Stumps - Day 1, Australia trail by 307 in the second innings
And what a day it was. It looked early like Australia might win it in six sessions, ploughing through Pakistan. Hazlewood and Starc were both running hot, then Cummins got into the wickets. But Rizwan started the resistance, Salman continued it, and Jamal finished it off in style with Hamza as the taciturn sidekick. We’ve seen a wonderful display of Test cricket, and not a drop of rain fell.
We’ll be back tomorrow, with Angus Fontaine to start day two and me for the second half.
In the meantime, here is a wrap of the first day at the SCG and Warner’s gripping cameo right before stumps:
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1st over: Australia 4-0 (Warner 4, Khawaja 0) Warner starts with a boundary! Of course he does. Loosener from Sajid, short and wide, cut away. The sun breaks through the clouds for a moment, sending shadows across the ground, and Warner tucks two through midwicket. Adjusts his helmet, gloves, gets settled again. Defends coming forward.
Then again… and nearly bowled! The ball creeps through under the bat, bounces off the pitch, and just clears middle stump! Another block, and that is the day.
And Sajid Khan will bowl! The off-spinner. Interesting move.
Warner will face. Khawaja walks to the far end.
Here comes Warner, to a huge cheer. Khawaja hugs him on the boundary line, then hangs well back to let Warner run out alone. And the Pakistan players form a guard of honour. Shan Masood shakes his hand and the others pat him on the back as he goes through. Nice touch. Now they’ll try to get him out.
Dreadful over rate again. Take away two for the change of innings and there are still ten overs left to bowled, and it’s five minutes until the end of the extra half hour.
How has Australia only bowled 77 over with 14 mins left of extra time… I seriously hope we get docked all their points.
— Joey Kozina (@Joey_Kozina) January 3, 2024
David Warner ran off the field as that last wicket fell to get ready. Pakistan will probably get one over in.
Pakistan all out 313 in the first innings
77.1 overs: Pakistan 313-10 (Hamza 7) An incredible performance from Jamal and Hamza, dragging Pakistan from 227 for 9 all the way up to 313 all out. Both openers made second-ball ducks, remember. The score was 96 for 5 when Shan Masood was out. But Rizwan clouted 88, Agha Salman batted really well for 53, then Jamal swung blindly at first but built into his innings with increasing confidence, and put on most of the 86 runs for the last partnership.
That’s one run short of Pakistan’s biggest stand for the last wicket against Australia, when Asif Iqbal and Iqbal Qasim added 87 in Adelaide in 1976.
We’ve seen something special today.
WICKET! Jamal c Starc b Lyon 82, Pakistan 313-10
The fun is over. Jamal goes to the well one more time, striking Lyon out over deep midwicket. There’s plenty on it, but this time not quite the distance, and the placement isn’t into the gap but towards Starc at a wide long on. The fast bowler’s dependable hands hold onto the catch.
But what a performance.
77th over: Pakistan 313-9 (Jamal 82, Hamza 7) It’s also Pakistan’s 6th-biggest partnership for the 10th wicket. Incredible. Travis Head is on for a bowl. Off spin, if you don’t know. Turns one in and hits Jamal in front, but the umpire says going down leg and Australia have no reviews. Jamal advances to strike one out to deep midwicket, bouncing in front of the fielder, and takes a run with two balls left.
Hamza does his bit. He’s faced 43 balls.
76th over: Pakistan 312-9 (Jamal 81, Hamza 7) Absolutely smashed! Huge hit from Jamal, way over midwicket and clean as a whistle for six. Lyon is getting tonked. And again, straight over his head for four! Amazing batting. Turns away a single. Hamza defends. Here’s one partnership stat for you.
At 85, this is now the 6th-biggest Test partnership against Australia for the 10th wicket. Just went past Stokes and Leach at Headingley. #AusvPak
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) January 3, 2024
75th over: Pakistan 301-9 (Jamal 70, Hamza 7) Again Jamal takes a run off the third ball against Cummins, pulling, and again Hamza gets through the rest.
We’re getting into ‘looking up record 10th-wicket partnerships’ territory. Not that this one is near the top yet, but to see where it stands.
74th over: Pakistan 300-9 (Jamal 69, Hamza 7) Been a bit quiet, hasn’t it? Time for another Jamal hit? Yep! Belts Lyon out into the deep, between Starc at long on and Smith at deep midwicket, and picks the gap to perfection.
Not content with that, it’s time for a switch hit! Shapes up left-handed, has Lyon’s stock ball turning into him, and wallops it over deep point for six. Goodness me, what a strike. The Australians have allowed him to build into this innings, and now it is flourishing. What a performance.
A last-wicket partnership of 73 has taken Pakistan to 300, as a conventional sweep for one turns over the strike with two balls to go. Hamza faces balls 36 and 37 of his innings to push this pair into another over.
73rd over: Pakistan 289-9 (Jamal 58, Hamza 7) Cummins to Jamal, then. Surely the Australian captain is the one to break up this party. Slip, gully, cover, midwicket up closer, the rest are back. Cummins bowls length anyway. Again Jamal takes a run third ball. That feels a tad early, even with Hamza doing well. Cummins goes around the wicket to the left-hander, brings in the two catchers under the lid. Straight to short leg but off the pad, crowd goes up but the players don’t. Hamza plays the next down well, past Head at short leg. And defends the last.
72nd over: Pakistan 288-9 (Jamal 57, Hamza 7) Jamal’s confidence in Hamza grows, single off the third ball of Lyon’s over flicked out square. Two bat pads, two slips for Hamza. He blocks through the over.
