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AUS vs PAK, 2nd Test | Cummins, Lyon Pacify PAK Fightback After Shafique-Masood's 90-Run Stand

image-lqnfql0gPat Cummins celebrating Babar Azam wicket on Day 2 (x.com)

Brief Scores: Australia (1st innings): 318 all out (96.5 overs) [Marnus Labuschagne: 63 (155), Usman Khawaja: 42 (101); Aamer Jamal 3/64 (19), Mir Hamza 2/51 (22)] lead Pakistan (1st innings): 194-6 (55 overs) [Abdullah Shafique: 62 (109), Shan Masood: 54 (76); Pat Cummins 3/37 (14), Nathan Lyon 2/48 (13)] by 124 runs.

Fast bowlers strengthened Australia’s grip on Day 2 of the second Test against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).


Labuschagne hits 63 before PAK fightback

Overnight batsman Travis Head got caught at second slip off Shaheen Afridi within the opening hour to become Australia’s first wicket of Day 2. Marnus Labuschagne, batting at 44*, brought up his 17th half-century in Tests and ended up top scoring in the innings with 63.

Pakistan fast bowler and tour debutant Aamer Jamal added Labuschagne to his tally of wickets, and also trapped Pat Cummins to finish with 3-64 off 19 overs. A rapid 41 from Mitchell Marsh helped Australia add handy runs in the backend, but collective efforts from fast bowlers Jamal, Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza and Afridi crumpled up the hosts for just 318 before lunch.


Babar fails again as PAK concede early advantage

After seeing off Australia’s new-ball threat, Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq edged one to Marnus Labuschagne off Nathan Lyon for just 10 in the 16th over of the innings. Imam’s early dismissal was followed by a valiant 90-run partnership between his partner Abdullah Shafique and captain Shan Masood.

Both cricketers made counterattacking half-centuries before Shafique’s dismissal at the hands of Australian skipper Pat Cummins signalled a colossal middle-order collapse for the visitors. Cummins also breached Babar Azam’s front-foot defence a while later while Josh Hazlewood accounted for Saud Shakeel by breaking through the gates of the Pakistani number five.

Lyon removed captain Masood for 54 while Cummins finished the day with three wickets as Pakistan crumbled from 124-1 to 194-6 by stumps on Day 2. Unbeaten batters Mohammad Rizwan and Aamer Jamal will resume the visitor’s innings on Day 3, still trailing Australia by another 124 runs.