Australia v Pakistan: first Test, day three – live | Australia cricket team

17th over: Australia 34-2 (Khawaja 14, Smith 16) Good yorker from Jamal, gets the radar up to 136 which is quick for him. Tails in a bit, I fancy. Khawaja keeps it out. Picks up a one and a brace in the over.

“Even as an England fan, it’s great to see Nathan Lyon back on the park,” writes Guy Hornsby. “He’s such a class operator, and I hope he reaches 500 in this game. I’m also really excited about seeing him up in Manchester at Old Trafford next summer. That’s some signing.”

Yes, he’s got the whole season at Lancs in all formats, unless he’s an unlikely call-up for the T20 World Cup in June. Not a great deal happening for Australia overseas next year – NZ Tests in Feb and some white-ball stuff around September.

16th over: Australia 30-2 (Khawaja 11, Smith 15) Faheem dials down the runs in this over, just a single to Khawaja and a no-ball. There’s the occasional irregularity happening from this surface though, he gets one to bounce sharply at Khawaja. We’ve seen a couple of those, the Warner one that kept low, the one that Cummins got to jag sideways to miss leg stump on the ball-tracking. Bodes poorly for Pakistan batting last.

15th over: Australia 28-2 (Khawaja 10, Smith 15) Just keeps a ball out of his pads, Khawaja, sending it to fine leg for one. Has the Pakistan cordon hopping at the proximity to lbw. Jamal digs one in to Smith, who misses his pull to a ball down the leg side, the keeper collects.

14th over: Australia 27-2 (Khawaja 9, Smith 15) Smith is coming right across his stumps in the style of old, then leaving Faheem when the ball is wide of him, driving to mid on when it’s straighter. Two slips and a gully still. Eventually Smith gets something that he likes, not overpitched by much but enough to let him scorch the extra-cover drive.

13th over: Australia 23-2 (Khawaja 9, Smith 11) Khawaja happy to keep playing the pull against Jamal, another couple.

12th over: Australia 20-2 (Khawaja 7, Smith 10) Double change, Faheem Ashraf on from the Langer End. Suddenly the runs start to flow. Khawaja drives two, pulls one. Smith drives two down the ground, then clobbers a short wide ball behind point for four. Adds a single in the same direction. Five scoring shots in the over! Ten runs!

11th over: Australia 10-2 (Khawaja 4, Smith 3) Aamer Jamal on for his first over of the day, and Khawaja is slowly rousing from his slumber, tapping a quick single to cover. Smith clips a couple of runs square.

10th over: Australia 7-2 (Khawaja 3, Smith 1) First ball of the over single for Smith, in true Smith style off the pads wandering across. That leaves Khawaja to absorb more Shahzad bowling, before glancing a run himself to end the over.

9th over: Australia 5-2 (Khawaja 2, Smith 0) Khawaja has looked at Imam’s innings and decided he likes it. Faces out another six dots from Shaheen.

8th over: Australia 5-2 (Khawaja 2, Smith 0) So where’s this game at? Australia led the first innings by 216. So, they really only need to make 150 in this third innings to have the game on their terms. I wouldn’t say that Pakistan are in it – somebody will make runs. But it’s an ideal start considering the position they are in. Steve Smith to the middle, leaves the rest of the Shahzad over.

WICKET! Labuschagne c Sarfaraz b Shahzad 2, Australia 5-2

7th over: Australia 5-1 (Khawaja 2, Labuschagne 2) A glanced single from Shaheen’s over.

Khayyam emails in. “Hi Geoff, I’m in the office in Switzerland, having my last day at work before I finish for xmas, and so just killing time before the day is up, eating croissants and drinking tea! A question for you, with regards to this test series, what is the narrative? Australia at home, so should win comfortably? Pakistan with a decent side could do something in Australia? I suppose the real question is, what is the point of this Test series? Thanks for the OBO today – don’t know how I will fill my day once the cricket is done!”

You’re very welcome. I guess you can argue there’s no specific point to any Test series, or any tournament for that matter. The point is for people who are really good at something to try something difficult, and for the rest of us to enjoy watching what they can do. As far as the story goes, Australia winning comfortably at home is very much the way of the world, aside from the occasional visits from teams with top-class bowling attacks: this century that has been three South African tours, two Indian and one English.

6th over: Australia 4-1 (Khawaja 2, Labuschagne 1) Trouble for Labuschagne here. Smashed on the glove by Shahzad, a ball rising sharply to squash his bottom hand, and that deep short leg is almost in the game with a catch. The physio is tending to Marnus. The little finger on his right hand is the problem, he’s grimacing as the hand is manipulated. He’s going to continue, luckily he got a run there so he gets a moment at the non-striker’s end. Shahzad has been a tricky customer consdiering that in this over the speedo has registered between 127 and 130 kph.

5th over: Australia 3-1 (Khawaja 2, Labuschagne 0) Ropey stuff from Shaheen, strays down leg twice. Not much use for the three slips and a gully in place for the left-hander versus the left-armer. There’s a square leg set very close, almost a short leg about a dozen paces from the bat. Indeed, he’s wearing a helmet. Fine leg, mid on, mid off and point complete the set. No run from the over.