71st over: Pakistan 287-9 (Jamal 56, Hamza 7) Cummins gets himself back on to rough up Hamza, who is every chance to pop one up to short leg here, jumping into the air trying to play the short ball down. Bat-pad catchers both sides of the wicket. He gets the toe of the bat on a ball that stays low, bouncing through to Carey. Then more runs! Defends and it deflects off the straight bat square of gully. They take the second with one ball to come in the over, and Hamza pushes it behind square to stay alive.
Half century! Jamal 52 from 71 balls
70th over: Pakistan 285-9 (Jamal 56, Hamza 5) First run for Hamza! Four of them. And the crowd as anticipated rises to him. That’s nice. Sure, it was an outside edge barely past the hands of gully to the inside, but he deserves some reward. Then he drops a defensive shot away and Jamal is quick to run through and pinch strike. Starc bowls short and he uppercuts him for four!
Magnificent innings, really. Bravery, application, some luck, but from a parlous position he has fought back.
Wickets when they were being bossed in Perth, brave runs under fire in Melbourne as well as contributing with the ball, and an even better innings here. A lot of Pakistan players don’t leave Australia with their reputations enhanced, but in a few days he will be one.
Follows up with a back-foot punch through cover for another four, and ducks a bouncer to close the over. Hamza back on strike. That’s another 13-run over. And the partnership is worth 58.
69th over: Pakistan 272-9 (Jamal 48, Hamza 0) Mir Hamza has faced 21 balls now. Labuschagne is continuing, Jamal slapping him to long on but not running. Still five fielders back. Waits a couple more balls, then skips down, opens his hips up and smacks four straight down the ground. Lifted away. Runs an outside edge to gully. Has one ball to keep strike as the field comes up, and does the next best thing, advancing to flick four through midwicket.
Give Warner a bowl.
68th over: Pakistan 264-9 (Jamal 40, Hamza 0) Yep yep, it’s Mitchell Starc. From the Randwick End, windmilling his arms. Slip, gully, leg gully, short leg, backward point all lurking. Fine leg for the top edge.
Starts too wide and Hamza leaves. On target next ball as he fends over short leg! Head got a touch on that above his namesake body part but it was too high to do anything but parry. Wafts at the third, ducks the fourth. Just seeing a graphic that shows Australia’s quicks have bowled four balls fuller than the designated “short” length in this entire session. Starc continues on trend but Hamza gets behind it. One to survive… and he misses down the leg side. That applies to batter and bowler both.
67th over: Pakistan 264-9 (Jamal 40, Hamza 0) Labuschagne continues with a half-tracker, Jamal cuts to long off. No run. Floats up the next one nicely, defended on the front foot. Blocks a few, might have run himself out while turning back had Marsh not fumbled at point. Reverse attempt at the last ball and misses! No dice on the appeal but that leaves Hamza on strike for the next over. Surely a fast bowler comes on?
66th over: Pakistan 264-9 (Jamal 40, Hamza 0) Warner is wearing two baggy greens now, fielding near the fence. Jamal flicks fine but decides not to try running two. Belts to midwicket and does try it, but good fielding keeps him to one. Four catchers crowd the bat with four balls to bowl to Hamza. Blocks the first, misses the second, straight on past the left-hander’s edge. Leaves the third. Edges the fourth just in front of second slip! Survives. If Hamza gets a run this place will erupt.
65th over: Pakistan 263-9 (Jamal 39, Hamza 0) Australia are turning to Labuschagne to have a bowl! This partnership really has annoyed them. Marnus does get one to turn past the edge, but aside from that it’s the same deal: five balls to Jamal, one run, Hamza blocks one.
64th over: Pakistan 262-9 (Jamal 38, Hamza 0) Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V. Aamer Jamal faces five balls from Lyon, takes a run, and Hamza blocks the last.
63rd over: Pakistan 261-9 (Jamal 37, Hamza 0) It’s become predictable now. Jamal isn’t a comprehensively good enough player to need the whole field back. Surely conventional bowling would challenge him? Here he has licence to swing – and he does so again for six! Strikes Hazlewood over square leg, and that’s not even a normal pull shot, that’s almost off a length. Picked that up beautifully. Slips come back for the fifth ball, Hazlewood bowls channel, and Jamal nearly edges it. One ball left and he plays it smartly, advancing at the bowler to create the shorter length to cut it into the gap at point and keep strike. Might even have run three had they gone hard immediately, but he settles for one. Did well to hit that softly enough that it wouldn’t race to the fence. Drinks.
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62nd over: Pakistan 254-9 (Jamal 30, Hamza 0) Hard straight drive from Jamal against Lyon but long on is back. Doesn’t take the single behind squrae either. Five out. Slip, midwicket, mid off and cover within cooee of the bat. Reverse sweep single from the fourth ball. Hamza takes his tally of deliveries faced up to nine.
61st over: Pakistan 253-9 (Jamal 29, Hamza 0) Hazlewood to Jamal, who keeps turning down singles, and makes a couple of errors when the ball is in the channel. How about that. Nearly spoons back a catch, after almost dragging on tohis stumps. Finally from the fifth ball, he pulls a run into miles of open space on the leg side. That’s all too easy. The Australians appeal for a catch off Hamza to short leg, but it was all thigh and no bat.
They’ll be praying for the rain to arrive. There’s a classic Nasty Little Session™ coming any minute.
@GeoffLemonSport I bet Ussie and Warner are thanking their lucky stars that Afridi isn't playing if they have to bat before stumps.
— Michael Graham Yallop (@master_grundy) January 3, 2024
60th over: Pakistan 252-9 (Jamal 28, Hamza 0) Lyon versus the Flying Jamal. Sweeps square but doesn’t run. Backs away and tries to punch through cover but Lyon gets too much turn into him. Waits and stabs the next one. Reverses a run from the fourth ball and again it will be Hamza x 2. Again, the 11 delivers.
