Image Credit- Getty
Rain delayed the Boxing Day Test on day one at the
gloomy MCG, where Pakistan’s bowling performance improved under the leadership
of returned seamer Hasan Ali, who dismissed Australia’s opener Usman Khawaja.
In the second session, Marnus Labuschagne and Steven
Smith were bowling accurately against Pakistan on a pitch that offered
movement, but they were in survival mode against them as the light became
progressively darker and there were threats of rain and thunderstorms in the
afternoon.
Before tea was called early in what looks to be a
major delay, Smith made just 2 off 26 balls while Labuschagne, who has
previously struggled for form, battled to 14 off 47 balls.
With a dark cloud looming over the pitch, Labuschagne
was obviously not happy that play went on even though the light towers were
turned on.
However, after drinks, play was halted due to rain,
even though Australia had only managed 24 runs in 15 overs.
Hasan proved his selection with a penetrating
performance after lunch, and he was rewarded by having Khawaja caught at second
slip with a ball that sped off the wicket. Pakistan’s quicks had failed to
record a wicket in the opening session.
Pakistan decided to deploy an all-out pace attack once
more, and Hasan was one of three changes made, along with left-armer Mir Hamza.
In tandem with spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi, who
threatened by bowling across the right-handed batsmen and occasionally made the
ball leap off the wicket, Hasan found an accurate length outside the off stump.
Pakistan will be encouraged by their comeback after
they nearly lost the opening session due to captain Shan Masood’s choice to
bowl in cloudy conditions on a field with six-seven millimetres of grass.
However, as Khawaja and Warner put together a 90-run
partnership, Pakistan’s bowlers were unable to strike the right spots on a
regular basis.
as the break, Pakistan maintained their momentum as
Warner, on 38, drove recklessly in the penultimate match of his brilliant Test
career and was caught at slip.
The Victorian metropolis of Melbourne has seen intense
rain over the previous couple of days, drawing attention to the notoriously
unpredictable weather. A first session without interruption was partially
clouded over by the sun, but bad weather is threatening to ruin the biggest day
in Australian cricket history.
An attendance of 70,000 spectators is predicted, which
would be more than the total number of people who attended the renamed Perth
Test during the course of four days.