Adelaide, Australia: David Warner plundered an unbeaten 72 and Marnus Labuschagne was not out 60 as Australia asserted their authority on the opening day of the day-night second Test in Adelaide Friday.
At the dinner break on a rain-interrupted day, Australia were 139 for one with the two batsmen building an ominous 131-run partnership, with Pakistan facing an uphill battle to stay in touch.
Pakistan need to win to square the two-match series, but the odds are heavily stacked against them, having lost 13 consecutive Tests in Australia.
Over the years, taking wickets in Australia has been a challenge for Pakistan and they shuffled their bowling attack for the pink-ball Test.
Veteran seamer Mohammad Abbas, who tormented Australia when he took 17 wickets in two Tests in the UAE last October, returned in place of Imran Khan while 16-year-old pace sensation Naseem Shah was rested.
That handed a debut to 19-year-old medium-fast right-armer Muhammad Musa, but, like in the first Test at Brisbane, none of them could tame Warner and Labuschagne.
Both players scored big centuries at the Gabba — Warner 154 and Labuschagne a career-best 185 — and they carried the form into Adelaide.
After Australian skipper Tim Paine won the toss and chose to bat, Pakistan had a flicker of hope when Joe Burns was out for four, but a stubborn Warner and Labuschagne dug in to lay a solid platform and they went to tea at 70 for one.
The players were forced to remain in the dressing room for an extra two hours from the scheduled resumption due to persistent light drizzle, but when they returned Warner quickly brought up his 31st half-century.
The explosive opener got an inside edge for two runs, with his 50 coming courtesy of four careless overthrows — the first time in five day-night Tests he has passed the mark.
He continued to pick off runs as he targets a 23rd Test century, with Labuschagne quietly going about his business at the other end, notching his sixth 50 in his 11th Test with a boundary off Musa.
Earlier, on an overcast afternoon and with the floodlights on from the first ball, Shaheen Afridi, Pakistan’s standout bowler, bagged the wicket of Burns.
With the ball moving off the seam, he got an edge to Mohammad Rizwan behind the stumps and was out for four, with that breakthrough proving to be the only ray of sunshine for the visitors.
Warner, Labuschagne plunder 50s in day-night Pakistan Test
Warner, Labuschagne plunder 50s in day-night Pakistan Test
- Over the years, taking wickets in Australia has been a challenge for Pakistan
- At the dinner break on a rain-interrupted day, Australia were 139 for one with the two batsmen building an ominous 131-run partnership
Dubai Capitals move up to second in ILT20 table with win over Gulf Giants
- Rahman turned match on its head in 14th over, claiming three wickets in quick succession to derail Giants’ innings
- Giants go down to fourth successive defeat
ABU DHABI: Dubai Capitals strengthened their push for a top-two finish in the International League T20 with a composed six-wicket victory over Gulf Giants at Zayed Cricket Stadium on Sunday, condemning the Giants to a fourth successive defeat.
A decisive all-round display, led by Mustafizur Rahman’s devastating spell with the ball and calm contributions from Shayan Jahangir and Rovman Powell in the chase, saw the Capitals climb to second in the points table.
Rahman turned the match on its head in the 14th over, claiming three wickets in quick succession to derail the Giants’ innings. Although James Vince (36 off 34 balls) and Azmatullah Omarzai (43 off 26) had looked threatening during the middle overs, the left-arm pacer’s intervention reduced the Giants from a position of promise to eventual collapse, as they were bowled out for 156.
In reply, Jahangir anchored the chase with a measured 48 from 44 deliveries, providing stability after an initially brisk start. Powell then finished the job with an unbeaten 47 off 31 balls, striking one four and three sixes to guide the Capitals home with an over to spare.
The Capitals began cautiously, with Jahangir lifting the tempo through early boundaries as they reached 33 without loss after four overs. The momentum briefly swung back in the fifth over when Omarzai removed Sediqullah Atal and Jordan Cox, leaving the Capitals 42 for two at the end of the powerplay.
With the Giants’ spinners tightening the screw, runs were hard to come by through the middle phase. Jahangir held the innings together, finding support from Leus du Plooy (22 off 15), before Fred Klaassen bowled him just as the partnership began to build. At halfway, the Capitals were 68 for three, requiring 89 from the final 10 overs.
Jahangir’s dismissal in the 15th over briefly threatened to stall the chase, but Powell ensured there was no panic, pacing his innings expertly. Mohammad Nabi then applied the finishing touches, scoring an unbeaten 25 off 14 balls, levelling the scores with a four before sealing victory with a six in the final over.
The Giants had earlier made a flying start through Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who struck 25 from 11 balls, as his side surged to 39 without loss after three overs. Haider Ali halted the momentum by removing Gurbaz in the fourth over and later dismissed Lorcan Tucker, while Nabi accounted for Moeen Ali as the Giants reached 53 for three at the end of the powerplay.
Vince and Omarzai then combined to steady the innings, adding 66 runs in 46 balls to push the Giants beyond the halfway mark. However, Rahman’s return proved decisive as he removed Vince, Omarzai and Sean Dickson in a dramatic 14th over, exposing the lower order.
Kyle Mayers (24 off 20) and Mark Adair (12 off 12) attempted a late rally, but confusion between the wickets proved costly. A remarkable final over saw a hat-trick of run-outs as the Giants collapsed from 152 for seven to be dismissed for 156.
Capitals’ stand-in captain Nabi praised his side’s collective effort, saying: “It was a complete team performance. They started strongly, but Mustafizur’s over changed the game. Haider was excellent in the powerplay and Fizz really shifted the momentum. Rovman paced the chase superbly and made sure we stayed in control.”
Giants’ skipper Vince admitted his side’s struggles had continued, adding: “It’s been a familiar pattern. We get into good positions but lose two or three wickets quickly when one falls. That puts pressure on the rest of the batters and makes it difficult to finish the innings strongly.”
