PERTH (Australia) (AFP): Pakistan were 132 for the loss of two wickets at the close of day two play of the first cricket Test against Australia here on Friday.
Newly appointed captain Shan Masood seemed in control but fell late for 30 as Australia remained in control of the Test.
The other loss Pakistan suffered in the final session of play was opener Abdullah Shafique and still face an uphill battle in avoiding a 15th straight Test defeat in Australia as they are still 355 runs adrift.
After spending 113.2 overs in the field, Shafique and fellow opener Imam-ul-Haq had withstood torrid bowling from Australia’s pace attack with a 74-run partnership.
Masood had promised a continuation of Pakistan’s proactive batting approach from their successful tour of Sri Lanka in July. But Shafique and Imam were watchful through 20 overs in the second session as they effectively blunted Australia’s accurate pace bowlers.
Left-arm quick Mitchell Starc immediately nudged 145kph in a speed considerably higher than any Pakistan paceman. Pacemen Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, whose first seven overs cost just four runs, were relentless in targeting a dangerous short of a length.
While Imam, who made just two runs off his first 31 deliveries faced, entirely focused on stonewalling, Shafique looked impressive technically as he presented a straight bat in defence. Unlike Imam, he was able to make the scoreboard tick over with the occasional elegant boundary.
He was engaged in a cagey battle with returning off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who almost removed Shafique with his second delivery after an edge flew past Steve Smith at slip. Shafique countered by using his feet superbly to whack Lyon down the ground for a boundary.
But Lyon had the last laugh when he had Shafique miscuing to leg slip where David Warner held onto a fine catch. In his comeback from a calf injury that cut short his Ashes campaign, Lyon is now just three away from 500 Test wickets. After coming on in the 10th over, he conjured spin and bounce to finish with 1 for 40 from 13 overs.
Masood took it upon himself to lead from the front and play aggressively as he smashed Lyon for a boundary on his second delivery faced. He soon after hit a gorgeous boundary off Hazlewood to race to 19 off 13 balls.
Masood quickly caught up to Imam, but he fell on 30 just 10 minutes before stumps when he was caught behind off Starc in a decision overturned on review.
Khurram Shahzad survived through to stumps as the nightwatchman with Imam finishing on 38 from 136 balls.
Masood’s wicket dented Pakistan’s fightback after a forgettable performance in the field. They lacked discipline with the ball and fielded raggedly as Australia batted at over four runs an over to post a formidable first innings total of 487.
DEBUTANT AAMER JAMAL HEROICS
Aamer Jamal became the sixth-best Pakistani bowler to clinch six wickets against Australia on his Test debut as the visitors bowled out the hosts for 487 runs.
Aamer finished with figures of 6 for 111, sixth-best bowling figures by a Pakistani player on his Test debut.
Before him, Arif Butt, Mohammad Nazir, Shahid Nazir, Mohammad Zahid, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Sami, Shabbir Ahmed, Yasir Arafat, Wahab Riaz, Tanvir Ahmed, Bilal Asif, Nauman Ali and Abrar Ahmed had also taken a five-wicket haul on their Test debuts.
Earlier, Mitchell Marsh could not complete his century as Pakistan fought back after lunch.
Pacer Khurram Shahzad uprooted his middle stump soon after play resumed. Marsh could not add to his 90 runs studded with 15 fours and one six off 107 balls.
At lunch the hosts were 476-7 with Marsh racing towards a fourth Test century, alongside skipper Pat Cummins on nine.
Fired-up speedster Aamer Jamal was the only bright light for Pakistan, bowling Alex Carey (34) and Mitchell Starc (12) to have figures of 4-108.
Australia resumed on 346-5, having dominated the opening day with veteran opener David Warner hitting a defiant 164 to silence his critics.
Marsh began on 16 and Carey 15 with Pakistan desperate for an early breakthrough as they strive to win their first Test in Australia since 1995.
But on another scorching day the tourists struggled to make an impact with some pedestrian bowling before Jamal was introduced.
Hometown hero Marsh, Australia’s T20 captain, smacked consecutive boundaries off the first over he faced from debutant Khurram Shahzad to set the tone.
Preferred to Cameron Green as the team’s all-rounder, he continued in the same vein, crunching 14 runs from one Faheem Ashraf over as he steered the hosts past 400.
Marsh brought up a 66-ball 50 – his fifth in 36 Tests – with a classy pull to the ropes for a 10th boundary.
At the other end, wicketkeeper-batsman Carey was eager to make runs to cement his Test spot after losing his place in Australia’s one-day team to Josh Inglis.
He survived a big lbw call from Shaheen Shah Afridi on just the second ball of the day, before a beautiful drive through extra-cover for four settled his nerves.
But he had no answer when Jamal was brought on, the impressive debutant producing a lightning-quick delivery that clattered into his off stump to snap a dangerous 90-run partnership.
Starc crunched two fours before he too fell victim to Jamal, getting an edge to another pacy ball that removed his stumps.
