PAK vs AUS: Marnus Labuschagne Declared Fit As Australia Beat Pakistan In 1st Test

Australia’s No.3 Marnus Labuschagne was cleared of any serious damage after being struck on the hand during the first Test against Pakistan.

Marnus Labuschagne was hit by Khurram Shahzad on the third day of the Test before being dismissed by the debutant soon after scoring just two. The right-handed batter was sent for scans but luckily was cleared of any structural damage.

“An X-ray taken last night did not demonstrate any visible fracture. Marnus was able to bat unhindered in the nets this (Sunday) morning,” a Cricket Australia spokesperson said.

Australia went ahead despite Labuschagne’s injury and dismissal. They set a target of 450 for Pakistan with Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Marsh both slamming a half-century in the second innings for the Aussies.

The pair of Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Marsh accelerated during the second session before Usman Khawaja was caught by Babar Azam in the deep on 90. Skipper Pat Cummins declared the innings for Australia after the dismissal. Mitchell Marsh remained not out on 63 after the declaration.

Earlier in the day, Steve Smith only added two runs to his overnight score before he was trapped by Shahzad on 45, who claimed three of Pakistan’s first four wickets. Steve Smith was himself looked over for some treatment after he was struck by multiple bouncers by Shaheen Shah Afridi on the third day.

Australia Won The First Test By A Huge Margin Of 360 Runs

Australia bundled Pakistan for just 89 with Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood sharing three wickets each and Nathan Lyon finding two wickets to complete his 500 wickets in Test cricket. Pakistan came to Australia with a perfect record to start the World Test Championship 2025 cycle. They won both their away Test matches against Sri Lanka back in July. However, a huge defeat against Australia will hugely impact their points in the WTC.

If Pakistan had been able to draw the test then they would have been at the top of the table. However, the defeat made them share the top spot with India as both have a 66.67% PCT. Pakistan will now face Australia in the second test of the series which is scheduled in Melbourne starting from December 26. The teams will then move to Sydney for the last match of this series after New Year celebrations.

Mitchell Marsh won the Player of The Match award in the first Test for his half-centuries in both innings. He missed out on a hundred in the first innings being dismissed on 90. Marsh was not out on 63 in the second innings after facing only 68 deliveries. It was a tough Test for Pakistan as Australia dominated them completely in all aspects to register a thumping win over them.

Australia is currently fifth in the ICC World Test Championship 2025 Points table. The defending champions have retained the Ashes series but lost the last two games against England which led to a drop in the points table. Australia will look to move up on the table after the series against Pakistan ends and they have already taken a 1-0 lead in the series.