Runs keep flowing in Aust-Pakistan Test

Scott Bailey | March 6, 2022

Australia have set their sights on somehow turning the Rawalpindi run-fest into a contest after reaching 2-271 at stumps on a shortened day three of the first Test in reply to Pakistan’s 4-476.

With bat dominating ball in near-record fashion on Sunday, Usman Khawaja narrowly missed out on a century in his first match in his country of birth with 97.

David Warner also struck 68 as part of a 156-run opening stand between the pair, while Marnus Labuschagne was 69no when bad light and then rain ended play.

Steve Smith was alongside him on 24, with the pair 32 runs short of the fifth hundred-run partnership of the match.

As a show of how much bat has ruled on the first three days, the average runs scored per wicket now sits at 124.5 – on track to be the second highest of all-time.

Both sides face an uphill battle to force a result on the flat wicket, but Australia’s run-rate of 3.71 on the third day has at least given them a chance to follow their plan of grabbing a lead and applying pressure on day five.

Pakistan, meanwhile, need early wickets on Sunday for any hope of a win.

Khawaja was at least interested in moving the game on, as he and Warner scored at more than four an over in Sunday’s first session.

While Warner battled through the early stages, Khawaja made an immediate statement by putting the pressure back on Pakistan’s quicks.

He hit 15 boundaries in his 97, reverse-sweeping spinners and at one stage backing away to upper-cut Naseem Shah through backward point.

The 35-year-old was dropped twice on 22 and 62, responding to both chances by hitting boundaries the following ball.

But he didn’t survive a third life, out on review when he tried to reverse-sweep Nauman Ali but only gloved it to Imam-ul-Haq at bat pad.

Warner meanwhile wore two on the body early and played-and-missed on zero, before hitting three boundaries off one Iftikhar Ahmed over to reach his 50.

He eventually fell trying to go back and cut a ball that was too full from Sajid Khan, taking his middle and off stump.

Labuschagne’s strokeplay then took over, getting off the mark with a glorious cover drive and providing the quirkiest shot of the day as he swapped from a reverse-sweep to conventional one mid-delivery off Sajib, but still hit it for four.

“Tomorrow is another big day for us. If we can bat well and keep scoring runs and give ourselves an opportunity, maybe,” Khawaja said.

“But you have to respect Test cricket.

“If you get too far ahead of yourself … things happen very quickly and then you’re back in the field.”

If Australia were to pull off an unlikely win, it would mark their greatest comeback after conceding so many runs in the first innings since Shane Warne engineered an Ashes Test win in Adelaide in 2006.

Meanwhile, Pakistan know breaking the partnership of Labuschagne and Smith is key if they want to force a result.

“The wicket continues to suit the batters, but hopefully with the new ball soon there will be a chance for bowlers to make an impression,” Sajid said.