Report - 2nd Test, Day 4 : Steve Smith hundred helps Australia to take the lead before rain arrives

[Abdullah719]

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.

Play commenced early on Day 4 as expected and Pakistan straight away looked to have a clearer bowling plan. Wahab started well, bowling good lines to Khawaja who was not out on 95 overnight. Ably supported by Amir from the other end, the runs were blocked - it paid off in the fifth over of the day as Khawaja drove loosely at one outside off, edging behind to Sarfraz for 97. Handscomb began slowly until he took a liking to Wahab, hitting him for a few fours in an over as he looked to take over the mantle of the aggressor. Amir bowled well again but couldn't pick a wicket, despite beating Handscomb's edge approximately four times in an over. Yasir came on to bowl and the batsman was aggressive against him as well as the Pakistan bowlers wilted. Handscomb brought up his fifty with a boundary to long leg off Wahab, overtaking Smith who was kept relatively quiet at the other end. Amir returned to bowl with the second new ball and shelled a tough return catch as Pakistan continued probing away. After stringing together a few tight overs, it was Sohail who struck as Handscomb, looking a bit bogged down, drove one uppishly to get caught for 54. Smith, in the meantime, passed the fifty run mark yet again. The Paksitan bowlers got in a few more tough overs before Lunch with Australia going to the interval at 395/4.

Pakistan resumed after the break, looking to dry up the runs for the two Australian batsmen to try and induce a mistake. Maddinson was the one to oblige as he charged at Yasir, missing the delivery which spun back in to dislodge the bails. There was a scare for Azhar at short-leg as Wade smashed a pull straight at his helmet but he recovered from the blow to get back on his feet. Sohail got a further wicket as a slightly shortish delivery was enough to make Wade flash hard at it, getting a thick edge for an easy catch. Starc hit one big six off Yasir while Smith at the other end finally got to his 17th Test ton, off 168 balls. With the light fading, the umpires decided to take an early Tea and that proved to be Stumps as well, with the last session washed out due to a good amount of rain.

Summary: A much better day with the ball for Pakistan. There were periods where they were able to bowl consistently at last, enabling them to shut scoring down. In most cases, that also led to a wicket. However, Smith was firm and resolute at one end, ensuring that the Australians went past the first innings score by Pakistan and leaving them an outside chance of victory on the final day. The rain has probably ensured that a draw will be the outcome.

Fall of wickets:

3-282 (Khawaja, 62.1 ov)
4-374 (Handscomb, 85.4 ov)
5-433 (Maddinson, 104.3 ov)
6-454 (Wade, 111.3 ov)

 

[JibranAnsari]

How sad is this ? We play test cricket in australia after 7 years and one of the test matches is ruined by rain. Yah this might save us from a loss but overall its really really sad.

 

[AZulfi]

Pakistan still not out of the woods. They will have to bat well tomorrow (at least two sessions) in order to save the game.

Australia will probably declare at their overnight score.

Wahab is turning into another Sami, potential minus performance!

A case in point that unless you bowl intelligently, pace alone does not help. Both often too wayward wrt line and length.

Yassir has also been a disappointment in this test

 

[leatherface58]

Yasir is finding out how tough it is to bowl as a spinner in Australia. It gets even tougher when your captain has a legside field and wants you to defend especially against people like Smith and Warner who improvise.

 

[hadi123]

how things change! We are now praying for rain after praying it would stay away. A full day tomorrow and we will lose another series in Australia unfortunately

 

[Zeshan547]

Yeah Oz hold all the cards, and whenever they want they can declare, at worst they will get a draw. And i agree with op Oz should declare overnight shoot out pak in 2 sessions and then try to chase what ever skin lead pak get in last session, that will give them the best chance of winning it, but 2nd option of having a bash in first session and score 150 odd, and declare at lunch with a lead around 180, then go all out attack for 65 odd overs, with 5 or 6 slips and man all around the batsman, and then we shall see how tough are these pak batsman really are under the pump, and i won't be surprise if pak bundle out under 160 in 50 overs, and all the great batting effort in 1st inning will be ruined.

 

[KB]

I suspect Pakistani supporters who have witnessed many panic induced Pakistan batting collapses will be a bit nervous about tomorrow.

If they do get out of this match with a draw, then they need to work out how they will get 20 wickets at Sydney, because at the moment they are averaging over 50 a wicket in this Test series, which is horrendous.

 

[Pete Rose]

Yasir is finding out how tough it is to bowl as a spinner in Australia. It gets even tougher when your captain has a legside field and wants you to defend especially against people like Smith and Warner who improvise.

Yeah, but I think the preponderance of left-hended batsmen is also not helping him.

 

[Pete Rose]

I suspect Pakistani supporters who have witnessed many panic induced Pakistan batting collapses will be a bit nervous about tomorrow.

If they do get out of this match with a draw, then they need to work out how they will get 20 wickets at Sydney, because at the moment they are averaging over 50 a wicket in this Test series, which is horrendous.

Yeah on that first point totally with you Which is why I am hoping we dismiss their tail very quickly tomorrow. I would back this Pakistan line up if the opposition bowlers are not looking at an intense 50 overs of bowling, vs 70-80 overs.

On this match, two things stand out for me, for whatever reason yasir is floating the delivery up to the left-handers rather that putting some energy behind the ball. So instead of hurrying or skidding on, the ball simply sits up to be nudged or cut. I think he should bowl around the wicket to this line up more often, as then he will follow through line of delivery and might get more zip.

Other than Wahab's no balls, the fast bowlers are sort of ok. But if you want wahab to do short sharp bursts, you need stability on the other end. I do feel despite all the plays and misses, Aamir is bowling back of a length. If Australian players are missing a few back of the length deliveries (despite being good players of bowling like that) imagine how much better it would to pitch them up...go for a few runs. In this match and the next match the fast bowlers need to be a little braver.

 

[Markhor]

That awkward moment when Australian weather is blighted by more rain than English weather.

Don't see there being enough time to force a result here. It looks like its all or nothing in Sydney.

 

[Pete Rose]

That awkward moment when Australian weather is blighted by more rain than English weather.

Pakistan having to face 40 odd overs towards end of day makes me uncomfortable., so I would rather they dismiss tail quickly and make australia toil all day.

 

[HateKiller]

Nothing is going to happen. Pitch is still flat. This game will end in a dull draw.