Australia all out for 318 as Pakistan fight back in 2nd Test

Australia all out for 318 as pakistan fight back in 2nd test0

On Wednesday, Pakistan raced back into the second Test against Australia in Melbourne, taking seven wickets in the morning session and dismissing the hosts for 318 before lunch.

On the second morning, the visitors removed Travis Head (17), Marnus Labuschagne (63), Alex Carey (4), Mitchell Starc (9), Mitchell Marsh (41) and Pat Cummins (13), and Nathan Lyon (8).

With 3-64, Aamer Jamal led the attack.

After a rain-affected first day that saw David Warner, Usman Khawaja, and Steve Smith leave in cloudy circumstances suited to seam bowling after Pakistan won the toss and opted to play, Australia began on 187-3.

Labuschagne, on the other hand, was a rock, digging in for an overnight 44 off 120 balls.

With the sun blazing, he padded up beside Head on nine, slamming a boundary off Shaheen Shah Afridi in the first over to show Australia’s resolve to get the scoreboard rolling.

The dynamite Head smashed Hasan Ali to the ropes with his opening ball and followed it up with another in the same over to get into a rhythm fast.

But his attacking flair cost him, as he lashed out at a wide Afridi ball that got a thick edge and was easily collected in the slips by a diving Agha Salman.

Labuschagne, on the other hand, persisted on his quest for his 17th Test half-century.

Marsh was run out twice in two balls by West Indian umpire Joel Wilson during a heated Ali over when on seven.

He survived after reviewing both rulings (lbw and caught behind).

Marsh replied by driving Ali for four in his next over, then blasted a massive six and another boundary when part-time spinner Salman entered the fray.

But, just as Pakistan seemed to be losing the match, Jamal took the important wicket of Labuschagne, who edged to Abdullah Shafique at slip.

As Pakistan cashed in with a new ball, Carey and Starc immediately followed him back to the dressing room, before Marsh holed out to Jamal at backward point off Mir Hamza and the tail folded.

Australia won the opening Test of the three-match series by 360 runs in Perth.

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