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PAK vs AUS | 3rd Test | Day 1: Khawaja, Smith rescue Australia after early blows

Australia opener Usman Khawaja and former captain Steve Smith got the side back on track against Pakistan on the first day of the third Test in Lahore after losing a couple of early wickets in the morning session. 

Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi had reduced Australia to 8/2 after he first removed David Warner and then followed it with the dismissal of Marnus Labuschagne two balls later. 

Warner was trapped in front of the stumps for 7 off 13 on a length delivery that just came into the left-hander while Labuschagne was caught behind by Rizwan for a two-ball zero after he edged one while driving a touch fuller delivery through the covers. 

But Khawaja and Smith then got into the act and provided the resistance to the side with a steady stand. The left-right batting duo began the rebuilding process in a cautious manner but kept playing their strokes during the course to take the side to 70/2 at lunch. 

“We would have wanted to bat first, the wicket looks good. One change for us - Faheem is out and Naseem is in. It might help the spinners from the third day onwards. We'll need to continue with the momentum gained from the last match,” Babar Azam had said at the toss.  

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WI vs ENG | 5th Test: Kraigg Brathwaite's resistance forces WI, Eng to settle for another draw

West Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite took the onus on himself in the second innings of the second Test against England in Barbados as the two sides once again settled with a draw. Chasing 282, the hosts lost a few early wickets and were left tottering at 39/3 before Brathwaite and Jermaine Blackwood stepped up and stitched a 50-run stand for the fourth wicket to provide the side with much-needed resistance. Blackwood was eventually sent back to the pavilion for 27 and his dismissal was followed by another wicket of Jason Holder who was undone for a zero by Leach, leaving the Caribbean side in a spot of bother again. West Indies were 93/5 when Brathwaite was joined by Joshua Da Silva and the two batters made sure that there were no further fall of wickets in the innings. While Brathwaite went on to score a fifty, Joshua remained unbeaten at 30 as the hosts ended the day’s play at 135/5. Leach scalped a three-for during the course for his side. Earlier, in the day, England began the proceedings at 40/0 but lost some early wickets at the beginning of the final day of the Test and were 110/4 when Jonny Bairstow and Lawrence joined hands and came in for the rescue. The two batsmen put up 51 runs for the fifth wicket before getting out. The visitors eventually scored 185/6 (D) in the second innings. “Feeling quite good, thought England played well and I want to thank all the West Indies fans for coming up. Obviously England had a lot of fans at the venue. The plan was to play as straight as possible. We want a result in the last Test, ave to see what they produce in Grenada, let's hope it has something for the pacers,” Brathwaite said after the match. The action will now shift to Grenada where the two teams will lock horns with each other in the final Test.