Pakistan cricket workforce star Abdullah Shafique was as soon as once more criticised closely after he dropped a sitter at first slip to supply a lifeline to Mitchell Marsh on Day 3 of the second Test match in opposition to Australia in Melbourne. It was an easy probability however he ended up closing his fingers too quickly and the ball bounced out a lot to the frustration of Pakistan. Shafique had earlier dropped a catch from David Warner within the first innings and former Australia slip fielder Mark Waugh was not impressed.“Like a crocodile jaw trying to take a catch. Get him out of there,” Waugh mentioned on commentary.

Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith led an Australian fightback after the hosts slumped to 16-4 in opposition to a fired-up Pakistan on Thursday to construct their result in 161 at tea on day three of the second Test.

At the break, they had been 107-4 with Marsh on 57 and Smith not out 26 in an important 91-run partnership after a horror begin on a pitch nonetheless providing loads for the bowlers.

After dismissing Pakistan for 264 in reply to their first innings 318, with Pat Cummins taking 5-48 and Nathan Lyon 4-73, Australia wanted to barter a difficult quarter-hour of the morning session.

Another drop by Pakistan.

Mark Waugh – it is like a crocodile jaw attempting to catch a ball.pic.twitter.com/RAjkkanfzp

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) December 28, 2023

But anchorman Usman Khawaja was out for a duck second ball, caught behind by Mohammad Rizwan off bowling spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi.

The identical mixture struck once more when Marnus Labuschagne edged down the legside to be out for 5, leaving them on 6-2 at lunch.

When they returned, David Warner let rip with a drive to the boundary off Afridi, however he did not final, dragging a Mir Hamza ball onto his stumps on six.

He acquired a standing ovation as he walked off for the final time as a batsman on the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with the third Test in Sydney set to be the final of his lengthy profession.

Things solely bought worse for the hosts when Travis Head was bowled by Hamza the following supply with an inswinging yorker to go away Australia in disarray at 16-4.

But Marsh efficiently noticed off the hat-trick ball and together with Smith dug in to take the sting out of the assault.

When Aamer Jamal got here on, Marsh slammed three boundaries in 4 balls to additional relieve the strain.

He had an enormous let off on 20 when dropped within the slips by Abdullah Shafique, however rapidly bought again in his stride, accumulating eight boundaries in a seventh Test half-century.

Pakistan resumed on 194-6 after an electrical spell from Cummins within the closing session on Wednesday noticed a collapse from 124-1, with the Australian skipper within the thick of the motion once more Thursday.

Rizwan, picked forward of Sarfaraz Ahmed for his batting prowess, made a assured begin, including 13 to his in a single day 29.

But he was no match for a canny Cummins, who tempted him right into a drive that flew straight to Warner who had simply been moved to cowl from slip.

It snapped a 45-run partnership with Jamal, who began to play pictures with new accomplice Afridi as they chipped away on the lead.

An enterprising Afridi crunched 4 boundaries earlier than he was undone by Lyon’s spin, trapped lbw for 21.

Jamal was in good contact, discovering the ropes 3 times in six balls at one level in his 33 not out.

Cummins grabbed his fifth wicket by bowling Hasan Ali for 2 earlier than Lyon had Hamza stumped for a similar rating.