After Imam-ul-Haq (157) was dismissed by Pat Cummins, Azhar Ali (151 not out) in the company of Babar Azam continued to grind Australia down in the Rawalpindi Test.
As the players made their way out to the middle to start the afternoon session, all eyes were on Azhar, with the top order batter just five short of his Test hundred. The experienced Azhar duly reached the landmark by skipping down the track and tonking Lyon into the downtown territories. Just that Azhar soon lost his batting partner, Imam, with Pat Cummins finding a hint of movement to trap him in front. Imam opted for the review but couldn’t overturn it.
Babar, who replaced Imam at the crease, showed some positive intent, by cracking fluent drives, sprinkled by the occasional sweep. Azhar too looked to press the accelerator pedal as he brought out the pull, drive and lofted stroke and brought up his 150 in the 141st over. In an attempt to break the stand, Cummins also used Marnus Labuschagne. Although Labuschagne found some turn, the part-timer also couldn’t find the elusive wicket. Among Australia’s main bowlers, Mitchell Starc and Cummins found a hint of reverse but weren’t threatening enough to make further inroads. Lyon has ploughed away to bowl 47 overs so far.
Earlier, in the morning, the potent pace pair of Cummins and Hazlewood would have hoped to break the threatening stand between Azhar and Imam. Both the pace bowlers kept it tight and gave away only 18 runs in the first nine overs, but Imam and Azhar were able to paddle through the early threat.
Azhar did play the occasional aggressive shot, including the steer through the slip cordon and a glance down to fine leg off Cameron Green. He also employed the reverse sweep off Lyon to third man. Eventually, Imam cracked his first boundary for the day when he essayed the flick off Lyon in the 110th over. In the same over, he once again played the flick stroke to complete the 150-run milestone as Pakistan ended another session without losing a wicket.
Before the day’s play began, both teams also observed a minute’s silence as a mark of respect for the untimely passing away of spin legend Shane Warne.
Brief scores: Pakistan 394/2 (Imam Ul Haq 157, Azhar Ali 151* ; Nathan Lyon 1-106) vs Australia.