59th over: Pakistan 251-9 (Jamal 27, Hamza 0) Boshed! Hazlewood back for Starc, and Jamal calmly smacks him off a length through backward square for four.Then rocks back and uppercuts but hits it so firmly it goes out in front of point, Khawaja around again. “Uzzie!” screams a guy in the crowd so loudly that I can hear him from the far side of the ground. He’s in the Trumper Stand, we’re in the Bradman. And Hazlewood is in the Members, as Jamal batters him for six! Cross bat again, and finally connects one clean.
Splices the next ball out to midwicket for a run, airborne but safe, and gives Hamza two balls to survive. Hamza does his part. That’s 13 from the over and the 250 up for Pakistan, a great result from where they were. Jamal has done his bit.
58th over: Pakistan 238-9 (Jamal 14, Hamza 0) Cummins decides to try buying a wicket with spin. A wristy clip to midwicket gets nothing. The reverse sweep gets four! Thanks to Hazlewood’s misfield. Jamal wasn’t even trying to run one, he doesn’t want Mir Hamza on strike, but Hazlewood gets his feet tangled while getting to the ball and barely gets fingers on it. Jamal smashes one straight, and Lyon nearly takes a superb rebound catch! Tips it up in the air, spins in his follow through and dives back, but can’t reach the butter-up. Jamal turns over strike with one ball to go, the field comes up, and Hamza defends.
57th over: Pakistan 233-9 (Jamal 9, Hamza 0) A chance for Cummins to get six, as again Jamal plays teeball and doesn’t connect. Wears that one in the armpit. Cummins tries a slower-ball yorker, running is fingers over it, but Jamal spots it and gets forward. Then finally connects with his cross-bat shot, in between two of the leg-side boundary riders for four. Smith couldn’t see it at deep forward square, just holds his palms to the sky. It’s very gloomy out there. The crowd at deep point goes wild as Khawaja starts doing push-ups, clapping between each rep, then he has to race after a ball that Jamal bunts out that way to keep the strike.
56th over: Pakistan 228-9 (Jamal 4, Hamza 0) Starc bowling the bumpers now, and Jamal nearly edges one pulling. Races a single after knocking a fuller one to midwicket. Interesting to read Phil Walker’s interview with Wes Hall, being reminded how the ideal of bouncing tailenders is seen completely differently now.
WICKET! Hasan c Starc b Cummins 0, Pakistan 227-9
55th over: Pakistan 227-9 (Jamal 3, Hasan 0) Booming pull shot from Jamal facing Cummins, but the only boom is ball onto shoulder into grille. Nearly swings himself off his feet. Gets his helmet checked, says he’ll carry on, and plays the same shot again. Misses totally, but doesn’t get whacked this time. Third time lucky, a bottom edge from his baseball swing and a run to deep backward. Still five out. Those three on the leg side, plus a fly slip and a deep backward point. Then a mid on, square leg, short leg, and gully. Acres of space through cover, anywhere from gully to mid on is open. If he could just flat-bat one in front of point he’d get four all over. But he can’t. Fences at a ball outside the off stump, unsure about the in-between length. The Australians think that he’s nicked it, and use their last review to learn that he hasn’t. Umpire Gough stands vindicated.
But the wicket comes to end the over, Hasan picking up a pull shot from his hip, making decent contact, getting what would be enough of a ride on a lot of grounds, but Starc has heels by the rope at fine leg as he takes it bucket style around his sternum. Cummins has five.
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54th over: Pakistan 226-8 (Jamal 1, Hasan 0) Jamal batted well in Melbourne too, in the first innings, but the job here is too big for him. Hasan Ali is nowhere coming out to join him. Fends at his first ball, walks across and tries to a lift a pull shot off his stumps from the next.
WICKET! Salman c Head b Starc 53, Pakistan 226-8
Could all be over in seconds now. Five in the deep for Salman Agha, including three on the leg side – forward square, backward square, fine leg. And somehow he punts a pull shot straight to the regulation square leg, the only man within 50 metres of him on the leg side.
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Half century! Salman Agha 52 from 64 balls
53rd over: Pakistan 224-7 (Salman 52, Jamal 1) Cummins looking for three five-fors in a row against Pakistan. Almost gets Aamer Jamal gloving to silly point but it goes past and earns the lower-order man a run. Off the glove, painful, as he ruefully inspects his hand at the non-striker’s end. Salman follows with a lovely dab to deep third, and there are cheers for Warner sliding on his belly to keep it to three, but cheers also for Salman who notches consecutive fifties in Australia. No small feat. And at a rattling rate as well.
WICKET! Sajid c Lyon b Cummins 15, Pakistan 220-7
That’s daft, but it was always coming. Sajid keeps playing a flash outside off, even with a fly slip there, and gets away with it a couple of times. Then he flaps a short ball straight to square leg and is caught. The whole field is there for cross-bat shots and he plays into the trap.
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52nd over: Pakistan 220-6 (Salman 49, Sajid 15) Pulling, but keeping the ball down, is Salman. He goes high to low on those shots and manages to make them safer. Picks off Starc twice in the over, one boundary squarer and one finer.
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51st over: Pakistan 211-6 (Salman 41, Sajid 14) More bouncers to the bouncer field from Cummins’ over. Oh Lord, the sky is very grey and menacing over behind the green corrugated roofs of the Ladies Stand.
50th over: Pakistan 209-6 (Salman 39, Sajid 13) Salman is happy to take the single early in the over. It failed spectacularly at the end of the Melbourne Test. Sajid is a better batter than any of those final four, but he’s still facing a fired-up Starc. Hooks a run without much control, turning his head away on impact as it skews to deep backward square. Salman pulls another. Sajid glides a run away, via a deflection from Marsh in the gully, on the bounce. That’s a solid over of collecting.
