In the day-night Test match, Australia has tightened their grip over Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval, thanks to the efforts of Marnus Labuschagne and David Warner with the bat and Mitchell Starc with the ball. After declaring their first innings on 589/3, Australia has managed to grab a 287-run lead by bowling out Pakistan for 302.
Pakistani innings was in tatters by the end of day two. They lost 6 wickets for just 96 runs. However, Babar Azam smashed a wonderful 97 and Yasir Shah scored his first-ever Test century, 113, which helped take Pakistan to a respectable total, but they still couldn’t manage to avoid the follow-on. Mitchell Starc took four wickets on day two and managed 2 more to make it 6/66, while Pat Cummins has picked 3/83. Tim Paine decided to enforce the follow-on and the visitors didn’t fare better in the second do as well.
Azhar Ali disappoints yet again as Steve Smith takes a blinder of a catch
Pakistan has been buried in the series and is again staring at a loss by an innings. Imam-Ul-Haq, who was brought in to strengthen the batting fell for a duck in the second innings after scoring 3 in the first and that started a collapse, which saw the captain also failing spectacularly.
In the first Test, Azhar Ali has scored 39 and, while Azhar got out for just 9 in their first innings. The onus was on him to take charge and rebuild the innings with the help of openers and Babar Azam and Shan Masood. However, the right-hander looked jittery and out of touch in the second knock as well and became the victim of Mitchell Starc for the score of 9.
Smith takes a BEAUTY and Pakistan are two down! #AUSvPAK | https://t.co/0QSefkJERk pic.twitter.com/8Hdev67irB
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 1, 2019
However, the beauty of his dismissal was Steve Smith’s catch, as the ball was traveling to his right quickly when Smith dived and got both hands to it. The catch was completed safely and Pakistan stared at the barrel at 11/2 in the second innings. Cricket Australia has posted the video of Smith’s brilliant catch on Twitter.
