Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan plays in the air for a catch during the first day of the third cricket Test match against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney on January 3, 2024 – AFP
- Australia dismissed Pakistan for 313 on the first day.
- Aamer Jamal scored a fifty to help Pakistan.
- Mohammad Rizwan and Agha Salman put on a 94-run partnership.
Australia dismissed Pakistan for 313 on the first day of the third Test in Sydney.
Pakistan managed to score a competitive total on the board thanks to a key fifty from Aamer Jamal later in the order.
In an effort to help Pakistan bounce back from a difficult start, Mohammad Rizwan and Agha Salman earlier launched an offensive in Australia.
Rizwan and Salman forged a thrilling 94-run partnership after Rizwan fell to 96 for five shortly after lunch. Rizwan was removed for 88 just before tea.
After being excluded from the opening Test, Rizwan struck two sixes and ten fours off 103 balls before falling victim to a legside trap created by Pat Cummins.
Rizwan achieved the highest individual score by a Pakistani hitter of the series when he top-edged a pull shot for Josh Hazlewood to grab the catch at fine leg.
Agha Salman was dismissed by Mitchell Star during the tea break, having amassed 53 runs from 67 balls.
With statistics of 5-61, Cummins was the most effective bowler and became the first Australian since Nathan Lyon in 2017 to record three consecutive five-wicket hauls in Test matches.
After winning the toss, Pakistan had a terrible start, losing four wickets in the first session and captain Shan Masood for 35 shortly after lunch.
In their 112th and last Test match, the Australians hope to send off opening batsman David Warner, 37, as a winner in his hometown. It was an exciting morning session for them.
Within the first two overs, newcomer Saim Ayub and opener Abdullah Shafique were both removed.
With the second delivery of Mitchell Starc’s opening over, the struggling Shafique was dismissed for a duck after carelessly playing a weak drive and nicking a catch to Steve Smith at second slip.
After being brought in for Imam-ul-Haq to make his Test debut, Ayub only lasted two balls before being caught behind by Alex Carey in the next over by an outswinger from Hazlewood.
After Babar Azam produced three brilliant cover drives to the ropes, Pakistan stumbled to four for two and appeared to be consolidating, but he was dismissed for 26 after the first hour of drinking.
The umpire rejected Cummins’ vehement appeal for lbw, so he filed a review and won the decision he was after, leaving the tourists reeling at 39 for three.
After taking a hard knock to the collarbone from a Cummins lifter, Saud Shakeel poked a catch behind to Carey for five in the Australian captain’s following over, putting his side further in the muck at 47 for 4.
Masood made a big moment when he was caught by Smith at second slip in the second over following lunch, but bowler Mitchell Marsh called it a no-ball.
Two overs later, Masood (35), again edged the medium-pacer to Smith in an almost identical fashion, giving Marsh the final laugh and leaving Pakistan at 96 for five.
Australia won the three-match series after winning the second Test in Melbourne by a margin of 79 runs.
1710175205-0/image-(9)1710175205-0-640x480.webp "Alibaba launches AI platform for enterprises as agent craze sweeps China | The Express Tribune")