AUS vs PAK | Australia survive testing conditions on rain-marred Day 1 in face of clinical bowling

Pakistan won the toss and opted to bowl first following two days of intense showers which made for a moisture-laden pitch alongside cloudy skies and the decision nearly paid dividends instantly. The spearhead of the pace attack, Shaheen Afridi, drew an outside edge from David Warner in the third over but Abdullah Shafique let go off a sitter, a chance the visitors would go on to rue. The southpaw alongside Khawaja thereon offered no respite to the Men in Green while the skies cleared as they patiently accumulated 90 runs through the first session and seemed to be headed to Lunch scotfree when the umpire allowed one final over by Salman Agha Ali. As it turned out, the off-spinner only needed a single delivery to lure Warner into lashing out at a wide delivery and have him caught at slip for 38.

Khawaja did not last long either after the interval, succumbing to Hasan Ali for 42, and the dismissal triggered a period of domination for Pakistan. As the horizon darkened, the Kookaburra began to swing hoops allowing Ali and Afridi to join forces and rain havoc on the newly arrived pair of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith. Plays and misses became the order of the session and a 57-ball stretch brought the two just five runs before rain halted play.

When the action finally resumed after a long break, momentum continued to be on the visitors' side but the sting had been drawn out of the atmosphere and the partnership grew to 46, albeit at less than two an over. The pressure eventually culminated in an Aamer Jamaal peach leading to a feather-thin edge off Steve Smith but Marnus survived unscathed on 44 off 120 balls, the team score reading 187/3 after 66 overs at Stump with Travis Head the other batter unbeaten on 9.

Moment of the day!

Typical Marnus

Maybe the spell wasn't good enough

Day 1 ends

Unlucky

LOL

140? Really?

Decent day

Maybe

True