27 Dec 202307.07 GMTStumps Day 2 - Pakistan 194-6, trail on the first innings by 124
Geoff LemonAnother good day for Australia, though it could have been a good one for Pakistan. They bowled with great success in the first session, got through Australia’s final seven wickets and kept them to a further 131 runs added. Conceding 318 at least kept Pakistan in the game. And at 124 for 1 themselves, they had every chance to push towards that score and past it. But 5 for 46 put paid to that, and now it’s up to Rizwan and the lower to try to limit the damage again tomorrow. Cummins was superb with three of those wickets, two to start off the collapse when that was most needed. Two for Lyon, one for Hazlewood.
We’ll be back tomorrow for day three.
27 Dec 202307.03 GMT55th over: Pakistan 194-6 (Rizwan 29, Jamal 2) Another wild Starc short ball goes over the keeper for five wides. Rizwan cuts a single, and with the clock ticking past 6pm that will probably be his last work for the day. Jamal with three slips waiting in the shadow of one of the light towers gets forward gamely and blocks, and blocks, and gets smashed on the pad swinging down leg, but Starc decides not to press the case for a review… so that is that!
27 Dec 202306.56 GMT54th over: Pakistan 188-6 (Rizwan 28, Jamal 2) Eight minutes left in the day and Lyon comes back. Warner at cover is double hatted again, wearing Carey’s cap on top of the broad brim. Bay 13 chanting “Bison, Bison,” with Mitchell Marsh halfway back at midwicket. Jamal gets another run to cover, Rizwan stabs at each Lyon delivery like it’s explosive.
27 Dec 202306.52 GMT53rd over: Pakistan 186-6 (Rizwan 27, Jamal 1) Another top edge for Rizwan, this time Starc down to long leg but short of the fielder. One run. Starc to Jamal swings a ball down the leg side for four byes. Jamal drives a yorker, middles it. Still hasn’t scored but doing his bit. The margin down to 133. Pakistan need a Rizwan ton from here though. Jamal ducks a bouncer, then gets his first run! A guide behind point. Bay 13 are chanting something about Jonny Bairstow.
27 Dec 202306.48 GMT52nd over: Pakistan 180-6 (Rizwan 26, Jamal 0) A maiden from Cummins to Jamal.
Tom Lewis wants to know more about Jim Burke. He was a Barnacle Bailey type through the very dull Test cricket of the 50s, the style that made Bradman ask Richie Benaud to give the format a boot up the date ahead of the 1960-61 West Indies tour, when the enterprising style from Frank Worrell’s team matched with Benaud’s to create that great spectacle. Burke was an opener who ground out long slow runs. Didn’t make a lot of hundreds but had a famous one on the India tour of 1956. Did make a lot of in-between scores taking the shine off.
His lowest scores? A couple of ones, a couple of twos, a couple of threes, a four, a five, a seven, and two eights. So he didn’t dodge the duck by much!
Oh, and he made a 0 not out, when Australia needed one to win in Johannesburg in 1958. He’d made 81 in the first innings.
27 Dec 202306.45 GMT51st over: Pakistan 180-6 (Rizwan 26, Jamal 0) Rizwan lives by the sword, and prospers. Takes on a pull from a Starc ball on leg stump that isn’t that shot, and gets an awkward top edge down through fine leg for four. Slashes two more out through cover point. He really is carrying on in 50-over mode, and it’s working.
Updated at 06.49 GMT27 Dec 202306.39 GMT50th over: Pakistan 174-6 (Rizwan 20, Jamal 0) Rizwan is happy to take a run first ball against Cummins. I guess you can’t shield a No8, and Jamal has some first-class pedigree from a small sample size. Shows some mettle to let a bouncer hit him on the shoulder rather than risk getting his gloves involved. Nearly edges the next ball defending a line he has to play. Keeps out a good yorker. Quality bowling, well played.
144 behind.