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49th over: Pakistan 204-6 (Salman 37, Sajid 11) Back after tea, and Cummins is gonna keep on bouncing. Salman, first, who pulls a run. Sajid, second, who hops and sizzles like drops on a hot skillet. Then gets one ball pitched up and punches it for four. Through mid off. Cop that, Captain Pat.
Hold me closer, Tiny Trev.
@GeoffLemonSport there’s rain on the way. Currently “2 hours away” which means we might just keep to the wet test tradition. pic.twitter.com/UXbEvyUQWZ
— tiny-trev (@tiny_trev) January 3, 2024
“Gutted Rizwan’s gone, but I have to say I’m a fan of how the players have taken to the Pakistan Way philosophy. It looks good on them!”
It does look good, Rowan Sweeney. It would sit more comfortably if they weren’t still battling to reach 250.
Tea - Day 1, Pakistan 199 for 6
Well, the visitors fought back into the contest in that session, though they lost the key man Rizwan shortly before it ended. Still Australia’s match to boss.
48th over: Pakistan 199-6 (Salman 36, Sajid 7) Marsh continues to Sajid, who is dropped! Khawaja at third slip puts down a flat and fast but gettable chance, knee high. No run there, one later for Sajid off the pads, and that’s tea.
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47th over: Pakistan 197-6 (Salman 35, Sajid 6) Out strides Sajid Khan, a man with a fiercely shiny head and an even more fierce moustache. Welcomed with a short ball, naturally, which he rides via the pull shot for a single. Takes on his next short one though, uppercut with style over the slips for four! They leave Smith down there at fly slip, and Sajid plays the same shot which nearly carries to Smith. Gets another run.
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WICKET! Rizwan c Hazlewood b Cummins 88, Pakistan 190-8
Oh no! Cummins is back into the attack, and as so often he’s the one to make a breakthrough. Not with a great delivery though – it’s barely chest high, short but not venomous, except Rizwan spinning on his heels pulls the ball and gets a long top edge all the way down towards the fence behind square. Hazlewood is standing there and takes the catch. Rizwan gets a huge ovation as he comes off, and he deserves it for an entertaining innings. Pakistan needed more though.
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46th over: Pakistan 190-5 (Rizwan 88, Salman 34) Racing alongside his partner is Salman, who gets some refuse-grade stuff from Marsh a mile outside off stump and can barely reach it, but comes down on the ball with his cut shot and gets enough on the toe to send it to the backward point fence.
45th over: Pakistan 186-5 (Rizwan 88, Salman 30) Streaky like a Zimbabwe all-rounder, Rizwan flashes Starc over the cordon with an angled bat. He’s not holding back as he moves through the 80s.
44th over: Pakistan 180-5 (Rizwan 83, Salman 30) MmmmmmMarsh has a wicket already and he’s back for more. Bowled well earlier. Solitary slip, Smith floating at around second. Two catches already today have taken him to 172, which is 8th all time in Tests. Three more to catch Alastair Cook, nine to equal Mark Waugh – which is kind of a big deal. Not much gets mentioned about Smith the slipper, but he’s close to the man who is probably the best ever to do it.
I’m open to suggestions if you think there’s someone better.
A few pull shots in this over, Rizwan for two, Salman for four.
43rd over: Pakistan 173-5 (Rizwan 80, Salman 26) Juicy for Rizwan. Gets width from Starc and tucks in with a cut shot for four. Then more singles. Warner is pointing to his cap for some reason. It looks very green and fresh so presumably it’s a replacement.
42nd over: Pakistan 166-5 (Rizwan 74, Salman 25) Rizwan, rinse one! Sloggo sweepo from the keepo, kneeroll to the ground as he lumps Lyon a mile over deep midwicket. Goes in the same direction for brace, then slaps one through cover, and that’s after he and Salman started the over with singles. Eleven from it.
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41st over: Pakistan 155-5 (Rizwan 64, Salman 24) Starc to bowl from the Paddington End, two slips and a gully for Rizwan with a deeo pooint and a long leg. None relevant as he drills a glorious straight drive! Starc can get full, and Rizwan slots it back past him with bottom-handed power. Hot. Hits the next one just as firmly but right at mid on.
40th over: Pakistan 150-5 (Rizwan 59, Salman 24) Made 50 in Melbourne, and Salman Agha is up for more, getting down for a muscular sweep against Lyon for four. Carey resets the field. Deep square leg, short fine leg. So Salman advances and hits straighter, over midwicket this time! Four. Smokes his next on drive, too, but straight at the midwicket fielder.
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39th over: Pakistan 141-5 (Rizwan 58, Salman 16) Shot, lad. Salman goes back to Hazlewood and flicks him stylishly off the pads for four. Then pulls a shorter one to fine leg for two. Runs coming comfortably when shots are played here. Ball coming on nicely. I’m tipping Australia for a big one when they bat.
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38th over: Pakistan 135-5 (Rizwan 58, Salman 10) Thanks Gus. Here we are, glorious sunshine in Sydney as it is every year, and Rizwan producing a few rays for Pakistan after a gloomy start. He picks off Lyon for a couple off the hip, after trading singles with Salman Agha.
37th over: Pakistan 131-5 (Rizwan 55, Salman 9) FIFTY for Rizwan! Nice way to do it too, kinking the knees to Hazlewood and swivelling into a pull shot that pierces the field and races to the boundary. Great fighting innings from Rizwan – his ninth Test fifty has come from 74 balls and has put some much needed steel into this Pakistan innings. Hazlewood shows his appreciation for Rizwan’s efforts with a bouncer that gets Salman ducking. But Salman bounces back with an on drive that yields three runs. This partnership is up to 35 from 89 balls, a valuable one for the visitors.
