Australia’s Nathan Lyon celebrates along with his teammates throughout the third day of the first Test in opposition to Pakistan in Perth on December 16, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AFP
Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith dug in to stretch Australia’s lead and take the first Test away from Pakistan on December 16, as veteran spinner Nathan Lyon moved inside one wicket of the 500-mark.
The hosts reached stumps on day three in Perth at 84-2, constructing their lead to 300 after bowling out the guests on the cusp of tea for 271 in reply to their first innings 487.
Veteran spinner Lyon was the perfect of the bowlers with 3-66, however he was made to wait to attain a milestone that may put him in elite firm alongside simply seven different gamers.
At the shut, Khawaja was on 34 and Smith 43 as Pakistan’s hopes of a first Test win in Australia since 1995 light.
The residence facet had a shaky begin with first innings century-maker David Warner out for a duck.
The 37-year-old, contemporary from his defiant 164, mis-timed a pull shot from Khurram Shahzad and lobbed to Imam-ul-Haq for a snug catch at mid-wicket.
Marnus Labuschagne additionally surrendered cheaply on a pitch providing uneven bounce, out for 2 with Shahzad once more the tormentor, tempting a big edge taken by wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed.
It left Australia tottering at 2-5.
But Khawaja and Smith steadied the ship with an unbeaten 79-run partnership heading into day 4 and a possible declaration.
Chipping away
Pakistan resumed on 132-2 after constructing a stable basis within the run chase, however they had been no match for Australia’s top-class assault.
Stoic opener Haq started on 38 and nightwatchman Shahzad on seven.
Shahzad, on his debut, lasted simply two balls earlier than Pat Cummins took out his center stump within the first over with a full and straight supply.
That introduced dangerman Babar Azam to the crease in his fiftieth Test, tentatively going through 13 balls earlier than getting off the mark with a canopy drive to the ropes off Cummins.
Biding his time in opposition to a seam assault discovering bounce and velocity on a pitch baked by the solar, he struck one other in Cummins’ subsequent over to make sure the scoreboard ticked over.
At the opposite finish, Haq continued chipping away and introduced up a ninth Test 50, and his first in Australia, off a glacial 161 balls with a single off Lyon.
But the runs had been onerous to come by and when Mitchell Marsh was launched, he instantly made an affect, eradicating Azam for 21, with the previous captain edging to wicketkeeper Alex Carey.
It sparked a mini-collapse, with Haq stumped for 62 when Lyon was introduced again into the assault, charging down the wicket in a lapse of focus, with Carey whipping off the bails.
Sarfaraz Ahmed lasted simply six balls, having no reply to Mitchell Starc’s swinging supply that despatched the stumps flying.
Australia took the brand new ball after lunch and Josh Hazlewood produced a high quality bouncer that Saud Shakeel tried to fend off however lobbed to Warner at slip.
He departed for 28 and Faheem Ashraf adopted for 9, caught low by Khawaja at sq. leg off Cummins.
Lyon returned to take his 499th wicket, with one other stumping from Carey accounting for Aamer Jamal, earlier than Travis Head’s part-time spin took care of Shaheen Shah Afridi.