Updated at 06.49 GMT27 Dec 202306.34 GMT49th over: Pakistan 173-5 (Rizwan 19, Jamal 0) It’s already one-day batting for Rizwan. Hares the second run out through midwicket, reaches for a wide yorker to squeeze it past cover and again looks for the second but bails out. Aamer Jamal has two balls to face from Starc. Ducks the first, blocks the second.
Randolph Baral has the spreadsheet out. “I predict that Pakistan will reach between 236 and 288 since, in my 40 odd years of watching test cricket, first innings totals seem to be mostly be within 10% of double the ‘three for’ score. The first three first innings of this series has been in this range. Is there any statistical rigour to my observation?”
This is landing more in Ric Finlay areas. I’m sure it’s trackable, everything else is. Pakistan might be struggling to get there now though, unless Rizwan goes Sicko Mode.
27 Dec 202306.29 GMTWICKET! Salman c Carey b Cummins 5, Pakistan 170-6
48th over: Pakistan 170-6 (Rizwan 16) Rizwan takes the deficit down to 149 with an extraordinary clout off his pads over deep backward square for six! That’s a World Cup shot. Cummins is bemused. Rizwan climbs into a hook but fine leg is back, one run.
But even in this over, you can’t keep Cummins down. Gets the other man on strike, bowls classic channel length seaming away, and it’s a terrible shot as Salman Agha drives at a wide line on the up, nicking.
Updated at 06.30 GMT27 Dec 202306.24 GMT47th over: Pakistan 163-5 (Rizwan 9, Salman 5) Hazlewood sizes up Rizwan, on a length outside off, three slips and a gully waiting, similar field most of the day except when the second-wicket partnership was flourishing. The Rizla guides a couple past gully. Then lays into a pull shot in front of square, gets about 30% of it and takes a run. Much classier shot from Agha Salman to end the over! Scatters the pigeons at long off with a grassborne straight drive.
27 Dec 202306.19 GMT46th over: Pakistan 156-5 (Rizwan 6, Salman 1) Three for Rizwan through cover off Lyon.
“Greetings from sunny Hobart, Geoff,” writes Tom Lewis, with a question that is still relevant. “Your comment just now re Shakeel’s duckless streak got me wondering. Who and what is the longest (most innings I guess) Test career with no ducks? Your esteemed readership can surely elucidate. Many thanks for the wonders of OBO.”
Well, this is a good trivia one. Longest streak without a duck was David Gower with 119 innings, but he got some before and after that. Longest streak at the start of a career was AB de Villiers with 78 innings, though he got some later. And the best entirely duckless career was Australian opener Jim Burke, who played in the 50s, and batted 44 times without a nought.
27 Dec 202306.16 GMT45th over: Pakistan 151-5 (Rizwan 2, Salman 0) They’ve lost 4 for 27 since Shafique got out.
27 Dec 202306.14 GMTWICKET! Shakeel b Hazlewood 9, Pakistan 151-5
Noooooooooo!
Mendooooozzzzaaaa!
There goes his record. Saud Shakeel’s first single-figure score in Tests comes in his 16th (I think) innings, a fair achievement. And a fair delivery from Hazlewood, that perfect length again, seam movement, through the gate and takes the off bail.
27 Dec 202306.12 GMT44th over: Pakistan 151-4 (Shakeel 9, Rizwan 2) Lyon continues, Shakeel nudges another run to the leg side.
27 Dec 202306.11 GMT43rd over: Pakistan 150-4 (Shakeel 8, Rizwan 2) The wicketkeeper gets going like Shafique played, pushing through point for a couple. That’s after Shakeel pulls confidently for one run from Hazlewood, he played the cross-bat shots well in Perth.
27 Dec 202306.02 GMT42nd over: Pakistan 147-4 (Shakeel 7, Rizwan 0) That good position has slipped a long way for Pakistan. Three wickets in not many overs, and where they looked like they were running down Australia’s score, now that 171 deficit looks a long way away.
27 Dec 202306.01 GMTWICKET! Masood c Marsh b Lyon 54, Pakistan 147-4
The captain goes. He seemed to be tiring a bit, at least in concentration. The focus slipping. Comes onto strike after Shakeen cuts three, and tries to repeat the shot he hit for six against Lyon before. Down the pitch but not to the pitch, the turn does him, outside half of the bat and it goes high to point where Marsh cups it falling backwards.
