Pakistan vs Australia, second Check: Australia rode on an unbeaten 124 from Usman Khawaja and 72 from Steve Smith as they ruled lawsuits with the bat on Day 1 on a dry pitch in Karachi.
Karachi Check: Khawaja, Smith make merry for Australia on Day 1 towards Pakistan (AP Picture)
HIGHLIGHTSPakistan reched Stumps on Day 1 of the second Check at 251/3Usman Khawaja hit 100, Steve Smith were given out for 72David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne failed to hassle the scorers a lot
Australia rode on Usman Khawaja’s unbeaten hundred to dominate the outlet day of the second Check towards Pakistan on the Nationwide Stadium in Karachi on Saturday. On what gave the impression of any other flat wicket, Australia batters made sluggish however stable growth after captain Pat Cummins gained the toss and opted to bat.
Islamabad-born Khawaja had fallen agonisingly in need of 100 within the opening Check in Rawalpindi the place he top-scored for his facet with a breezy 97. The chic left-hander made amends in Karachi the place he shelved the opposite sweep and made an unbeaten 127, which integrated 13 fours and a six.
Smith made 72 sooner than falling to Hasan Ali within the penultimate over of the day. Nightwatchman Nathan Lyon had but to open his account as Australia ended the day on 251/3.
“It will’ve been great to have Smith there on the finish too however we had a excellent partnership,” Khawaja mentioned.
“We now have nonetheless were given quite a few batting to come back. It began to opposite in the second one consultation and made it tricky to attain towards the tempo bowlers.”
Khawaja seemed in elegant contact and scored freely at the leg-side after being fed ceaselessly on his pad.
His opening spouse David Warner was once much less convincing, even though, surviving a few LBW appeals and getting hit on his shoulder through a brief supply from Hasan Ali.
Seamer Faheem Ashraf broke the 82-run opening stand with a again of a duration supply that Warner, who made 36, may handiest edge to Mohammad Rizwan at the back of the stumps.
Pakistan tasted a 2nd luck quickly afterwards when Sajid ran out Marnus Labuschagne for a duck with a right away throw from mid-off.
KHAWAJA, SMITH DOMINATE
Khawaja and Smith steadied the send batting thru the second one consultation.
Khawaja took a unmarried off Nauman Ali to deliver up his 3rd hundred in 4 assessments since his recall in January after greater than two years’ absence.
Pakistan spinners resorted to a adverse line after tea, bowling method down the leg facet, to stem the run waft and the batsmen had been glad to only pad them away.
Leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson makes his Check debut, becoming a member of Lyon in Australia’s two-man spin assault with Josh Hazlewood sitting out. (With Reuters inputs)