Bowlers, Labuschagne Headline Australia's Innings Win Over Pakistan

Australia overcame a gutsy Pakistan in the second innings to record a victory by an innings and five runs at the Gabba in Brisbane on November 24 (Sunday). The win extended Australia’s unbeaten run at the Gabba for 31 consecutive years now. The innings victory handed the home side 60 points in the World Test Championship, carrying them to the second position behind India for now. The Baggy Greens arrived on the fourth day having already reduced Pakistan to 64-3.

Pakistan needed 276 more to make the home side bat again. Shan Masood survived a nervous spell from Nathan Lyon on the third day to finish on 27 along with Babar Azam who was not out at 20. Pakistan underwent the first hour of the day unscathed with the pair adding 68 in total. Nevertheless, Pat Cummins got the breakthrough by bouncing out Shan Masood for a composed 42 while the batsman attempted to hook a bouncer.

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Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan fight for Pakistan:-

The tourists suffered yet another dent in the next over when Iftikhar Ahmed nicked one to Tim Paine off Josh Hazlewood to depart for a duck. Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam kept the tourists afloat with their 40-run stand when the players took lunch. The pair brought their hundred-run partnership when Rizwan clipped a delivery wide off mid-on. Three overs later, Azam reached his second hundred by playing a picturesque cover drive. By this time, the men in green had brought the deficit down to 127.

In the 64th over, Azam finally perished to the off-spinner Nathan Lyon for 104, getting a thick outside edge to lob it to Tim Paine. The dismissal ended a partnership of 132 between Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam. The wicket didn’t keep the tourists quiet as Rizwan, and Yasir Shah counterattacked with a whirlwind partnership of 79 off 91 deliveries. With one over to go before the new ball becomes available, Hazlewood tempted Rizwan to go for the uppercut. However, he ended up slicing it to Nathan Lyon at deep backward point for 95.

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The next few wickets produced some lucky runs for Pakistan. Nevertheless, the inevitable didn’t take too long as Australia couldn’t have asked for a perfect start to their summer. Josh Hazlewood was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with four wickets in his 21 overs while left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc went expensive but snared three wickets. Marnus Labuschagne received the man of the match award for his knock of 185. The second Test begins on the 29th of November in Adelaide which is scheduled as a day and night game.