27 Dec 202305.57 GMT41st over: Pakistan 144-3 (Masood 54, Shakeel 4) Hazlewood is back to Masood, who is careful starting off. Just two slips and a gully left, with two out for the hook. Mid on, mid off, a fairly short cover, deep point. A lot of leaves, no run from the over.
27 Dec 202305.54 GMT40th over: Pakistan 144-3 (Masood 54, Shakeel 4) It’s time for another fun game of Can Saud Shakeel Make 22?
The rules of the game are, Saud Shakeel has never made a lower score than 22 in Test cricket. We watch and see if he can reach 22 again.
He doubles his score here with a sweep off Lyon for two.
27 Dec 202305.45 GMT39th over: Pakistan 141-3 (Masood 53, Shakeel 2) Short ball too quick for Masood and for Carey, getting just over the pull shot and past the keeper for four byes. Shan drops away a couple of runs behind point, tucks another behind square. Looks confident. This has been quality batting. Two slips, two gullies for Saud Shakeel, who flicks to square leg but finds Head.
27 Dec 202305.41 GMTHalf century! Shan Masood 50 from 63 balls
38th over: Pakistan 134-3 (Masood 50, Shakeel 2) The new captain needed this. A score of some substance in his early days leading the side. He made a double century in the warm-up game against the PM’s XI but this is different. A single to midwicket for his minor milestone.
27 Dec 202305.37 GMT37th over: Pakistan 134-3 (Masood 49, Shakeel 2) So often its Cummins. Just when a team thinks they’re getting on top, he finds a way to pull his side back ahead in the contest. Two in two overs, removing the best player of this innings and the best player in the team. Saud Shakeel comes out, and immediately continues his streak of never having made a Test duck, clipping two square.
27 Dec 202305.35 GMTWICKET! Babar b Cummins 1, Pakistan 131-3
Screaming jets! That’s another Cummins classic for the compilation. He’s a man of degrees. Comes in at off stump and moves ever so slightly in, towards middle. And that perfect Cummins length, the one that gets Babar stuck half forward, half back, not sure where to go. Too late, too quick. It arrows at the gap between bat and pad, and clips the bails at the top of middle stump.
Fast bowling perfection.
27 Dec 202305.30 GMT36th over: Pakistan 131-2 (Masood 49, Babar 1) Huge appeal from Marsh, goes past the striker’s stumps in his backpedalling. “That should trigger a review automatically,” observes one wit near me. Inside edge I think, and Shan celebrates by getting on the front foot and driving through cover for four. He’s played some lovely shots today. That’s an overstep too. Masood puts Babar on strike for his first couple of balls of the day. A block and a leave, a back-foot defence. A single to deep square. The gorgeous sunny afternoon rolls on. There is something in this pitch for Marsh, but this is still the time to bat at the MCG.
27 Dec 202305.26 GMT35th over: Pakistan 124-2 (Masood 44) Last ball of the over for the catch. Been a great partnership but they really needed Shafique to keep going from here. Here comes Babar Azam.
27 Dec 202305.25 GMTWICKET! Shafique c & b Cummins 62, Pakistan 124-2
Great catch. Reminiscent of his one in Lahore last year from Azhar Ali, but this time Cummins doesn’t throw the ball away. It goes low to his right after Shafique times his forward push wrong, and Cummins gets both hands down and snares it before tumbling over onto his back and celebrating from the ground.
27 Dec 202305.18 GMT34th over: Pakistan 123-1 (Shafique 62, Masood 43) The talisman on for a bowl, Mitchell Marsh for his first over. Second ball is short but harmless and Shafique creams it for four! Pulled in front of square. Turns over strike and Masood drives two off the back foot through cover, then nudges one.
Ten overs since tea and Pakistan have put on 55.
They’re behind by 195.
