Pakistan have once again suffered a batting collapse which has changed the course of the game. The reverse-swinging ball turned out to be too lethal for Pakistan middle-order and lower-order batters as they went from 248/3 to 268 all out on Day 3 of the third Test at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The batting collapse nullified the half-centuries of Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali and skipper Babar Azam and gave visitors a major advantage with two days to go in the Test.
At the end of second session, Pakistan looked in control of the innings with scoreboard reading 227/3. The third and final Test of the series looked like it was heading for a draw. But in the last session, Starc used the most lethal weapon in his armoury as Pakistan batters did not what was coming towards them.
First, Starc got rid of an out-of-form Fawad Alam, hitting the top of off stump. Pakistan did not look much in trouble at that point but Starc got another one which led to a sense of urgency in the Pakistan dressing room. The centurion of previous game, Mohammad Rizwan did not last long at the crease either. Rizwan was bamboozled by the one that drifted in and hit the off stump.
Soon enough Pat Cummins joined the party as well by replacing Nathan Lyon from the other end. Cummins used reverse swing to best effect as well as Sajid Khan dragged the ball on to his stumps while attempting an expansive drive.
In his next over, Cummins struck again and trapped Nauman Ali in front of the stumps, sending him packing for a three-ball duck. In the same over, Hasan Ali repeated Sajid's mistake as he went for a drive but all he could manage was an outside edge to first slip fielder Steve Smith. With Hasan’s wicket, Cummins completed his first fifer on Pakistan soil.
At the other end, skipper Azam lost his focus while witnessing a collapse of epic proportions as he was about to be left stranded again. Starc ended Azam's misery by beating his bat with reverse swing and hitting his pad. The left-arm fast bowler capitalised on the momentum and cleaned up no.11 batter Naseem Shah three balls later to wrap up the hosts' first innings and give his team a healthy 123-run lead.
This was Cummins’ maiden fifer in sub-continent conditions whereas Starc took four wickets while conceding just 33 runs in his 20.4 overs.
Just few overs to go in Day 3’s play, Pakistan looked for early wickets as well but did not have much luck. Aussie openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja survived the three overs from Shaheen Afridi and Shah while the visitors added 11 more runs to the lead. There were a couple of edges off Khawaja’s bat but none of them carried to the slip cordon.
Earlier Shafique and Azhar kept Australian bowlers at bay. The two shared a 150-run partnership for the second wicket. Lyon got the major breakthrough. Shafique edged one to wicketkeeper Alex Carey and missed out on scoring a century. The opener scored 81 runs from 228 deliveries including 11 fours.
Azam joined Azhar in the middle and carried on his form after a record-breaking 196 in the previous game. Cummins got rid of Azhar with a brilliant catch off his own bowling. The former Pakistan batter scored 78 runs from 208 deliveries.
