First Test: Australia on top after dismissing Pakistan for 271 in first innings

Pat Cummins confirmed that Australia will bat again and won’t enforce the follow-on.

Opener Imam-ul-Haq top-scored for Pakistan with 62 runs in 199 balls with the help of four boundaries.

Abdullah Shafique scored 42, meanwhile captain Shan Masood added 30 runs.

Pakistan were 122-1 at one stage but then lost their next nine wickets for 149.

Nathan Lyon was the pick of the bowlers for Australia with figures of 3-66. He now has 499 Test wickets and will look to get his 500th scalp in the next innings.

Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc claimed two wickets each.

First session

Australia were on top at lunch on third day as the visitors reached 203-6 in Perth on Saturday.

Pakistan, who dismissed Australia for 487, still trail by 284 runs in the first innings.

Pakistan had resumed their first innings at 132-2 with Imam-ul-Haq and nightwatchman Khurram Shahzad on the crease. However, they were pushed on the backfoot after losing four wickets in the first session of the day.

Apart from Shahzad (7) and Imam (62), Babar Azam (21) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (3) also made their way back to the hut.

Shahzad, on his debut, lasted just two balls before Pat Cummins took out his middle stump in the first over with a full and straight delivery.

Mitchell Marsh removed dangerman Babar Azam and Nathan Lyon claimed his 498th Test wicket as Pakistan suffered a mini collapse.

Sarfaraz Ahmed (3) lasted just six balls, no match to Mitchell Starc, whose swinging delivery sent the stumps flying.

The last time Pakistan won a Test Down Under was in late 1995 when nearly half of the current side were not even born, and in Pat Cummins-led Australia they face the reigning world Test champions.

Australia: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Aamer Jamal, Khurram Shahzad