KARACHI: Australia lost key batsmen David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne in quick succession on Saturday, reaching 100-2 at lunch on the opening day of the second Test against Pakistan in Karachi.
At the break, opener Usman Khawaja was batting on 52 and Steve Smith on seven after the visitors won the toss and opted to bat on a dry-looking National Stadium pitch.
All-rounder Faheem Ashraf got the ball to nip away slightly, forcing Warner (36) to edge the ball to keeper Mohammad Rizwan after the Australian openers had amassed a solid 82-run stand.
Labuschagne was run out for nought nine deliveries later. The top-ranked batter in Test cricket fell to a direct hit from Sajid Khan while attempting a quick single.
Warner, whose last six innings against Pakistan include four centuries and two fifties, had greeted off-spinner Sajid into the attack with two sixes.
But Ashraf -- recalled after missing the first Test due to injury -- extracted some life from the pitch to grab the first breakthrough.
Khawaja has so far hit seven boundaries and a six in his 16th Test half-century.
He and Warner put on 63 runs in the first hour as Pakistan's spin-and-pace attack found little response from the pitch.
Australian leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson is making his Test debut, replacing pacer Josh Hazlewood in the lineup, while Pakistan have brought in Hasan Ali and Ashraf.
The first match of the three-Test series ended in a draw in Rawalpindi.
Australia lose Warner, Labuschagne after quick start in second Test
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Australia lose Warner, Labuschagne after quick start in second Test
- Australia won the toss and opted to bat on a dry-looking pitch in Karachi
- The first match of the three-Test series ended in a draw in Rawalpindi
Man United climb to third, Fulham sink sorry Spurs
- Red Devils have taken their tally to 19 points from a possible 21
LONDON: Benjamin Sesko stretched his hot streak with the winning goal as Manchester United beat Crystal Palace 2-1 to go third in the Premier League, while Tottenham failed to dispel relegation fears after defeat at Fulham.
Sesko was handed his first start in seven games since Michael Carrick took charge at Old Trafford and rewarded his boss with another vital goal to edge United closer to a return to the Champions League.
Palace had taken an early lead at Old Trafford when Maxence Lacroix outmuscled Leny Yoro to guide in a header from Brennan Johnson’s corner.
But United hit back to remain unbeaten under Carrick and take their tally to 19 points from a possible 21.
The game swung on one incident as Lacroix was sent off and conceded a penalty for pulling back Matheus Cunha just before the hour mark.
Bruno Fernandes confidently stroked the resulting spot kick past former teammate Dean Henderson.
Fernandes was then the creator for the second as his curling cross was powered in by Sesko.
The Slovenian has now scored seven times in his last eight appearances to quieten critics of his £74 million ($100 million) price tag after a slow start to his career in England.
Tottenham remain perilously poised just four points above the relegation zone as interim boss Igor Tudor again failed to halt their alarming slide after a 2-1 defeat at Craven Cottage.
Harry Wilson and Alex Iwobi gave Fulham a deserved half-time lead as they moved up to ninth and back into contention for European football next season.
Richarlison headed in a late consolation for Tottenham, but they remain the only Premier League side without a win in 2026.
The one crumb of comfort for Spurs was defeat for relegation rivals Nottingham Forest, 2-1 at Brighton.
All three goals arrived in the first 15 minutes as Diego Gomez and Danny Welbeck netted for the Seagulls either side of Morgan Gibbs-White’s reply.
Forest sit two points above the drop zone ahead of a daunting trip to Manchester City on Wednesday.