That’s me done for the day. Thanks for your company and see you on the morrow. Geoff Lemon will bring you home.
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36th over: Pakistan 122-5 (Rizwan 49, Salman 6) Pakistan’s run-rate is a resolute 3.38 which shows that, despite five of them being rolled, at least they’re not rattled. Rizwan is batting beautifully, striking at 70 and closing in on a fine half-century. Salman has survived a few overs and slapped a boundary so Pakistan have some hope.
36th over: Pakistan 122-5 (Rizwan 49, Salman 6) Wide from Lyon and WHACK goes Rizwan. The GOAT rips one into the rough in revenge and there’s a half shout before the echo of bat makes it a resounding non-review. Rizwan celebrates by sweeping for another four, reaching way down the wicket to catch it on the bounce and send it to the fence.
35th over: Pakistan 113-5 (Rizwan 40, Salman 6) A Rizwan single from the first puts Salman on strike and he’s beaten badly as Hazlewood hoops one off a length with a scramble seam. Just when another maiden looks inevitable Salman breaks the shackles, on-driving handsomely for four.
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34th over: Pakistan 108-5 (Rizwan 39, Salman 2) Almost a catch! Salman swiped across the line to Lyon but the top edge fell short of the man close in. Scoring has slowed to a trickle here as Australia turn the screws and Salman tries desperately to get his eye in.
33rd over: Pakistan 107-5 (Rizwan 37, Salman 2) Like Batman and the Creature with the Atom Brain, Josh Hazlewood returns. He can sniff a tailender like a fox can smell a chicken with a limp and had been whirling his arms in warmup to tell his captain as much. Sure enough, after leaking a single to Rizwan first ball, he gets something to shout about on his third, clipping the top of Salman’s pad. Onfield decision is YEAH NAH but Australia opt to review. Even then it’s not out, flying a good distance over middle peg. That’s another review burned. Just one remaining for Australia now.
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32nd over: Pakistan 106-5 (Rizwan 38, Salman 2) Marsh’s two wickets in 10 balls (one valid, one scrubbed) are rewarded with a rare fourth straight over. Well earned too. He is varying his pace and finding bounce, sending through a six demon bag of line balls, bouncers and tempters and it’s got Pakistan on the hop.
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31st over: Pakistan 106-5 (Rizwan 37, Salman 2) Rizwan won’t relent! He’s lost his captain but he hasn’t lost his nerve, slapping a full ball from Cummins back down the ground for a four. Lovely on drive! Then he doubles down, whipping the Australian skipper through midwicket for another boundary. Good batting by the gloveman!
WICKET! Masood c Smith b Marsh 35 (Pakistan 96-5)
Marsh gets Masood! That was good bowling and bad batting. The dust was just settling on a near run-out and Marsh rushed in and put a sweet fizzer outside off. Masood lunged at it with a flashing bat that flinched and caught a thick edge which flew to Steve Smith at second slip. Marsh cast a cheeky look back at the umpire to ensure he hadn’t overstepped again and could celebrate. He can. Not so Pakistan, who have lost their skipper for the second time in 10 balls – and with it, a whole lot of hope.
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30th over: Pakistan 98-5 (Rizwan 28, Salman 0) Almost a run-out! Rizwan pushed his hands at Marsh’s first ball and stuttered a little as Labuschagne swooped at midwicket and then threw down the stumps. He looked home but it’s close enough to warrant a second look from the third umpire, Yep, well home. Masood’s snick off has brought Salman to the crease and officially revealed Pakistan’s tail.
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29th over: Pakistan 95-4 (Masood 35, Rizwan 28) Captain to captain as Cummins cruises in to the stately Masood. The dapper Kuwait-born left-hander has won many fans on this first tour as leader with his high-tempo batting and statesmanlike dealings with press and public. He swishes at a wider fifth ball but it misses and also evades the edge. It’s a maiden.
28th over: Pakistan 95-4 (Masood 35, Rizwan 28) Marsh to Masood and the skipper drives deep for a single. Rizwan crouches, ready to pounce at these cleverly disguised 126kph half-trackers. But Marsh has guile beneath his brawn and to prove it he pushes the fourth ball through shorter at 133kph, sending Rizwan back on his heels. Rizwan leaves a tempter on the last. Be good to see Marsh get a decent spell here but it’ll likely be another brief cameo before the frontline stars return.
27th over: Pakistan 95-4 (Masood 34, Rizwan 28) Almost chops on! Rizwan stabbed at a straight third delivery from Cummins’ seventh over and almost chopped it onto his leg stump. He gets a single before Masood doers likewise and Rizwan pinches two from the last.
26th over: Pakistan 90-4 (Masood 32, Rizwan 25) Wicket for Marsh?! Rizwan greeted the big allrounder with a thick edge over gully. Game on! After three more runs Masood went big at the fifth delivery and edged truly to second slip. Wicket! No, a no ball. Marsh throws back his head and grins ruefully at the overstep and captain Masood does similarly, albeit sheepishly.
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25th over: Pakistan 80-4 (Masood 32, Rizwan 17) Cummins crunched by Rizwan! A hearty lunch breeds a hearty shot as the ‘keeper-batter bashes the Australian skipper backward of point. A single to follow says Australia might have their hands full in this second session.
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That rough and ready footage of the great Allan Border claiming 11-for at the SCG with what he humbly described as his “left-arm nothings” has jarred a lot of memories loose for readers.
