Pakistan on top as Aussies collapse again

Another first-innings batting collapse has seen Australia squander their grip on the second Test, with Pakistan assuming a commanding position after the second day in Abu Dhabi. 

Paceman Mohammad Abbas (5-33 from 12.4 overs) and debutant Fakhar Zaman (66) were the stars for Pakistan but it was Australia's inability to muster something resembling a competitive first-innings total that left them a long way back in the game at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

Australia were picked off in meticulous fashion by their opponents to be routed for just 145 in just just 50.4 overs, losing 5-71 in the opening session with only opener Aaron Finch (39 off 83 balls) facing more than 50 deliveries.

Some lower-order hitting from No.9 Mitchell Starc (34 off 45 including two sixes) ensured the visitors crept into triple-digits, but half-centuries to Fakhar and Azhar Ali (54 not out) saw Pakistan reach 2-144 at stumps to extend their lead to 281. Haris Sohail (17 not out) was the other unbeaten batsman.

Having sparked Australia's late wobble on day one with two wickets before stumps, Abbas added three more on Wednesday to continue his dominant series – he now has 12 wickets at 9.83 from three bowling innings.

Fakhar then became the first Pakistani to score twin half-centuries on debut, after falling six runs short of a ton in his maiden innings on Tuesday.

Australia resumed on 2-20, a score that perhaps appeared worse than it really was given the second wicket had been nightwatchman Peter Siddle the previous evening.

But the loss of all but one of their remaining recognised batsmen before the first break plunged the side into yet another disastrous position in a subcontinental Test.

Finch picked up his innings in confident fashion, stroking a pair of boundaries in the first two overs of the day, just about the only couple of moments Australia had to cheer in the opening session.

Abbas had a superb tour of England earlier this year and he took advantage of a green-tinged track to immediately add a couple more scalps to his overnight tally.

Shaun Marsh lasted just nine balls before pushing and edging to second slip, before Travis Head, promoted up above Mitch Marsh for this Test, departed in similar fashion as he too nicked one to second slip.

It was a terrific seven-over spell in searing heat from Abbas as Pakistan's spinners followed his lead.

Image Id: 8FCAC7D7AB894B4BBE323F9A9FC1B4DE Image Caption: Pakistan players celebrate a wicket

Mitch Marsh looked to have gotten through the toughest stage of his innings, but Yasir Shah (1-59 off 19 overs) wore him down as the powerful allrounder was another victim of a tentative push forward that ended up in the hands of the slips.

Finch had remained steady at the other end but the introduction of off-spinner Bilal Asif (3-23 off 10) saw another mini-crumble before the first interval. 

The Victorian prodded and was dismissed by sharp one-handed catch from Fakhar Zaman at short leg, before Tim Paine was adjudged lbw on the stroke of lunch. His review showed the ball would have shaved leg-stump by a hair.

What loomed as an important knock for Marnus Labuschagne ended in bizarre circumstances. Having moved to 25 as he and Starc ticked the Aussies' first-innings tally up above 100, the second-gamer, with his bat lingering in the air, was run out at the non-striker's end after Yasir got a fingertip on a Starc straight drive.

Nathan Lyon came and went, bowled trying to sweep Asif, while Starc chanced his arm as he smeared Yasir for two sixes over the three men station on the leg-side boundary.

Abbas returned and after an extended review for an lbw that smashed into Starc's back foot, the Pakistani got a deserved fifth wicket.

While Starc then removed Mohammad Hafeez when the opener chipped one straight to mid-off, Australia's bowlers started poorly as Pakistan raced to 1-48 after nine overs and increased their lead to 188 at the tea break.   

In his unorthodox fashion, Fakhar took advantage of a pitch that looked to have flattened out, hitting Lyon for back-to-back boundaries to bring up his second 53-ball half-century of the match. 

Again he was denied a ton though when he belted one back to Lyon, who took an excellent reflex catch off his own bowling.

A tough chance went begging on Haris Sohail's first ball, with a nick off Lyon ballooning up off keeper Paine's glove before it eluded Finch at first slip. Had it gone to hand, it would have made a king pair for Sohail, who'd been part of Lyon's devastating spell of 4-0 in the first dig.

Azhar moved to his first fifty of the series late in the final session, with the right-hander perhaps a little fortunate to survive an lbw review in the penultimate over of the day. Dancing down the track to Jon Holland, Azhar was beaten in flight, struck on the pad and although ball-tracking showed it would have cannoned into the stumps, the batter survived because it had hit him more than three metres away from the stumps, much to Paine’s obvious displeasure.

After being denied in similar fashion during the first Test in Dubai, Paine had an extended chat with umpires after stumps were called, with the Australians’ desperation to will themselves back into the contest apparent.

Australia XI: Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitch Marsh, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Tim Paine (capt), Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland.

Pakistan XI: Mohammad Hafeez, Fakhar Zaman, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Harris Sohail, Babar Azam, Sarfraz Ahmed (capt), Yasir Shah, Bilal Asif, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas.

Australia Test squad: Tim Paine (c), Ashton Agar, Brendan Doggett, Aaron Finch, Travis Head, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc

Pakistan Test squad: Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Usman Salahuddin, Yasir Shah, Shadab Khan, Bilal Asif, Mohammad Abbas, Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz, Faheem Ashraf, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Hafeez

Oct 7-11: First Test, drawn

Oct 16-20: Second Test, Abu Dhabi