Dubai: It was a happy Friday for the Pakistan fans at Dubai International Stadium as their heroes produced a spirited bowling performance to dismiss Australia for 303 and earn a first-innings lead of 151 on the third day of the first Test.
By the close, openers Ahmad Shehzad and Azhar Ali had added another 38 runs without mishap to take Pakistan’s lead to 189.
Few expected Australia’s formidable batting line-up to crumble, especially after a spectacular opening partnership of 128 between centurion David Warner and Chris Rogers.
Ten Australian wickets fell for just 175 runs against an inexperienced Pakistan attack. Debutant leg-spinner Yasir Shah took three wickets, backed up by left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar and medium pacer Rahat Ali with two each.
With Australia looking at a significant chase when they bat last, the Test is poised for an exciting finish.
It was a poor show from the rest of the Australian batsmen after Warner’s aggressive ton, which at one stage threatened to made Pakistan’s first innings total of 454 look insufficient.
Warner became the third Australian after Don Bradman and Adam Gilchrist to score centuries in three consecutive innings, after previously scoring 135 and 145 against South Africa in the Cape Town Test match in March.
The aggressive opener has now scored six of his nine Test centuries since the start of last summer’s Ashes series in England, when he was suspended for two Tests for punching Joe Root in a bar. Warner is now proving how consistent he can be when he focuses on the game.
Warner, on 75 overnight off 77 balls, continued to play beautifully, but he lost partner Rogers with the score on 128 from only 37.3 overs. Rogers played Rahat Ali on to his stumps for 38 after staying at the wicket for 130 balls and scoring just one boundary.
Warner reached his century with an exquisite cover drive off Imran Khan and celebrated by jumping and waving his bat.
Australia went past the 150-run mark, but Alex Doolan was run out off a direct throw from Rahat at mid-on for five.
Captain Michael Clarke lasted just 13 balls before offering a bat-pad catch to Azhar Ali at short leg off Babar for two.
Boosted by the prized wicket of Clarke, Pakistan went for the kill. Leg-spinner Shah picked up his first Test wicket when he forced Steve Smith to play into the hands of Mohammad Hafeez for 22.
In the afternoon session, Pakistan took four more wickets, including Warner, who was clean bowled by Shah for 133.
Brad Haddin tried to hit Shah out of his length by slog-sweeping him for a six and also hitting consecutive boundaries in the 73rd over.
Pakistan took the second new ball in the 80th over and, with the fourth ball, Khan forced Haddin (22) to play on to his wicket while going for a drive.
Babar struck again to trap Mitchell Marsh for 27 and Hafeez won a leg-before decision against Peter Siddle (0).
Mitchell Johnson and Steve O’Keefe 32 runs for the ninth wicket before Rahat ended Johnson’s stubborn innings of 37 when he hit to substitute Shan Masood at deep square leg.
By dismissing O’Keefe, Shah collected his third wicket and was applauded by his teammates all the way back to the pavilion.