“I was there when Border took his 8 for at the SCG,” writes Adrian Kinslor. “He was as surprised as anyone, though that West Indian team of greats was always susceptible to spun. A great day.”
Adrian recalls it was a turning point for Border’s young side. “Australia had already lost the first three of a five-Test series in December, but had unexpectedly won the 50 over B&H tri-series and went into the game with some confidence. They won this and the subsequent Test and trotted off to England in May with self-belief. Widely derided by the Poms in the press as ‘the worst team to tour England’, they smashed England 4-0 in that 1989 series and did not look back.”
Ah happy days they were too, particularly after the lean years of the early-to-mid 80s.
The AB clip reminded Brand King “of the time at the Gabba back in the early 90s when, following a day’s play in the Test, me and a few mates got ourselves onto the hallowed turf and started playing a game in front of the player’s pavilion. A handful of youngsters joined in as the players watched on. Suspecting these might be children of the Baggy Green elite, I asked one his name. ‘Dene Border’ he replied innocently, before puffing out his chest with pride and telling me his claim to fame: “My Dad knows Merv Hughes!”
LUNCH: Pakistan are 75 for 4 after winning the toss at the SCG
It took two deliveries for Australia to land the first blow of the third Test, and another six before the 1-2 combination came together in glorious style. Two wickets – one to Mitchell Starc, the other to Josh Hazlewood – within two overs kicked off the first session of this Pink Test and another two scalps shortly afterward to captain Pat Cummins sent Pakistan to lunch in deep trouble. Even then, the visitors showed courage to land some counter punches, fighting back through Babar Azam and Shan Masood. Now, with the feisty Mohammad Rizwan on his captain’s hip, the fightback is on!
Will Pakistan continue to rally after lunch to keep alive their hopes of a first Test win in Australia since 1995? Or will the home side’s bowlers blast them out to give Man of the Moment David Warner a bat on day one of his final Test before retirement? We’ll find out in a hot half hour.
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24th over: Pakistan 75-4 (Masood 32, Rizwan 12) As Nathan Lyon wheels in for a final over before the break, David Warner has two baggy greens on his head to sub for the two he’s lost. One is his replacement cap for this Test, and other is Nathan Lyon’s. After a tidy over, Rizwan works the last fizzer off his hip to sneak a run and retain strike after lunch. Here endeth the session.
23rd over: Pakistan 73-4 (Masood 31, Rizwan 11) Starc gets another over before lunch and with Rizwan’s recent six and his propensity for chancing his hand no matter the scoreline, why not? Sure enough, having survived a peach on the third, Rizwan opens up lavishly to whack a wide one down the ground. But the contact isn’t flush and the field is tight so it’s a maiden.
22nd over: Pakistan 73-4 (Masood 31, Rizwan 11) The Hoff has Masood playing and missing again in this over. The Pakistan leader has to hold his nerve as losing his wicket before the lunch break would be disastrous. But he also has to maintain his positive air, backing himself with fast hands and sharp eyes. He does both to the final delivery, spinning and slotting Hazlewood to the fence with great style.
21st over: Pakistan 68-4 (Masood 27, Rizwan 10) In the air… but safe! Starc shot it wide, luring Masood to have a crack at it before lunch and he did. But despite not middling the ball positive intent alone sent it flying wide of the man at point and rolling to the rope for a much-needed boundary. Good contest here – a new captain fighting a rearguard action and a fast-bowling beast slavering for a second scalp before his home fans. Masood takes another two. But Starc switches the narrative next ball as he strikes Masood on the knee roll. Big shout. Onfield decision is NOT OUT but Australia review… unsuccessfully as replays show it hitting outside the line.
20th over: Pakistan 62-4 (Masood 21, Rizwan 10) Rizwan rips a SIX! Hazlewood steamed in and put his first ball on a shorter length aimed at middle stump. It was a good delivery but Rizwan loves to rumble. He got low and swung hard and high to send it into the crowd behind backward square. Great shot by The Riz!
19th over: Pakistan 54-4 (Masood 19, Rizwan 4) Double bowling change for Australia as Mitchell Starc comes on for a second spell and is worked for two by Masood. Good timing too because Gary Naylor has emailed in to ask: “Do the Aussies not sledge any more? Patrick Cummins came across as very decent, very bookish in season two of The Test, more likely to quote Yuval Noah-Harai than let loose some earthy Anglo-Saxon. Perhaps Davy Warner will give it a last hurrah? But let’s hope not.”
Interesting question, Gary. Mitchell Starc loves a mutter but Pat Cummins tends to let his bowling do the talking. That said, when Pakistan took the ascendancy in Melbourne last week, the normally calm Cummins was briefly reduced to mouthing a few frustrations the way of the Pakistan batters. I’m no lip reader but it looked a lot like he was reminding them of Yuval Noah-Harai’s famous words: “Ignorance by itself is not too dangerous. If you combine it with power, this is a toxic mix. For thousands of years, we have gained the power to control the world outside us but not to control the world inside. You could stop a river from flowing, but you could not stop your body from becoming old.”
Well that’s what it looked like from the cheap seats.
18th over: Pakistan 54-4 (Masood 19, Rizwan 4) As Hazlewood replaces Lyon at the Randwick end and delivers a typically miserly maiden over, Arthur Mühlen-Schulte has been in touch from Punta Arenas in Patagonia with a ripping David Warner memory:
“As a not-particularly-successful 12th Man in the Waverley under-14s with Steve Warner’s team, I had the privilege of whiling away my time chucking balls at his insistent 7-8 year old kid brother Davey, who was wielding a bat on the edge of the field in Moore Park. He middled every one like a hyperactive ninja and should have replaced me on the team!”
