Khawaja and Warner lead Australia to rapid 138-0 in 1st test against Pakistan

RAWALPINDI: Usman Kahawaja and David Warner made aggressive half centuries and provided Australia a breezy start of 138-0 at lunch on the third day of the first test against Pakistan.
Pakistan-born Khawaja made full use of two dropped catches and was unbeaten on 70 while Warner was not out on 60 on a placid wicket where Pakistan had declared its first innings at 476-4.
Both left-handers were hardly troubled by the early pace of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah and didn’t let the two specialist spinners -- Sajid Khan and Nauman Ali -- get settled by smashing 23 boundaries in the first session during which Pakistan bowled 32 overs.
Pakistan twice came close to dismissing Khawaja, but Fawad Alam dropped a simple chance at gully in Shaheen Shah Afridi’s fifth over when the opener was on 22. Khawaja added insult to injury by taking three consecutive boundaries against the left-arm fast bowler on either side of the wicket.
Wickekeeper Mohammad Rizwan shelved another chance soon after Khawaja had completed his half century and went for a reverse sweep against left-arm spinner Nauman.
Khawaja raised his fifty off 67 balls with eight fours while Warner raised his fifty off 86 balls with nine boundaries when he smashed offspinner Iftikhar Ahmed for three boundaries in his first over as the wicket hardly gave any assistance to either fast bowlers or spinners.
Pakistan batters Azhar Ali (185) and Imam-ul-Haq (157) had scored big hundreds before Pakistan declared its first innings late on the second day.