Australia v Pakistan 2023-24: Boxing Day Test – Day 3: The pendulum swings!

‘G’ DAY 3

 

Despite the weather another excellent crowd is in attendance at the G.  Weather is very overcast and play is delayed for a short time.

 

I am Victorian and I do admire our love of sport here in the south.  I would suggest that there is nowhere in the world that comes near us with our attendance at sport per capita of the population and today is no exception.

 

Rizwan and Jamal are very circumspect at the start of play and appeared untroubled by the Australian attack. Rizwan in particular showed what a fine batter he is.  How they left him out of the side in Perth will forever remain a mystery.

 

Unfotunately on 42 he mistimed a drive from Cummins to give the Australian skipper his 4th wicket of the innings. Without Captin’ Pat Australia would have been in real trouble. Pakistan 7/215

 

The wicket has played truly throughout and the tail-enders of Pakistan are having no problems. This was indicative when Shaheen Afridi made his highest test score ever 21.

 

Lyon finaly took his wicket but he put on a fine partnership with the resolute Jamal.

 

Ausralia will need to finish them off quickly if they want to win the game.  Still we are only half way through the match so time is on their side.

 

Captin’  Pat makes it 5 when he clean bowls Hasan (2) with a superb ball that cut back to take his off stump. The visitors still 63 runs behind.

 

Jamal is defiant and hits Lyon for 6 and then is dropped by Head on the boundary next ball. The end if nigh as Carey stumps Hamza (2) for Lyon to finish with 4/73.

 

Jamal set a fine example for the tail and finished up unbeaten on 33 with the last 4 wickets adding 70 to the score. Very unlike Pakistan who usually fold late in the innings for very few runs.

 

54 runs behind and Australia hopefully, from a spectators point of view will put the pressure on and go for the runs.

 

Captin’ Pat steered a steady course throught the innings and finished with the excellent figures of 5/48.

 

I have only been thinking of an Australian win but the 20 minutes before lunch Shaheen Afridi threw the game into confusion.  Khawaja (0) and Labuschagne (4) both caught behind by Rizwan.  He had the Aussies reeling unexpectedly at 2/6.

 

I have been walking through the corridors of power (media centre) for years at the G. It is only today that I discovered that, of the 72  photographs (staged) of VFL/AFL/WAFL  players on the walls only one is not named correctly and goes by his nickname. They are from a series produced by Scanlens in the seventies.  A prize for the first person who correctly names that player.

 

Don’t know what the Pakistani players had for lunch but it would have been hot because they were certainly hot after lunch following their good morning.  In particular Mir Hamza. The fresh-faced 32 year-old left arm fast medium who in successive balls had Warner (6) playing on and Head (0) middle stump going for an ambitious drive.

 

Australia 4/16 and only 70 runs in front.

 

What a great day the fans are having.   8 wickets and only 86 runs but it has all been action and they are loving it.

 

There is no truth in the rumour that the Bison is near extinction. Like his form in Perth the exhibtion today has pulled his team out of the mire. An indication of his dominance is this comparison with SPD Smith during their partnership.  Smith 24 runs from 69 balls and Marsh 51 from 74.  He has been in super form since coming back into the team in place of Cameron Green.

 

At tea Smith & Marsh had added 91 runs since the collapse and saved their team.

 

The batters are now well in control with Marsh continuing to lead the way. Why the bowlers continue to bowl short stuff outside the off stump has me bewilded as has been the fieldplacings on the off-side. For example deep point has been a backward point instead of square-on allowing Marsh to use his powerful cut to full advantage. (Thank you coach CB).

 

A DRS against an lbw to Smith is very, very close and he survives much to the anguish of Jamal the bowler.  Jamal was in agony but not in the same way that Big Bash Alex Hales was last night.  He was in ‘real’ agony.  Why do we all laugh and give the batter or bike rider no sympathy when this happens?  Same with a fart that is not as hurtful?

 

Only 45 added in the first hour after tea but consolidation by Australia. The partnership worth 136 since escaping from the brink of disaster.

 

Marsh moves to 96 in style and then it happens again. He is OUT!  brilliantly caught by Salman diving to his right to grab the ball in his right hand inches from the ground.  Salman – the same player who had dropped 2 sitters earlier in the day. Hamza has his third wicket for the innings.

 

Has The Bison become a latter day Clem Hill (5) or Michael Slater (9) for getting out in the nervous nineties?

 

For Australian supporters and Marsh himself it was the lowlight of the day as everyone was willing him to make a ton after the disappointment of Perth.

 

After scoring 1 run in the last 40 minutes of play Smith (50) plays a timid shot to Afridi and is out caught by Shakeer in the last over.

 

So an exciting day’s play has ended for the very good crowd (39,832) in attendance with odds even for the day.

 

Those attendance figures are excellent for an non-England or India fixture.  In total  148,000 plus for the three days.

 

Australia 6/187   Marsh 96, Smith 50 Hamza (excellent figures) 3/27 and Afridi 3/58

 

You can read Bob’s reports from Day 1 and Day 2 Here

 

 

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