That’s an image that rings true, Arthur! Any other junior matadors who duelled with the young “Bull” Warner out there?
17th over: Pakistan 54-4 (Masood 19, Rizwan 4) Masood looks good. Here he swivels to Cummins and pulls fine while rolling his wrists over the ball to keep it down. Too nice a shot for a single but every run counts when your team is four-down for 54. Cummins has 2-16 from his five overs and is leading Australia’s charge to victory yet again.
16th over: Pakistan 52-4 (Masood 18, Rizwan 3) New batter Rizwan twinkles those toes and slaps Lyon for a single down the ground. The 31-year-old wicjketkeeper-batter from Peshawar has another rescue mission on his hands here. Can he and Captain Masood steady the listing ship?
15th over: Pakistan 49-4 (Masood 16, Rizwan 0) Shakeel’s wicket brings Rizwan to the crease. He’s a busy batter with bugger-all to lose here so we might see fireworks unless Shan Masood can calm him down. Babar’s enterprising counterattack was swinging the momentum back to the visitors before Cummins coolly snatched it back for the home side.
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WICKET! Shakeel c Carey b Cummins 5 (Pakistan 47-4)
Cummins strikes again! Shakeel had worked him for two from the first ball but Cummins had a plan and the second ball lured the batter in. The delivery was a fraction faster, a little wider but the scrambled seam bewitched it and Shakeel prodded without moving his feet and Cummins zipped it back in, caught a faint edge and Carey gloved the easy chance.
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14th over: Pakistan 45-3 (Masood 16, Shakeel 3) Lyon returns and Masood carves him into the covers but the field is tight and no runs result. They finally sneak a couple of singles as Lyon searches in vain for movement. This isn’t the pitch of AB’s 11-for, it’s a flatter track where bat dominates.
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13th over: Pakistan 43-3 (Masood 15, Shakeel 2) Cummins to Masood and he runs a single. That brings Shakeel on strike. The 28-year-old from Karachi made his debut in 2022 and boasts a Test average of 68 and he shows why here swatting handsomely for two. Cummins digs the next one a little shorter but this curious SCG pitch doesn’t turn it into a bouncer, instead it stays low and Shakeel doesn’t duck and doesn’t play – it hits him flush on the shoulder before ricocheting into his helmet. Ouch! The Australians are asking after his welfare but Shakeel is in pain and we’ll pause for treatment and some helmet protocols. Pakistan have been hit often in this series, most of it due to dodgy footwork, wavering eye contact with the bouncing ball and poor ducking technique.
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12th over: Pakistan 39-2 (Masood 13, Shakeel 0) The GOAT is on. Saud Shakeel is the new batter but it will be their new inclusion, specialist spinner Sajid Khan, who will be watching just as closely, hoping to see some of the fabled turn from this Sydney Cricket Ground wicket. As Shakeel tries to stave off a second ball by citing a flapping blanket at the Paddington end as distraction let’s revisit Allan Border’s 11-for on this ground in ‘88-89…
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WICKET! Babar lbw Cummins 26 (Pakistan 39-3)
Cummins strikes! It was a faster ball that swung back in to Babar and he thrust bat and pad at it but only got the bottom half of the latter. Cummins had a shout but must’ve thought it was missing leg. It was Alex Carey who insisted he review it, and aren’t Australia glad they did! It’s hitting halfway up. Danger man Babar Azam is out and Pakistan are back in trouble.
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11th over: Pakistan 39-2 (Masood 13, Babar 26) Almost an edge! Cummins has switched to around the wicket and hist first ball of a second over pitched outside off and jagged back to almost take the top of Masood’s middle peg. After going for an uncharacteristic six runs in his first over, the skipper has found his line. Masood knows it too and runs a single. Babar faces the music and it’s up to 11 as Cummins zeroes one in on the pads and a big appeal goes up. Onfield decision is NOT OUT but Australia, at wicketkeeper Alex Carey’s insistence, will review the decision…
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10th over: Pakistan 38-2 (Masood 12, Babar 26) Hazlewood rolls in again, serene and sublime from twenty paces. And there’s an edge from Babar… but it bounces before Smith and he makes it a magnificent save to stop four runs. No one stops this four though as Hazlewood digs it in short and Babar finds it rising benignly and right in the slot for a ful-blooded pull shot to the fence. Good aggressive, opportunistic batting by Babar!
9th over: Pakistan 34-2 (Masood 12, Babar 22) Here comes Pat Cummins with his first spell of the Test. Fresh from his glorious 10-for in Melbourne, the Australian captain eases into his home Test with a 130kph half-volley but a full-length dive from Travis Head stops runs. No such luck on the second as Masood works him away for two and then single. The fourth ball is to Babar and the little No 4 on drives for four. Tough shot but he nailed it, splitting the fielders and forcing Cummins to go around the wicket.
8th over: Pakistan 28-2 (Masood 9, Babar 19) Hazlewood hurling it in at 130kph but Pakistan are keen to the danger and have firm defences ready. Masood works one off his ribs for a couple then steals a single to keep the run rate moving at better than three per over.
7th over: Pakistan 25-2 (Masood 6, Babar 19) BANG goes Babar! Starc went wide of the crease and the right-hander from Lahore carved it away for four. After a slow start, the former Pakistan captain is now nicely in his stride. And he goes again from the final ball as Starc goes wider and Babar strides out to meet it on the up, rocketing it to the rope for another four through covers. Great shot Babar!
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6th over: Pakistan 16-2 (Masood 5, Babar 11) Babar Azam and Josh Hazlewood face off again. These two have duelling since they were teenage tearaways with Hazlewood very much holding the upper hand. The big man from Tamworth has had Babar’s measure in this series, often pinning him on the crease with tight lines and getting him swishing before then dangling a wider ball within his reach and getting Babar edging to slips. Four balls into the over, Hazlewood plays that card but this time Babar is ready stepping down and driving handsomely to the boundary, his first of the day.
