Pakistan strike with new ball after first Test hit by weather

RAWALPINDI (AFP): Pakistan grabbed two Australian wickets with the new ball Monday, but the first Test looked headed for a draw after the entire morning session was lost to the weather.

Australia lost in-form Marnus Labuschagne for 90 and Travis Head for eight before reaching 364-4 at tea — still 112 runs behind Pakistan s first innings total of 476-4 declared.

At the break, Steve Smith was 61 not out and Cameroon Green 18, with the chance of a result growing dimmer by the hour.

Overnight rain had left the outfield at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium waterlogged and after three inspections the umpires finally allowed play to start after lunch.

Australia, 271-2 overnight, progressed to 288-2 when Pakistan took the second new ball after 80 overs and were instantly rewarded.

Left-arm paceman Shaheen Shah Afridi forced an edge off Labuschagne which Abdullah Shafique took while diving to his right in the slips.

Labuschagne, the world s top-ranked Test batsman, lasted 190 minutes during which he hit 12 boundaries.

He added 108 for the third wicket with Smith, who has so far hit seven boundaries in his 34th Test half-century.

Head, fresh from being man-of-the-series in Australia s 4-0 Ashes win back home in January, hit two boundaries before he miscued a drive off spinner Nauman Ali and was caught behind by wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan.

Nauman is the best Pakistani bowler with 2-77 in 29 overs.

Australia are on their first tour to Pakistan since 1998, having previously refused to visit over security fears.

The second Test of the series is in Karachi from March 12-16 and the third in Lahore from March 21-25.