The second day of the third and final Test between Pakistan and Australia saw the visitors concede the advantage to Pakistan after a collapse in the second session. After Cameron Green and Alex Carey added 88 runs in 28 overs before Lunch, the Aussie wicketkeeper failed to connect a flick shot, getting trapped in front against Numan Ali four overs after Lunch. This started a procession of wickets as from 341-5, Australia collapsed, losing five wickets for 50 runs. Pakistan ended the day strongly, losing just a wicket, adding 90 runs. Let’s look at a few key moments from the day’s play.
Aussie middle-order’s resilient show
After Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah rocked Australia late on Day 1, Carey joined Green with Australia in a spot of bother. The inexperienced duo had a lot on their shoulders, but they showed great maturity in overcoming the challenges. The duo registered a partnership of 135 runs, which is Australia’s highest sixth-wicket stand in Asia since 2013. The key to their game on the second day was how late they played the ball and the areas that they targeted. Both the batters tried to play as straight as possible, which reflects in their scoring areas.
Carey and Green scored 64.18% and 51.43% of their runs in the ‘V’ and front of square on the offside, respectively. With Naseem and Afridi reverse swinging at pace, playing in these areas was the right thing to do, and it also showed their maturity and game awareness.
Naseem Shah coming off age
Before this Test, Naseem Shah averaged 44.66 with the ball, striking at 70.1. The teenager was thrown into the deep end at the start of his career, with challenging tours to Australia, England, and New Zealand. Shah averaged 71 and had a strike rate of 108.3 in these away conditions. But in this Test, Naseem showed why he is considered such an exciting talent.
With the adjacent pitches at the Gaddafi Stadium being quite dry, the ball got scuffed up pretty easily. This helped the fielding team to work on the ball to get it reverse. With his extra pace, Shah was able to extract significant reverse swing on the ball. What was more heartening to see was his direction. He kept the ball as straight as possible, targeting the stumps of the batters. Naseem bowled 13 maidens in his 31-over stint, going under 2 RPO.
The Aussies found it tough to handle the reverse swing from Naseem Shah, with his accurate line making it difficult to work him off the square.
Abdullah Shafique shines bright
Abdullah Shafique has been Pakistan’s standout batter in this series. Apart from being their leading run-scorer and the second-highest overall, what is impressive is the authority with which the youngster has played throughout this series.
Shafique ended the day unbeaten on 45. His 117-ball inning has a control percentage of 94 so far. Shafique is technically sound and tries to play the ball right under his eye. With Cummins bowling at a good pace and generating more bounce on this pitch than any other bowler, Shafique rode the bounce nicely, getting on top of the ball.
What was more remarkable from his innings was how far he was able to stretch his front foot. Getting a long stride against the bowling of 140+ kph isn’t easy, especially against the angle of Starc and the bounce of Cummins. But Shafique was confident in his defense and played with utmost conviction.
Pakistan are nicely placed in this match after making a strong comeback in the game. Australia will need to restrict their opponents and be patient in their plans. In hot Lahore conditions, Pakistan will like to make the most of their chance and try to tire out the opposition by batting through the third day.