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5th over: Pakistan 12-2 (Masood 5, Babar 7) Straight ball meets straight bat as Babar punches Starc down the ground for a couple. Starc’s response is an inswinger pitched at the bootlaces. Babar works it away for a single. Masood swipes at the next one and Babar backs up halfway down the pitch before his captain curtly sends him back. Good call with Marnus Labuschagne swooping in and sending the return while spinning on his knees.
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4th over: Pakistan 9-2 (Masood 5, Babar 4) A swat… but a dot! Babar always comes out with a positive intent but this scenario will test him. Pakistan have shown they can match it with Australia’s bowlers but do they have the patience and the problem-solving abilities to mount an early counter-attack on Australia with their tail up. Babar runs a single while they think it over.
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3rd over: Pakistan 8-2 (Masood 5, Babar 3) Masood scampers a single from Starc’s first delivery to take his total – and Pakistan’s – to five runs albeit at the cost of two top-order wickets. Now Babar will face Starc – two aggressive cricketers keen to resume hostilities. Will Babar, a 51-Test tyro play his natural game and attack? He does, reaching out for a Starc wide ball and scudding it through gully for three. With a pitch doing plenty, two uptempo batters at the crease and an Australian bowling attack on fire, this will be a lively first session.
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2nd over: Pakistan 4-2 (Masood 4, Babar 0) Beautiful day in Sydney and beautiful bowling by Australia has lit up Day 1. Hazlewood finishes with a maiden and Pakistan’s best batters, captain Masood and No 4 Babar Azam have a huge task in front of them.
WICKET! Ayub c Carey b Hazlewood 0 (Pakistan 4-2)
Another big edge on the second ball of an over, this time from Hazlewood’s first over, and the 21-year-old debutant Saim Ayub is OUT! Horror start for Pakistan and a sensational one for Australia with both openers back in the pavillion after eight deliveries!
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WICKET! Shafique c Smith b Starc 0 (Pakistan 1-0)
Edged second ball! A big outswinger and Shafique’s horror series continues as Australia get off to a dream start in 2024! That was another bad stroke by the opener whose hands – as batter and catcher (or non-catcher, as it were) – have got him into plenty of trouble in this series.
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1st over: Pakistan 4-1 (Ayub 0, Masood 4) Here we go, folk! Mitchell Starc has the new ball and he’s thundering in to Shafique. David Warner, who took the field with his three daughters wearing Australia Test shirts with “Warner 31” on the back, is in the slips wearing a new baggy green with his old ones still MIA. After Shafique’s second ball dismissal, new batter and Pakistan captain Shan Masood hits back with a four.
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Players have taken to the field and a healthy SCG crowd is applauding David Warner for a final time while nursing a vague disappointment they aren’t watching him pad up to bat in this first session. Uncle Allen Madden, Gadigal elder, is issuing a typically evocative Welcome to Country. Here come the anthems. Surely Warner will shed a tear?
For those who came in late… The Guardian’s Geoff Lemon has this primer for the third Test
COIN TOSS: Pakistan have won the toss at the SCG and will bat
Pakistan captain Shan Masood has called correctly and his boys will put the pads on. Australia’s skipper Pat Cummins admits he would’ve made the same call but with a bowling attack like his, I doubt he’ll mind rolling the arm over on his home ground.
Here are the teams, with Australia unchanged and a few changes for Pakistan with Afridi being rested, Imam dropped, Saim Ayub making his Test debut and Sajid Khan coming in.
Australia: 1 David Warner, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Mitchell Marsh 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Pat Cummins (capt), 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh Hazlewood
Pakistan: 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Shan Masood (capt), 4 Babar Azam, 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 7 Agha Salman, 8 Sajid Khan, 9 Hasan Ali, 10 Mir Hamza, 11 Aamer Jamal
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Preamble
Hello cricket fans and welcome to the third series outing between Australia and Pakistan, the fabled ‘Pink Test’ at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Angus Fontaine here under sunny Sydney skies to usher you through the opening sessions with Geoff Lemon to bring you home.
Australia lead this entertaining series 2-0 but it could have been so different had Pakistan not let the second Test slip through their fingers in Melbourne. The visitors batted and bowled with courage and flair to land some serious punches on the world Test champions. But those fists of fury also dropped David Warner in the second over of the match then fumbled an edge from Mitchell Marsh in the second innings which might’ve put Australia to the sword 47-5. Those fatal fumbles cost Pakistan crucial runs, cruelled hard-earned ascendency and lost them a match ultimately decided by only 79 runs.
That loss was rivalled this week by David Warner’s baggy green cap going MIA. As he flew from Melbourne to Sydney for his final Test match before retirement, the 112-Test veteran had the misfortune of having his backpack – in which his caps were stored – stolen from his suitcase. A nationwide cap-hunt has ensued as airlines, hotels, freight companies scoured CCTV for clues and Warner issued an emotional plea for its return.
Even Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called on whoever purloined the prized artefact to hand it in before the first ball is bowled this morning. “A missing baggy green? Well, that’s just not cricket!” the PM texted this morning. “Davey’s earned the right to wear his one final time. If you can help, let’s make it happen.” Can Guardian readers help in this sacred quest? Drop me a line if you have information on the cap’s whereabouts, or if you simply want to wax on Warner himself – big hits, great memories, various scandals – or on the action soon to come.
Can Pakistan hit back here? Or will Australia’s golden season continue? We’ll be back with the teams and coin toss shortly.
