Rizwan, Salman, Jamal fight back after dire Pakistan start

Mohammad Rizwan 88, Agha Salman 53 and Aamer Jamal 82 counter-attacked to help Pakistan battle back from a rocky start on the opening day of the third Test against Australia in Sydney. 

Day 1 of the Australia vs Pakistan cricket match was an action-packed day with a total of 78 overs being bowled.

The first innings started off with a quick fall of wickets as Abdullah Shafique was dismissed for a duck in just the second over of the game. Saim Ayub followed soon after, getting out without scoring a run.

However, Babar Azam steadied the innings with a solid knock of 24 runs before falling at the score of 39. Saud Shakeel's dismissal at 47 runs put Pakistan in a precarious position.

Shan Masood played a crucial innings of 37 runs, but his dismissal at 96 was a big blow to the team. Mohammad Rizwan then took charge and played a brilliant knock of 88 runs, leading Pakistan to a total of 190 before he was dismissed.

Sajid Khan contributed with a valuable 15 runs, but Pakistan kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Agha Salman's half-century at 53 gave some hope, but his dismissal at 226 added to the team's woes.

Hasan Ali and Aamer Jamal's quick dismissals saw Pakistan being bowled out for 313 runs at the end of the first innings. Overall, it was a challenging day for the Pakistani team, with several key players failing to make a significant impact. 

Match Summary

Australia vs Pakistan, 3rd Test, Pakistan tour of Australia

Australia *6/0 (1 ov)

Pakistan 313/10 (77.1 ov)

Day 1 - Australia trail by 307 runs

Match Day Analysis

Gritty Pakistan hit back from looming disaster to finish with 313 on the back of fighting half-centuries from Mohammad Rizwan, Agha Salman and Aamer Jamal on the first day of the third Test against Australia on Wednesday.

The tourists, staring down a meagre innings total when reduced to 96 for five after winning the toss, went on the counter-attack to frustrate the Australians late in the day at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Rizwan clubbed 88 off 103 balls, number nine Jamal smashed four sixes in a spirited 82 off 97 and Salman hit 53 off 67 to give the tourists renewed hope after a car-crash start to the innings.

David Warner, playing in his 112th and final Test, had to see off a tense final over before the close and survived a scare when the ball ricocheted just over his stumps off spinner Sajid Khan before finishing with six in Australia's reply of 6-0. 

Australia skipper Pat Cummins captured five for 61 for his third successive five-wicket haul in the series.

"When I came out to bat I knew the Australians were going to come hard after us, I was well prepared for that, they wanted to get us out as early as possible, so I was going after every ball," said Jamal, who reached his highest Test score.

"There was no personal milestone for me, because my milestone was just to represent my country and that I achieved. I was trying to get as many runs as I could."

On a day that began with elation for Australia ended in frustration as Pakistan's tail wagged furiously to rescue their side after a terrible start.  

Rizwan and Salman triggered the comeback with a spirited 94-run stand to defy the stellar Australia attack. 

Rizwan, who had been dropped for the first Test, blasted two sixes and 10 fours off 103 balls before he fell to a legside trap set by Cummins.

Rizwan top-edged a pull shot for Josh Hazlewood to take the catch at fine leg after posting the highest individual score by a Pakistan batsman of the series.

- Rousing morning -

Salman took up the cudgels with a half-century before he was caught by Travis Head off Mitchell Starc.

Jamal maintained the fightback and was nearing a century before he fell to Nathan Lyon.

That left Warner, who received a guard of honour from the Pakistan team, to see out the final over of the day and he began with a flourish, cutting the first ball for four from Sajid.

"Fair play to Aamer Jamal, he batted beautifully. We threw everything at him and I thought he batted really well," said Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh.

"I think it finished a pretty even day. I think it's going to be a traditional SCG wicket with a lot of fielders in front of the wicket, we'll take that today." 

It was a rousing morning session for Australia as openers Abdullah Shafique and debutant Saim Ayub were dismissed inside two overs.

The out-of-form Shafique fell to the second ball of Starc's opening over and Ayub, brought in for Imam-ul-Haq to make his Test debut, only lasted two balls before a Hazlewood outswinger was edged to Alex Carey.

Babar Azam caressed three glorious cover drives to the ropes before he was out for 26, lbw to Cummins, leaving the tourists tottering at 39 for three.

Saud Shakeel copped a nasty blow on the collarbone from a Cummins lifter before he prodded a catch off Cummins to Carey for five.

Skipper Shan Masood, on 32, survived a catch off Marsh when it was ruled a no-ball.

Marsh got the last laugh two overs later when Masood, on 35, again edged the medium-pacer to Steve Smith in almost identical fashion to leave Pakistan at 96 for five.

Australia clinched the three-match series with a tense 79-run win in the second Test in Melbourne over Christmas.

Match Stats

Pakistan 1st Innings Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Abdullah Shafique - 0.2 ov), 2-4 (Saim Ayub - 1.2 ov), 3-39 (Babar Azam - 10.5 ov), 4-47 (Saud Shakeel - 14.3 ov), 5-96 (Shan Masood - 29.3 ov), 6-190 (Mohammad Rizwan - 46.2 ov), 7-220 (Sajid Khan - 52.2 ov), 8-226 (Agha Salman - 53.4 ov), 9-227 (Hasan Ali - 54.6 ov),10-313 (Aamer Jamal - 77.1 ov)

Match Details

Date - 2024-01-02 23:30:00

Venue - Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney

Toss - Pakistan elected to bat

Umpires - Joel Wilson (West Indies), Richard Illingworth (England), Michael Gough (England TV)

An engaging day of Test cricket at the SCG comes to an end ??#WTC25 | #AUSvPAK ?? https://t.co/9HGJrXtJyq pic.twitter.com/PSyjmcbEQO

— ICC (@ICC) January 3, 2024