Pakistan's bowler Aamer Jamal celebrates dismissing Australia's batsman Marnus Labuschagne. AFP Photo
Pakistan roared back into the second Test against Australia
in Melbourne on Wednesday, grabbing seven wickets in the morning session to
dismiss the hosts for 318 at lunch.
The visitors removed Travis Head (17), Marnus Labuschagne
(63), Alex Carey (four), Mitchell Starc (nine), Mitchell Marsh (41) and Pat
Cummins (13), and Nathan Lyon (eight) on the second morning.
Aamer Jamal spearheaded the charge with 3-64.
Australia resumed on 187-3 after a rain-marred opening day
saw David Warner, Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith depart in overcast conditions
conducive to seam bowling after Pakistan won the toss and elected to field.
But Labuschagne was a rock, digging in for an overnight 44
off 120 balls.
He padded up alongside Head on nine with the sun shining,
smacking a boundary off Shaheen Shah Afridi in the opening over to signal
Australia's intent to get the scoreboard moving.
The explosive Head drove Hasan Ali to the ropes off his
first ball and followed it up with another in the same over to quickly get in
the groove.
But his attacking flair cost him, lashing at a wide Afridi
delivery that took a thick edge and was well collected by a diving Agha Salman
in the slips.
At the other end, Labuschagne kept plugging away to bring up
his 17th Test half-century.
Marsh was given out twice in successive balls during a fiery
Ali over while on seven by West Indian umpire Joel Wilson.
He reviewed both decisions -- for lbw and caught behind --
and survived.
Marsh responded by driving Ali for four in his next over
then smashed a big six and another boundary when part-time spinner Salman came
on.
But just as the match appeared to be slipping away from
Pakistan, Jamal bagged the crucial wicket of Labuschagne, who edged to Abdullah
Shafique at slip.
Carey and Starc quickly followed him back to the dressing
room as Pakistan cashed in with a new ball, before Marsh holed out to Jamal at
backward point off Mir Hamza and the tail folded.
Australia won the first Test of the three-match series in
Perth by 360 runs.
/KN/
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