Australia v Pakistan 2023-24: Boxing Day Test – Day 2: ‘You Gotta Have Heart’

 

DAY 2 – ‘YOU GOTTA HAVE HEART’

 

Great work by the Victorian public yesterday when over 2000 volunteered their time to take the Shane Warne Legacy Heart Test. Well done by them and others were already lining up when I arrived at the ground this morning.

 

According to Chris Rogers as we walked in this morning he ‘expected a lot of runs’.

 

It started that way but then Head (17) did not quite middle one from Afridi and Salman took a fine catch in slip.

 

The highlight of the morning came shortly after when Marsh on 7 was given out two ball running both on appeal. He had both decisions reversed. If I said the excitable Pakistanis were unhappy that would be a very big understatement. I do wish Labuschagne could keep his nose out of something that is not his business.  One day he is going to get a punch on the nose from some opponent.

 

Salman comes on early today and Marsh treats him with contempt with a six and a four.  I thought he was under-used yesterday when his four overs were very good.

 

The Bison is in superb form again after that early relapse and is now playing powerful shots all around the wicket. His innings is starting to look like a replica of Perth.

 

Jamal Hasan has bowled beautifully this morning without any luck and he gets Labuschagne(63) to ‘Middle’ one to first slip. On first thoughts I thought he reckons he hasn’t hit it as he stands there not moving.  Another one of his idiosycracies that do not look good in the eyes of the general public.

 

A good little session by the visitors 2/65. Rogers was correct when he said ‘runs will flow’.

 

A great start after drinks for Pakistan as Rizwan takes a superb catch to dismiss Carey (4) from Afridi.  The morning has got even better for the visitors now that Afridi is on song.

 

Starc and Marsh were both out going for shots and there seems a lot of intent in the OzPlan.

 

Cummins hits out and a fine catch is taken by Hamza on the square leg boundary.  The Pakistani’s fielding has been excellent today with no catches dropped. Hamza takes another well judged catch at deep fine-leg and Australia are all out for 318.

 

Pakistan have taken 8/131 in a very good sesssion for them. All the bowlers shared the wickets this morning backed up by some very fine catching particularly by Hamza.

 

A sound start by Pakistan as they thwart the triumvite. They look confident and so they should be after an excellent morning in the field.

 

They lose their first wicket with the score at 34 when Lyon getting some turn has Imam (10) caught at short leg by Labuschangne.  The game has drifted along in the afternoon but highlighted with the running between wickets of the batters.  Obviously the instructions are to keep the fielders on their toes.

 

My eyes are on the captain Shan Masood who has a batting average of just over 20 on the Test field. Reminded me of the days when England and the West Indies picked their captains on form other than cricket.

 

Pakistan looked in control with a great partnership betweenn Shaffique and Masood that took the score to 124. Both were playing some telling shots and demonstrating what  Pakistani cricket was all about. Batting straight out of C.B.Fry’s book (1925).

 

Australia needed someone to steer the ship right.

 

 So who would it be?   None other than the irrepressible Captain Pat!

 

Started with a superb caught and bowled diving to his right down low to get rid of the dangerous Shaffique for a very good 62 and a couple of balls later clean bowling the star batsman Babar for 1.  It was what one expects of a bowler captain.  The other bowlers had battled hard with little success but Cap’n Pat just decided to splice the mainbrace.  Up to this point the match was starting to swing Pakistan’s way.

 

On the other hand the much maligned Pakistani captain Shan Masood was steadying his ship with great aplomb. His poor test batting average of 24.3 was now in the past as his fighting qualities were exposed for all to see.  Rather tall for a Punjab batter his strokemaking is first class and he is certainly leading by example.

 

Done it again!  He goes for an almighty hoike from Lyon and skies it high to Mitch Marsh who takes a difficult catch. Shan out for 54 and the visitors have lost 3/24 to swing the game well back to Australia’s way.

 

Hazelwood joins the party by clean bowling Shakeel . Rizwan is now the big hope for Pakistan and he will needed to be supported by the tail to stop Australia putting a stranglehold on the game.  He shows his class by spanking Cummins for a wonderful six over square leg.

 

He is not getting the support he derserves as Salman slashes at Cummins for Carey to take. Pakistan now 6/170 and have lost 4/36 in the last hour and 5 wickets in the session.

 

Cummins and Starc are back into the attack in a last ditch stand to cause further carnage before stumps and are peppering the batters with short pitched balls.

 

The day’s play comes toa close with Pakistan 6/194 Rizwan 29 n.o, Jamal 2 n.o.  Cummins 3, Lyon 2 and Hazelwood 1.  Attendnace 44,837

 

 

 

Read Bob’s Day 1 report Here.

 

 

 

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