27 Dec 202305.14 GMT33rd over: Pakistan 115-1 (Shafique 57, Masood 40) Cummins to Masood, who plays another stylish shot, this time a pull that he gets tall over. Only one run with a deep square leg out, might have been two had they pressed harder on the first. Another run for Shafique on the glance.
27 Dec 202305.10 GMT32nd over: Pakistan 113-1 (Shafique 56, Masood 39) Another streak to the boundary! Shan Masood batting like Travis Head, but taller and more stylish. Slices Lyon away off the diagonal edge to pick up four past slip.
27 Dec 202305.06 GMT31st over: Pakistan 108-1 (Shafique 56, Masood 34) Cummins is back. Might slow the scoring. Masood clips two, then a leg bye.
“Wilson and Gough; has there been a Test match where the extremes of the on-field umpires has been larger?” writes Keith Johnson from New York. What is the accuracy difference between the two? Does Wilson still catch flak from the Aussie supporters? (Can’t blame them). Rock on!”
And rock on to you, fellow dude. Be excellent to each other. And to Joel Wilson, who cops a lot of flack but must still have a good enough record to stay on the elite panel. The ICC do keep stats on all the umpires, and every decision, not just the reviewed ones. They don’t release the detail though, far as I know.
Updated at 05.10 GMT27 Dec 202305.02 GMT30th over: Pakistan 105-1 (Shafique 56, Masood 32) Short from Lyon, Masood cuts but finds the field. Down the leg side and the batter almost lifts his back foot as Carey takes well. Dabs a single behind square from the third ball. Shafique gets a couple of runs past the lid around the corner, then Labuschagne there is appealing for a catch but it’s not out. Snared cleanly but no edge.
27 Dec 202304.58 GMTHalf century! Abdullah Shafique 51 from 90 balls
29th over: Pakistan 102-1 (Shafique 54, Masood 31) Fifty partnership up for this pair. This is the danger zone for Shan Masood though – he averages 28, and tends to get out for these sort of bright little scores. Pulls three here and goes into the 30s. Still four in the cordon for Starc, and rightly so as Abdullah drives square… but beats Lyon at backward point! Four! And a fifty!
Third slip goes to cover. First and second shuffle wider. A small victory for the batter. And it doesn’t bother him, following a no-ball, as he sees a full length and drives square of that cover fielder for three more, after a long chase for Labuschagne still wearing the shinpads from short leg.
The over costs 13 runs. Pakistan down by 216.
27 Dec 202304.51 GMT28th over: Pakistan 89-1 (Shafique 46, Masood 28) Shot! There was a clear strategy in Perth to go after Lyon, brief as it was before Pakistan wickets started falling, and Masood does the same here. Gets on strike via a leg bye, and dances to his Lyon way over long on. A six at the MCG, that’s no small feat.
27 Dec 202304.49 GMT27th over: Pakistan 82-1 (Shafique 46, Masood 22) Again, Shafique goes through point with a square push, he’s played there a lot. Hits this one well and gets three runs for it, might have been four if not for Lyon getting fingers to it initially.
27 Dec 202304.47 GMT26th over: Pakistan 79-1 (Shafique 43, Masood 22) Bright stuff against Lyon! Masood comes skipping down first ball and drives it for four. Nudges a single, then Lyon drops short and Shafique goes back to middle his cut shot for three. A couple more singles mean ten from the over.
27 Dec 202304.41 GMT25th over: Pakistan 69-1 (Shafique 39, Masood 15) Back after tea. Quiet start, one run from Starc’s over.
27 Dec 202304.16 GMTTea - Pakistan 68 for 1, trailing by 250 on the first innings
That’s a handy start for Pakistan. Finished off Australia this morning for a good but not great score, and they’ve made early inroads for the loss of one.
Updated at 04.16 GMT27 Dec 202304.15 GMT24th over: Pakistan 68-1 (Shafique 39, Masood 15) Annoyed face from Hazlewood as he gets too straight and concedes two to Shafique, through midwicket. High standards. That’s just after a rare overstep too, no ball. And that’s tea!
27 Dec 202304.09 GMT23rd over: Pakistan 64-1 (Shafique 37, Masood 14) Starc takes his long walk back to the top of his long run. Travis Head is making friends with the Bay 13 crew, who were involved in a very enthused “you are a wanker” chant to someone in the crowd not long ago. Ah, the classics. So too from Starc: yorker, bouncer, single. Pakistan are 254 behind.
27 Dec 202304.05 GMT22nd over: Pakistan 63-1 (Shafique 37, Masood 13) Shafique keeps finding ones in that area around point, waiting and deflecting, but Hazlewood nearly gets Masood just afterwards, a genuine nick that falls just short of Khawaja at third slip. Scooped up on the half volley. Then there’s a medical break as Masood gets clipped on the scone by a Hazlewood bouncer, but no harm done and an extra for the deflection.
27 Dec 202303.58 GMT21st over: Pakistan 61-1 (Shafique 36, Masood 13) Starc to join Hazlewood. Abdullah falls over tucking one through midwicket, after having one go past his outside edge. Recalibrate for a left-hander… who drives two through cover, then misses a leg glance. Marsh at gully and Lyon at point keep meeting to chat between deliveries, it has happened a few times now. Two more for Shan through midwicket, a fuller ball. This is good accumulation from Pakistan, though we saw in Perth their brittleness can come into effect at any moment.
27 Dec 202303.55 GMT20th over: Pakistan 56-1 (Shafique 35, Masood 9) Hazlewood comes back on… and they poke him off his length well! Shan Masood with a two and a one, Abdullah knocking three through point, Masood prods away two more to the off side. Lucrative over, eight from it.
27 Dec 202303.46 GMT19th over: Pakistan 48-1 (Shafique 28, Masood 4) Five in the cordon, really, with the four usual spots plus Lyon at backward point really there for a sliced catch if Shan goes extravagant. Cover is open to tempt just that. But he nudges Cummins to midwicket instead for one. Whoops, hit post on that early. Streaky from Abdullah! Reaches for width, flashes at it just wide of the cordon. So many catchers waiting. He did it deliberately.
Updated at 03.50 GMT27 Dec 202303.44 GMT18th over: Pakistan 43-1 (Shafique 28, Masood 2) Nice little tuck off the pads from Shan for his first runs, very fine past the wicketkeeper. Fast feet to Lyon, who will be a challenge for the left-hander.
27 Dec 202303.41 GMT17th over: Pakistan 39-1 (Shafique 27, Masood 0) Abdullah Shafique almost follows! Edges along the ground through the cordon for four. The cordon is stackked, five slips really, or four and a gully, an unbroken line. Shafique drives on the up, back to the bowler. More edges coming…
27 Dec 202303.36 GMT16th over: Pakistan 34-1 (Shafique 22, Masood 0) The captain walks to the middle.
Updated at 03.40 GMT27 Dec 202303.35 GMTWICKET! Imam c Labuschagne b Lyon 10, Pakistan 34-2
There’s the first one! Lyon gets some drift and turn, Imam can’t resist poking at it, and gets a thick edge flying past second slip. But Labuschagne takes a good one leaning across, very quick hands. The obstinate Imam walks off.
15th over: Pakistan 33-0 (Imam-ul-Haq 10, Shafique 21) Cummins from the Members End, draws a leading edge from Imam and an “oooh” from the crowd, but it ends up safely at cover point. Then an edge with soft hands to the gully, Marsh there complementing three slips. Third ball running, another big appeal! Hits him outside the line maybe? The ball loops up to Khawaja at third slip, so it couldn’t have been an edge that saved him. Probably height. All that after Shafique started the over pulling nicely for three. Yep, over leg bail on the replay.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEoKyaqpSerq96wqikaKugpL%2B1e8uirZ5nYmV%2FdHvDnppoamdkrra%2F06uYpaGRYsO0ec%2BaoqKrpJa7bq7OsaCnn12Zrrp5056qrWWUlsZuwNaoZKWhppp6trzDmqueq12osLC%2BxKxkq52jqrm1v4ytnJqlo2LAta3RrWStoZ2aeq6vxmaknqSSpMKzusQ%3D