AUS vs PAK | Twitter in disbelief as Abdullah Shafique shamefully drops golden opportunity to sneak rare Test win Down Under

SportsCafe Desk

BySportsCafe Desk, SportsCafe Editor

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Given the low fielding standards Pakistan have set over the years, their antics largely cease to surprise the regular viewer. However, Abdullah Shafique outdid himself on Thursday with a dropped sitter that would've brought his team within sight of their first Test victory Down Under in 28 years.

The three-match Test series between Pakistan and Australia witnessed its most roller-coaster sequence of events so far on Day 3 of the Boxing Day encounter as two teams wrestled for control of the second Test. Australia began on top by snaring four quick scalps to fold out the visitors for 264 and secure a 54-run first innings lead but found themselves down in the gutter soon after losing two wickets within three overs on the stroke of Lunch. However, things became significantly worse after the break when Mir Hamza sounded the death rattle on consecutive deliveries to whittle down the hosts to 16/4 and leave them on the brink of a fatal collapse. The golden opportunity to seal the initiative inevitably arrived for the Men in Green but as has been the case throughout their history, a costly fielding mistake led to their hope's demise.

Mitchell Marsh was batting on 20 with the team's lead just 100 when Aamer Jamaal banged in a length delivery that moved away from the batter off the deck and had the batter squared up, drawing a thick outside edge of the willow. The Kookaburra traveled rapidly at chest height to first slip for what appeared to be a regulation grab for any slip fielder playing at the elite level but Abdullah Shafique left his teammates in sheer disbelief when the ball burst through his mitts. To make matters worse, the red cherry popped over to second slip who had a chance to correct the opener's folly but his casual stance meant the fielder was unable to wrap his hand around the ball in time and the opportunity went begging.

Shafique had previously let go of another sitter in the first innings as well as dropped a simple chance to dismiss Usman Khawaja in the first Test and following the latest incident, skipper Shan Masood had no option but to replace the 24-year-old in the slip cordon with former captain Babar Azam. The lead has since grown past 150 as Twitterati pointed out Shafique may have cost his side a chance to end a 15-match losing streak and earn their first Test victory in Australia since 1995.

Unbelievable

Frauds

Again

Maybe

It's gonna cost heavily

Crocodile jaw

The worst

Finally

True

Looks like that

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