting himself down but the whole team.
 
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I'm actually so disappointed with us not being able to dismantle the Aus lineup. Our bowlers have struggled to take their wickets in addition to Wahab bowling 10 no balls, seriously you're not a young 22 year old bowler; you're a senior and better start acting like one. Not overstepping should be second nature, it's fine to overstep occasionally but this is ridiculous.
 
So much illdisiplined bowling from Riaz and Yasir has really let the Aussies not just get away but close to getting an advantage.

I don't know why the bowlers keep bowling short rubbish in Australia- not just now but in the past as well when our attacks were much better

I blame Misbah. Those pathetic field settings just put off Yasir completely. 6-3 Leg-side field is appalling when you've just scored 400 odd. This is the 1st (and hopefully last) time I've seen Yasir bowl with ZERO control. I honestly think Misbah's field settings have actually brought Australia back into the match.
 
I'm actually so disappointed with us not being able to dismantle the Aus lineup. Our bowlers have struggled to take their wickets in addition to Wahab bowling 10 no balls, seriously you're not a young 22 year old bowler; you're a senior and better start acting like one. Not overstepping should be second nature, it's fine to overstep occasionally but this is ridiculous.

A fast bowler striving for pace is bound to over step. There is always a cost to everything. You can have a 130 km/hr bowler Sohail Khan ineffective and not over stepping or a 145-150 km/hr bowler blowing hot and cold with no balls but atleast creating wicket taking chances unlike the others
 
I blame Misbah. Those pathetic field settings just put off Yasir completely. 6-3 Leg-side field is appalling when you've just scored 400 odd. This is the 1st (and hopefully last) time I've seen Yasir bowl with ZERO control. I honestly think Misbah's field settings have actually brought Australia back into the match.

Yes agree, really bad settings for a leg spin bowler.

Yasir takes some responsibility as well but the field settings were not attacking enough especially when you have 450 on the board. No gully either meant easy singles.
 
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