Recent Match Report – Australia vs Pakistan 3rd Test 2023/24

Cummins continued his stellar series by again providing a breakthrough out of nowhere and took 3 for 40 off 10 overs. Recalled Sajid Khan then survived a dropped chance from Usman Khawaja in the slips off allrounder Mitchell Marsh as batting suddenly appeared more difficult with sunshine making way for cloud covering.

Pakistan’s batting order throughout the series has mostly been under a stranglehold by Australia’s attack, but Rizwan and Salman Agha dominated with a 94-run partnership for the sixth wicket in favourable batting conditions. Rizwan had batted bravely in the Boxing Day Test with scores of 42 and 35, where he briefly gave Pakistan hope of chasing 317 runs until falling late on day four after a short Cummins delivery flicked his wristband.

He has continued to make Pakistan’s hierarchy appear rather foolish for not selecting him in the series opener in Perth with Sarfaraz Ahmed preferred.

With Pakistan resuming the second session at 75 for 4, Rizwan continued where he left off before lunch as he targeted backward point and scored runs quickly. But captain Shan Masood was unable to bat proactively as his preference given his team’s predicament. Masood had been watchful against Nathan Lyon, who he had numerously charged at in Melbourne, but his bid to play the long haul seemingly ended on 32 when he edged Marsh straight to second slip.

But Marsh’s celebrations were halted when he was found to have delivered a no-ball. Masood could not make him pay and fell almost in the exact same manner shortly after with Marsh relieved when it was confirmed that he hadn’t overstepped again.

Salman started slowly and survived a review for a caught behind appeal from Josh Hazlewood before unfurling superbly-timed strokes on either side of the wicket. Lyon had been barely needed in the first session amid the carnage from the quicks and he was treated with disdain by Rizwan and Salman, who had batted well with a half-century in the second innings at the MCG.

But Pakistan will rue not making the most of Masood winning a favourable toss having earlier slumped to 47 for 4. After their painful 79-run defeat in the Boxing Day Test, having fought bravely and at times appearing close to causing an upset, Pakistan eyed a tonic in the form of a big first-innings total.

But they started the new year with both their openers making ducks within the first eight deliveries of the match. Mitchell Starc found sharp swing and on the second delivery of the innings he removed opener Abdullah Shafique, who drove loosely and produced a thick outside edge to second slip.

The pressure fell on Babar Azam, who had only made 77 runs in four previous innings and been worked over by Cummins and Hazlewood. He made a watchful start before unfurling his trademark cover drive to the boundary and pounced on an increasingly wayward Starc.

Babar looked confident on a sedate surface, but confronted Cummins who had dismissed him twice in brilliant fashion in Perth and Melbourne. Cummins added a third when a hooping inswinger trapped Babar, who initially survived before the DRS overturned the on-field decision after ball-tracking confirmed the ball to hit the leg stump.

Cummins added another after drinks when he had struggling No. 5 Saud Shakeel caught behind to leave Pakistan in ruins.

Pakistan’s bid for a consolation victory and to snap a 16-Test losing streak in Australia was made harder with spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi contentiously rested after a heavy workload in the opening two Tests. He was replaced by specialist spinner Sajid, while Australia again named an unchanged line-up in opener David Warner’s farewell to Test cricket.

The traditional New Year’s Test in Sydney has been severely impacted by bad weather in recent years, but sunny conditions are expected throughout the opening day.