4th over: Australia 3-1 (Khawaja 2, Labuschagne 0) I suspect that Warner’s departure means we’re in for a slow start here. Only a no-ball from this over, though Labuschagne does play a cover drive that is stopped by Shan Masood at cover.

3rd over: Australia 2-1 (Khawaja 2, Labuschagne 0) First runs for Australia as Khawaja clips a couple square from Shaheen.

2nd over: Australia 0-1 (Khawaja 0, Labuschagne 0) Khurram Shahzad had his moments in the first innings and gets an early one here.

WICKET! Warner c Imam b Shahzad 0, Australia 0-1

1st over: Australia 0-0 (Khawaja 0, Warner 0) Usman Khawaja takes strike. Warner watches on. Shaheen gets a bit of lift from a good length, swings a ball down the leg side, and generally bowls a Shaheen Shah Afridi over.

Pakistan all out 271, trailing by 216 runs

WICKET! Shaheen Afridi c Khawaja b Head 4, Pakistan 271-10

101st over: Pakistan 270-9 (Salman 27, Shaheen 4) There goes Agha Salman! Skips down, punts Lyon over mid off for four. Doesn’t clear the fielder by much. Edges another run behind point, then Shaheen clears the front leg and smears four out through midwicket. That’s his style.

17 from the follow-on. Not that Australia would enforce it even if they have the option.

100th over: Pakistan 261-9 (Salman 22, Shaheen 0) Well, they’ve faced a hundred overs. That’s something. Australia faced only 13 more overs than this and made an extra 226 runs. Salman gets a single late in the over from Starc.

99th over: Pakistan 260-9 (Salman 21, Shaheen 0) Lyon hunts 500. Agha Salman plays a reverse! Gets a single, just past Smith at slip who was interested in the catch. Leaves Shaheen with five to survive, and Shaheen does it by leaving most of them. Close on the last ball! It straightens from around the wicket, narrowly past his off stump.

98th over: Pakistan 259-9 (Salman 20, Shaheen 0) Starc to Salman Agha, who strikes a nice drive at a deep-set mid off but doesn’t take the run. Ducks under a bouncer. Halfway field, two slips for the edge but others giving up a single – deep third, deep point, deep square leg, fine leg. He takes a run from the fourth ball. Then changes his bat at the non-striker’s end. Wanting to tee off against Lyon? Shaheen has to survive two balls first. Nearly feathers the first, reaching very wide outside off. Survives.

WICKET! Jamal st Carey b Lyon 10, Pakistan 258-9

96th over: Pakistan 256-8 (Salman 18, Jamal 9) Not bad from Jamal, who gets on top of a Starc delivery and rides the bounce away behind point for three runs. He has a decent enough first-class batting record, averaging 20 from his 28 matches. Salman pushes a single.

94th over: Pakistan 247-8 (Salman 13, Jamal 5) What can Postman Pat deliver in his 20th over? He spears it in over and over to Aamer’s shoes. The debutant digs out the slightly wider third delivery to long leg and takes two runs. That’s it for this over and enough from me. Over to Geoff Lemon.

93rd over: Pakistan 245-8 (Salman 12, Jamal 33) Marsh continues to Salman, an allrounder with the impressive batting average of 47.7 from his nine Tests so far. He takes a single and leaves new batter, debutant Aamer Jamal to whip three of his pads and get off the mark in his Test debut. That shot should’ve instilled confidence in Salman that his partner is up to the challenge but instead he takes two wild slogs and misses twice.

92nd over: Pakistan 241-8 (Salman 12, Jamal 0) This has been a wonderful spell by Cummins. Inswingers, outswingers, yorkers, bouncers – each one delivered with pinpoint accuracy and strategic guile. He now has 2-33 from 19 overs with seven maidens in the mix, including this one.

WICKET! Ashraf c Khawaja b Cummins 9 (Pakistan 241-8)

91st over: Pakistan 241-7 (Salman 12, Ashraf 9) Here comes Mitchell Marsh for another spell. He snagged the vital wicket of Babar Azam in the first over of his last spell so Cummins will hoping he can winkle another wicket and get Australia batting before tea. Ashraf is up to the challenge though, riding a short ball all the way onto the bat and pulling it to the boundary where Travis Head makes good ground to keep it to three. Salman steals two off the last.

90th over: Pakistan 236-7 (Salman 10, Ashraf 6) Captain Pat switches to around the wicket for his 18th over. He continues targeting Ashraf’s ribs, meaning the batter has to hop and hunch to counter the bounce. The tactic is working as Ashraf pops another ball up, this time a yard short of substitute fielder Cameron Green. They run a single. Cummins has his pace up to 140kph now.

89th over: Pakistan 235-7 (Salman 10, Ashraf 5) With a first scalp of the summer tucked into his waistband, Hazlewood returns to the new batter Faheem Ashraf. He doesn’t play at the first two but plays big to the third, swiping across the line and top-edging over slips for a boundary. A wry smile from the bowler. Ashraf tries to repeat the dose but Hazlewood sees him coming and digs it under his ribs and Ashraf’s pull shot barely clears the infield but they run a single.

