ADELAIDE, Australia, Dec 2, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Spin king Nathan Lyon removed
dangerous half-century makers Shan Masood and Asad Shafiq Monday as Australia
edged closer to victory inside four days at the second Test in Adelaide
despite stubborn Pakistan resistance.
The visitors resumed the day-night match under clear skies on a precarious
39 for three with Masood not out 14 and Shafiq on eight after being bowled
out for 302 in their first innings and forced to follow on.
It followed Australia’s mammoth 589 for three declared, built around David
Warner’s exceptional 335 not out — the 10th highest Test score of all-time.
Needing 248 to make Australia bat again and avoid a second successive
innings defeat, Pakistan reached 167 for five after the first session, having
whittled down the deficit to 120.
On a flat pitch offering little in the way of swing or seam for the fast
bowlers, Iftikhar Ahmed and Mohammad Rizwan were both on 10. Masood made 68
and Shafiq 57.
Masood, who models himself on England’s Alastair Cook, played some glorious
strokes, including a six off Lyon, as he assumed a leadership role after
Babar Azam and captain Azhar Ali fell cheaply on Sunday evening.
His sixth Test 50, in his 17th Test, arrived with a boundary off Lyon, his
sixth four, before he chipped the spinner to mid-off where Mitchell Starc
collected an easy catch.
Shafiq, who has 12 Test hundreds to his name, proved to be Masood’s equal
and brought up his 25th half-century with a single off Hazlewood.
But Lyon struck again, with Shafiq getting a thin edge to a flighted ball
that carried to Warner at slip.
Surprise first-innings century-maker Yasir Shah is yet to bat as Pakistan
face another heavy loss after their innings and five runs defeat in the first
of the two-Test series at Brisbane.