RAWALPINDI: Veteran batsman Azhar Ali and opener Imam-ul-Haq scored big hundreds to help Pakistan dominate Australia Saturday on the second day of the opening Test in Rawalpindi.
Azhar knocked 185 and Haq a career-best 157 to guide Pakistan to 476-4 against a hapless Australian attack on a placid and unresponsive Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium pitch.
Skipper Babar Azam declared the innings an hour before close in the hope of an early wicket, but Australia closed the day on five without loss after bad light ended play with 15 overs remaining.
Left-handed opener Usman Khawaja scored five, while David Warner was yet to get off the mark.
Australia will need another 272 runs to avoid the follow-on against Pakistan’s wily spinners who are used to the pitch conditions.
The day began on a somber note as players paid tribute to the legendary Australian spinner Shane Warne, who died of a suspected heart attack in Thailand Friday, with a minute’s silence.
Players from both teams also wore black arm bands, while the handful of early-morning spectators in the stands also stood in respect.
Pakistan added just 57 runs at snail’s pace in the morning session.
Haq was the slowest of the Pakistan pair, adding just six runs in the first hour and not hitting a boundary until the 90th minute.
He was lucky to survive a caught-behind appeal on 143 off Lyon that the Australians didn’t challenge, when replays showed it hit the bat.
But Azhar put on a solid 208-run stand for the second wicket with Haq and then another 101 for the third wicket with Azam, who was run out for 36.
Azhar was finally caught reverse sweeping part-time spinner Marnus Labuschagne after batting for just four minutes under nine hours.
Mohammad Rizwan (29) and Iftikhar Ahmed (13) remained not out.
For Australia’s pace-cum-spin attack it was a hard toil as Labuschagne (1-53), Cummins (1-62) and Nathan Lyon (1-161) were among wickets.
Spearheads Mitchell Starc (0-71) and Josh Hazlewood (0-53) went wicket-less.
Pakistan lost only Imam-ul-Haq in the first two sessions as they added 149 runs after resuming the day on 245-1.
Haq completed 150 before he was trapped leg-before by Cummins soon after lunch.
Haq, who unsuccessfully reviewed the decision, batted for nearly nine hours and hit 16 boundaries and two sixes.
Azhar lifted Lyon toward deep mid-on to complete his 19th century in his 92nd Test — his fourth against Australia in 12 matches.
Australia have not toured Pakistan since 1998 for security reasons, and on Friday, at least 62 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack at a Shiite mosque in Peshawar, about 190 kilometers (120 miles) west of Rawalpindi.
The tourists will play three Tests, as many one-day internationals and a single T20I.
Azhar and Haq hundreds put Pakistan in driving seat in first Test
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Azhar and Haq hundreds put Pakistan in driving seat in first Test
- Azhar knocked 185 and Haq a career-best 157 to guide Pakistan to 476-4 against a hapless Australian attack
- Australia will need another 272 runs to avoid the follow-on against Pakistan's wily spinners
Al-Qadsiah victory over Al-Khaleej tightens Saudi Pro League title race
- Brendan Rodgers’ side now sit fourth on 43 points, four behind league leaders Al-Hilal
- Points dropped by Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli on Monday blow the title race wide open
RIYADH: Matchday 20 of the Saudi Pro League concluded after what was arguably the most dramatic week of the season, both on and off the pitch.
Monday saw the winter transfer window come to a close with late twists — most notably the transfer of Karim Benzema from Al-Ittihad to Al-Hilal — alongside the highly anticipated clash between Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli. While all eyes were on that fixture, Al-Qadsiah quietly continued their unbeaten run with a 1-0 victory over Al-Khaleej, extending it to 10 matches.
With the campaign now beyond its halfway point, there is no telling who will become champion come end of the season. As things stand, Al-Hilal sit top with 47 points, followed by city rivals Al-Nassr on 46 points. In third place, Al-Ahli on 44 points, with Al-Qadsiah just behind on 43.
Al-Qadsiah’s win was anything but easy, however. Under Brendan Rodgers, one-goal victories had previously only come against against heavyweights such as Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad. Games against Al-Riyadh, Al-Fayha, Al-Hazem and Al-Najma — all in the bottom half of the table — were won by two goals or more.
Giorgos Donis’ Al-Khaleej presented a different challenge. Finding themselves in the upper mid-table this season thanks to stellar performances from the likes of Giorgos Masouras, Joshua King and Kostas Fortounis, it was never going to be easy for Al-Qadsiah, even in the absence of Fortounis due to injury.
It seemed like the flurry of games finally took its toll on the Knight of the East, with stars Julian Quinones and Musab Al-Juwayr looking fatigued. In the 38 days since Rodgers took charge at Al-Qadsiah, the side have played 10 matches, with five more to come in the next 23 days.
Despite 18 attempts at goal, only one came to fruition. A through ball to Quinones in the 41st minute was squared to Mateo Retegui, who finished into an open net to score the only goal of the game.
Al-Qadsiah didn’t sit back for the remainder of the game, prompting Al-Khaleej to take advantage of the spaces in behind the wing-backs to launch their own offence. Saudi national team centre-back Jehad Thekri was repeatedly left exposed, but backup goalkeeper Ahmed Al-Kassar did his best to prevent Al-Khaleej from finding an equaliser.
Despite being the week which saw the title race tighten to just four points between first and fourth, this was the second-lowest scoring Saudi Pro League matchday in history, with just nine goals across the nine games. None of the 18 teams were able to score more than one goal, with half the sides going goalless this round.
Elsewhere, just minutes away at E’GO Stadium, Al-Ettifaq managed to secure a valuable 1-0 victory against this campaign’s surprise package Al-Taawoun, after a 71st minute strike from Georginio Wijnaldum.
Meanwhile, Al-Kholood ended their streak of 18 games without a draw by grabbing a point in a 0-0 draw against Damac. The point for both sides was enough to see them end the round outside the relegation zone; Al-Kholood in 14th with 16 points and Damac in 15th with 12.
Saudi Pro League action returns on Thursday, with Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal continuing their title charges against Al-Hazem and Al-Okhdood respectively. Friday will feature the game of the round, with Al-Nassr welcoming Al-Ittihad at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh.
