Australia vs. Pakistan, 1st Test, Day 4: Highlights, Scorecard and Report
Pakistan gave themselves an excellent chance of winning the first Test match against Australia, as centuries from Ahmed Shehzad and Younis Khan plus a flurry of late wickets took the game away from the tourists on Day 4.
The Baggy Greens were left chasing a target of 438 to win the match after Pakistan declared in their second innings on 282/2. It’s a score that is well beyond their reach, and at stumps, they found themselves four down, as Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah bagged two wickets apiece late on. Australia ended the day on 59/4.
Here’s how the match is shaping up ahead of what promises to be a fascinating Day 4 in Dubai:
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| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | |
| Ahmed Shehzad | lbw b O'Keefe | 131 | 233 | |
| Azhar Ali | c †Haddin b O'Keefe | 30 | 65 | |
| Younis Khan | not out | 103 | 152 | |
| Sarfraz Ahmed† | not out | 15 | 18 | |
| Extras | (b 2, lb 3, w 2) | 7 | ||
| Total | (2 wickets dec; 78 overs) | 286 | ||
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets |
| MG Johnson | 12 | 2 | 34 | 0 |
| PM Siddle | 14 | 5 | 44 | 0 |
| NM Lyon | 18 | 0 | 72 | 0 |
| SNJ O'Keefe | 27 | 3 | 112 | 2 |
| MR Marsh | 7 | 1 | 19 | 0 |
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | |
| CJL Rogers | not out | 23 | 77 | |
| DA Warner | st †Sarfraz Ahmed b Zulfiqar Babar | 29 | 27 | |
| AJ Doolan | lbw b Zulfiqar Babar | 0 | 5 | |
| MJ Clarke* | lbw b Yasir Shah | 3 | 9 | |
| NM Lyon | lbw b Yasir Shah | 0 | 3 | |
| SPD Smith | not out | 3 | 0 | |
| Extras | (lb 1) | 1 | ||
| Total | (4 wickets; 23 overs) | |||
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets |
| Imran Khan | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Rahat Ali | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Mohammad Hafeez | 5 | 2 | 12 | 0 |
| Zulfiqar Babar | 9 | 3 | 22 | 2 |
| Yasir Shah | 7 | 1 | 8 | 2 |
Pakistan emerged at the start of the day with a 151-run advantage and all 10 wickets in hand. It afforded their batsmen the freedom to play attacking shots and subsequently, we were treated to some sumptuous strokeplay on Day 4 of the match.
Shehzad found himself on 22 at the start of the day, and it was clear from the outset he was in no mood for hanging around, as Pakistan sought about quickly building an insurmountable lead. And even though his opening partner Azhar Ali was back in the hutch early in the day, the 22-year-old continued his assault on the Australia bowlers.
He struck 10 fours and four towering sixes during a wonderful knock, helping himself to 131 runs from 233 balls. Shehzad was able to capitalise on some Aussie bowling that left much to be desired as the likes of Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle struggled to get anything out of a lifeless wicket.
Australian cricket writer Peter Lalor paid tribute to the efforts of the young batsman:
When Shehzad departed—he was trapped lbw by the off-spin of Steve O’Keefe—Khan took up the attacking mantle; the veteran batsman was clearly given license to play extremely positively. After notching a century in the first innings, Khan repeated the trick in the second, eventually finishing up 103 not out, made in a brisk 152 balls.
It was the 26th Test match ton of the 36-year-old’s Pakistan career, making him the most prolific century maker in Test matches for the nation. The ICC Twitter account paid tribute to the iconic batsman after his landmark score:
After Younis went past the 100-run mark and with a 437 lead in the bag, Pakistan decided to declare. It left the tourists with a difficult spell to negotiate at the end of the match. But would the Pakistan bowlers be able to get any more out of a wicket that had looked somewhat sterile throughout Day 4?
Initially, it didn't seem likely, for Warner and Rogers looked in little trouble against the new ball, negotiating the opening 10 overs at the end of the day—a notoriously difficult period time for batsmen—with watchful distinction. But without any kind of warning, the Australia batting line-up would collapse.
Warner was the first man to go in a spell that saw the Baggy Greens lose four wickets in just 3.4 overs. The opener fell for a swift 29 to Babar, and Alex Doolan came in looking to see the remaining overs out. But the Aussie No. 3 found himself back in the pavilion almost immediately as he was trapped plumb in front for a duck; Babar the bowler once again.
The Australia captain Michael Clarke strode out to the crease looking to settle things down, but even his supreme talent couldn't resist a Pakistan bowling attack that was bristling with momentum at this late stage of the day. He scored just three from the nine balls before Shah had him pinned in front; a massive wicket for Pakistan as they go in search of victory.
Night watchman Nathan Lyon was next out, and suffered the same fate as his skipper, although he failed to trouble the scorers. Australia were on the ropes against the spin of Babar and Shah, and although Rogers was there at the end on 23 not out along with Steve Smith—the score on 59/4—it'll take a monumental effort from the remaining batsmen to salvage a draw in this Test.
Pakistan will be delighted with their late rally and hoping to quickly sew up a critical triumph on Day 5. It's vital they don't afford Rogers or Smith—two players adept at digging in—the opportunity to establish any kind of rhythm, and given the manner in which the Aussie's batting line-up crumbled here, a couple of early wickets should eradicate any lingering doubts about the result.
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