88th over: Pakistan 230-7 (Salman 10, Ashraf 0) Big shout for LBW! Cummins went to his inswinger again for Salman and the batter was beaten and the decision was OUT! Pakistan reviewed though and replays showed it missing the leg stump by a couple of inches so it was overturned.

87th over: Pakistan 230-7 (Salman 10, Ashraf 0) Hazlewood got his reward for some fine bowling there. But perhaps Nathan Lyon deserves some credit. He raced across from his fielding spot to speak to Hazlewood, gesturing to his chin for some short stuff. And the big quick delivered.

WICKET! Shakeel c Warner b Hazlewood 28 (Pakistan 230-7)

86th over: Pakistan 230-6 (Shakeel 28, Salman 10) Having banished Starc to the sheds to sharpen his spikes and get his head together, Cummins takes the ball for a 16th over. Shakeel works him for a single on the first but the fourth ball is fast and angling in sharply. It hits the pads of Salman and there’s an appeal but not by the skipper who is strolling back to his mark. He works the same line on the last, a late-sipping inswinger, and again there’s a half-shout but no one’s heart is in it.

85th over: Pakistan 229-6 (Shakeel 27, Salman 10) As Starc strolls off the ground with his face in his hat to hide from the hoots of the crowd, Hazlewood jumps back into the channel like Des Renford, sliding them past Salman’s outside edge over and over. Finally, using the pace of the new ball, Salman jumps out and drives for four. Good batting.

84th over: Pakistan 225-6 (Shakeel 27, Salman 6) Wide again from Starc, this time down the legside and Shakeel flicks it the boundary. The sequel is a shocker, another wide ball, this time outside off. It’s so wide neither batter or slipper can reach it and it rolls away for a five. This is awful by Starc. And it gets worse, a lobbed half-volley driven for another four. Starc’s fourth is another wide one (not called) but his fifth swings sweetly and sizzles past Shakeel’s outside edge. That’s the enigma of Mitchell Starc.

83rd over: Pakistan 212-6 (Shakeel 19, Salman 6) After that over of wides from Starc, Cummins turns to his line-and-length maestro Josh Hazlewood. This is the Hoff’s 19th over, 40 runs from them but no wickets thus far. He nags away outside off but Salman leaves it alone. The final ball is the best of the six, a tally-ho from the edge and a shave so close batter and bowler pause for a moment to contemplate what might have been.

82nd over: Pakistan 212-6 (Shakeel 19, Salman 6) Here comes the new ball and – surprise, surprise – it’s Starc who gets first bite at the fresh cherry. This will test (and perhaps tempt) Shakeel who has played all his Test career on the subcontinent. Starc doesn’t test him much on the first three deliveries spraying them all wide of off stump, yet none called as sundries. Shakeel seems as frustrated by Starc, swatting at the fifth but missing. The sixth ball is – surprise, surprise – wide and unreachable for the batter. That looked like six wides to me but I’m not wearing the big white hat.

81st over: Pakistan 212-6 (Shakeel 19, Salman 6) The new ball is available to Australia but Lyon has been given the old one for another over. Salman the righthanded allrounder has strike but he must’ve had a hearty lunch as he’s showing very little appetite for runs beyond a single.

80th over: Pakistan 211-6 (Shakeel 18, Salman 6) Starc bends his back for another yard of pace and it almost pays dividends as Shakeel gets to it late and almost chops on. But he survives and his promising innings rolls on. A swat to square leg can’t beat the fielder and nor can the leg glance that follows but it yields a single. Salman cuts the final ball at the ankles of Marsh at second slip and the misfield allows the batters to run two.

79th over: Pakistan 208-6 (Shakeel 17, Salman 4) Nathan Lyon will kick off this second session needing two more dismissals for 500 Test wickets. However a new ball is due in two ovcers as well and surely Pat Cummins will try and blast out Pakistan’s tail rather than prise them out with spin. Shakeel doesn’t care too much either way. He carts Lyon’s first loosener away behind point for a handsome four and then takes a single to retain strike.

LUNCH: Pakistan are 203 for 6, trailing Australia by 284 runs

78th over: Pakistan 203-6 (Shakeel 12, Salman 4) If Saud Shakeel is rattled by watching the dismissals of his teammates Imam-ul-Haq and Sarfaraz Ahmed, he’s not showing it. He clips Starc for two, then a single. It inspires new batter Agha Salman to punish a straighter ball from Starc, quickly pouncing to send it to the fine leg boundary. That brings up the 200 for Pakistan but they are still 284 behind.

77th over: Pakistan 196-6 (Shakeel 9, Salman 0) Lyon is licking his lips now with two new batters at the crease and just two wickets to claim before he checks into the 500 Test Wickets Club. Just a single to Shakeel.

WICKET! Sarfaraz b Starc 3 (Pakistan 193-6)