The Australian Cricket Team on Sunday outplayed Pakistan to win the PAK vs AUS 1st Test and take a lead in the three match Test series. The Aussies posted a target of 450 for Pakistan in the fourth innings. In reply, Pakistan were bundled out for a paltry 89.
Australia started Day 4 at 84/2. Khurram Shahzad struck first to dismiss Steve Smith early in the day. Travis Head soon followed next after managing to score just 14 runs. But the highlights of the show were Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Marsh.
Khawaja fell short of the three digit score by just 10 runs while Marsh remained unbeaten on a well struck score of 63 runs. Following Khawaja’s dismissal, Australia declared on 233/5 thereby giving Pakistan a huge target of 450 runs to chase.
Pakistan Collapses Under Pressure
After being tasked to chase a big target, Pakistan crumbled under pressure and fell like a pack of cards. Such has been the collapse that the out of the top 7 Pakistani batters, only 3 has managed to score in double digits. It has been a all-pace show from the Aussies with Starc bagging 3 wickets and Cummins and Hazelwood bagging a wicket apiece. Nathan Lyon on the other hand, achieved a mega milestone after dismissing Faheem Ashraf to reach 500 Test wickets.
For the Pakistani’s it has been a horror show with the bat. Abdullah Shafique (2), Imam ul Haq (10), Shan Masood (2) departed without troubling the scoreboard too much. Babar Azam could only manage 14 runs before dismissed by Pat Cummins. Saud Shakeel put up some resistance against a determined Aussie bowling line-up. However, his battle didn’t last long as Josh Hazlewood trapped Shakeel in front of the wicket, finishing any Pak hopes of a comeback. In the end, Pakistan were bowled out for 89, losing by a huge margin of 360 runs.
The Aussies only used four bowlers to bowl out Pakistan in the second innings. Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc starred in the second innings, taking three wickets each, with Pat Cummins grabbing one and Nathan Lyon taking a couple.
Pakistan will be determined to make a comeback in the three-match Test series when the two sides meet next on historic Boxing Day.
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