Pakistan edge closer to win as Abbas rips through Aussies
DUBAI (Reuters) - Pakistan seamer Mohammad Abbas claimed three quick wickets as Australia hobbled their way to 136-3 on Wednesday, chasing a mammoth target of 462 in the first Test in Dubai.
Australian openers Usman Khawaja and Aaron Finch picked up where they left off after their 142-run stand in the first innings, adding 72 runs by tea on day four.
The pair added 15 more runs in the final session before Abbas trapped Finch leg before for 49. The visitors squandered another good start when the Marsh brothers were dismissed for ducks by Abbas.
Shaun was caught behind off a well directed delivery, while a darting inswinger downed Mitchell plumb in front of the stumps.
Khawaja (50) and Travis Head (34) added 49 runs and will look to continue on the same note as they hope to grind out an unlikely draw on the final day.
If the tourists are to pull off a victory they will have to surpass the highest chase in test cricket by West Indies, who managed 418-7 against Australia at Antigua in 2003.
Pakistan resumed at 45-3 in the morning session and batted sensibly on a deteriorating pitch before declaring their second innings at 181-6.
Imam-ul-Haq (48) and Haris Sohail (39) missed out on half-centuries but their 65-run partnership took the lead close to 400 runs.
Imam was the first to fall on the day, offering left-arm spinner Jon Holland an easy return catch.
He was soon joined in the dressing room by Sohail, who was adjudged leg before off the bowling of debutant Marnus Labuschagne after Australia sought a review of the umpire’s original decision.
Asad Shafiq and Babar Azam then combined to add 71 to peg Australia back further under the sweltering Dubai heat.
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon tempted Shafiq into playing a lofty shot which was held by Mitchell Marsh at deep mid-wicket with the batsman falling on 41.
Lyon’s 310th test wicket saw him join Brett Lee as the fifth leading wicket-taker for Australia in the longest format of the game.
Abu Dhabi will host the second and final Test from Oct. 16.
SCOREBOARD
Pakistan 1st innings Imam ul-Haq c Tim Paine b Nathan Lyon 76 Mohammad Hafeez lbw Peter Siddle 126 Azhar Ali c Mitchell Starc b Jon Holland 18 Haris Sohail c Tim Paine b Nathan Lyon 110 Mohammad Abbas b Peter Siddle 1 Asad Shafiq c Tim Paine b Marnus Labuschagne 80 Babar Azam Run Out Marnus Labuschagne 4 Sarfraz Ahmed Run Out Aaron Finch 15 Bilal Asif b Peter Siddle 12 Wahab Riaz Not Out 7 Yasir Shah c Tim Paine b Mitchell Starc 3 Extras 6b 21lb 3nb 0pen 0w 30 Total (164.2 overs) 482 all out Fall of Wickets : 1-205 ul-Haq, 2-222 Hafeez, 3-244 Ali, 4-260 Abbas, 5-410 Shafiq, 6-418 Azam, 7-456 Sohail, 8-470 Ahmed, 9-473 Asif, 10-482 Shah Bowling Ov Md Rn Wk Econ Ex Mitchell Starc 36.2 11 90 1 2.48 2nb Peter Siddle 29 11 58 3 2.00 Nathan Lyon 52 12 114 2 2.19 Jon Holland 29 1 126 1 4.34 Marnus Labuschagne 8 0 29 1 3.62 Mitchell Marsh 10 0 38 0 3.80 1nb ................................................................. Australia 1st innings Usman Khawaja c Imam ul-Haq b Bilal Asif 85 Aaron Finch c Asad Shafiq b Mohammad Abbas 62 Shaun Marsh c Asad Shafiq b Bilal Asif 7 Mitchell Marsh lbw Mohammad Abbas 12 Travis Head c Haris Sohail b Bilal Asif 0 Marnus Labuschagne c Imam ul-Haq b Bilal Asif 0 Tim Paine c Imam ul-Haq b Bilal Asif 7 Mitchell Starc c Sarfraz Ahmed b Mohammad Abbas 0 Peter Siddle b Mohammad Abbas 10 Nathan Lyon c Imam ul-Haq b Bilal Asif 6 Jon Holland Not Out 0 Extras 6b 7lb 0nb 0pen 0w 13 Total (83.3 overs) 202 all out Fall of Wickets : 1-142 Finch, 2-160 Marsh, 3-167 Khawaja, 4-171 Head, 5-171 Labuschagne, 6-183 Marsh, 7-183 Paine, 8-191 Starc, 9-202 Siddle, 10-202 Lyon Bowling Ov Md Rn Wk Econ Ex Mohammad Abbas 19 9 29 4 1.53 Wahab Riaz 11 2 39 0 3.55 Yasir Shah 28 6 80 0 2.86 Mohammad Hafeez 3 1 2 0 0.67 Bilal Asif 21.3 7 36 6 1.67 Azhar Ali 1 0 3 0 3.00 ............................................................. Pakistan 2nd innings Imam ul-Haq c&b Jon Holland 48 Mohammad Hafeez c Marnus Labuschagne b Jon Holland 17 Bilal Asif c Travis Head b Nathan Lyon 0 Azhar Ali lbw Jon Holland 4 Haris Sohail lbw Marnus Labuschagne 39 Asad Shafiq c Mitchell Marsh b Nathan Lyon 41 Babar Azam Not Out 28 Extras 2b 2lb 0nb 0pen 0w 4 Total (57.5 overs) 181 decl Fall of Wickets : 1-37 Hafeez, 2-38 Asif, 3-45 Ali, 4-110 ul-Haq, 5-110 Sohail, 6-181 Shafiq Did Not Bat : Ahmed, Shah, Abbas, Riaz Bowling Ov Md Rn Wk Econ Ex Mitchell Starc 6 1 18 0 3.00 Nathan Lyon 25.5 6 58 2 2.25 Peter Siddle 2 1 3 0 1.50 Jon Holland 20 3 83 3 4.15 Travis Head 1 0 6 0 6.00 Marnus Labuschagne 3 0 9 1 3.00 ....................................................... Australia 2nd innings Aaron Finch lbw Mohammad Abbas 49 Usman Khawaja Not Out 50 Shaun Marsh c Sarfraz Ahmed b Mohammad Abbas 0 Mitchell Marsh lbw Mohammad Abbas 0 Travis Head Not Out 34 Extras 0b 3lb 0nb 0pen 0w 3 Total (50.0 overs) 136-3 Fall of Wickets : 1-87 Finch, 2-87 Marsh, 3-87 Marsh To Bat : Labuschagne, Paine, Starc, Siddle, Holland, Lyon Bowling Ov Md Rn Wk Econ Ex Mohammad Abbas 11 2 26 3 2.36 Mohammad Hafeez 2 0 10 0 5.00 Yasir Shah 15 1 42 0 2.80 Wahab Riaz 7 2 13 0 1.86 Bilal Asif 13 3 40 0 3.08 Haris Sohail 2 1 2 0 1.00 .................................... Umpire Richard Illingworth Umpire Richard Kettleborough Video Sundaram Ravi Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle
