Despite Yasir Shah career best score, Mitchell Starc and Co help Australia inch closer to an innings win on the 3rd day of the 2nd Test match played at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
Starting on the overnight score of 96 for 6, Babar Azam and Yasir Shah played with positive intent putting pressure on Australian bowlers. Both batsmen survived few chances which were not grabbed the Australian fielders. Babar reached his fifty off 71 balls. After an impressive knock in the 2nd innings of 1st Test at Brisbane, Yasir reached his fifty off 129 balls. Mitchell Starc provided the breakthrough dismissing Azam for 97 as Tim Paine took a brilliant one-handed catch. Azam and Shah added 105 runs for the 7th wicket. Starc got the wicket of Shaheen Shah Afridi in the next ball for 0. At tea break, Pakistan went into tea break at 213 for 8.
In the 2nd session, Yasir Shah made the batting look easy on a good batting pitch which rattled the Australian bowlers and Mohammad Abbas gave Shah full support. It was a brilliant knock by Yasir who reached his maiden Test century with a single off 192 balls. Australia took the 2nd new ball after the 80th over. Pat Cummins produced a magical delivery to dismiss Mohammad Abbas for 29. Yasir Shah and Abbas added 87 runs for the 9th wicket. Yasir Shah enjoyed himself along with Musa Khan. Yasir was the final batsman to be dismissed for a brilliant 113. Pakistan were bowled out for 302.
The Australian captain decided to enforce follow on. Josh Hazlewood got the first wicket for Australia in the 2nd innings dismissing Imam UL Haq. At the Dinner break, Pakistan were 2 for 1.
Azhar Ali looked out of sorts and played a poor stroke to be dismissed for just 9 with a good catch by Steve Smith. Soon after the wicket of Azhar Ali, rain arrived to stop the play. After the rain break, Pat Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood bowled with control not allowing Pakistani batsmen to score runs easily. Hazlewood got the big wicket of Babar Azam cheaply for 8. Shan Masood and Asad Shafiq struggled against the top-quality pacers before rain arrived again when the score card read 39 for 3.
After few deliveries rain arrived again, and umpires decided to call off play because the rain got heavier. Pakistan ended the 3rd day on 39 for 3, trail by 248 runs.
Pakistan 39 for 3 in 16.5 overs ( Shan Masood 14*, Asad Shafiq 8*, Josh Hazlewood 2/15) and 302 in 94.4 overs ( Yasir Shah 113, Babar Azam 97, Mitchell Starc 6/66, Pat Cummins 3/83) trail Australia 589 for 3 in 127 overs ( David Warner 335*, Marnus Labuschagne 162, Matthew Wade 38*, Shaheen Shah Afridi 3/88) by 248 runs.
