Melbourne Test: Pakistan lose quick wickets after dismissing Australia for 318

Opener Abdullah Shafique was unbeaten on 39 but his partner Imam-ul-Haq was dismissed by Nathon Lyon after scoring 10 runs. Captain Shan Masood was not out on 15 at the break.

Australia lost seven wickets for 131 runs on the second morning and were all out for 318 in their first innings against Pakistan.

Marnus Labuschagne scored his fourth Test fifty of the year but was dismissed by Aamer Jamal (3-64) soon after for 63.

But Pakistan will be unhappy with the number of extras, 52 in total, since it was the second-biggest contributor to Australia’s total.

Pacers Shaheen Afridi, Mir Hamza and Hasan Ali claimed two wickets each.

Yesterday, Pakistan captain Shan Masood won the toss and opted to bowl in the second Test.

Australia reached 187-3 at stumps on the opening day as the Boxing Day Test was affected by rain which is why only 66 overs were bowled.

The hosts are looking to seal the three-Test series after thumping the visitors by 360 runs in Perth, and went into the game with an unchanged side.

Pakistan preferred Mohammad Rizwan to keep wicket ahead of Sarfaraz Ahmed while fast bowlers Mir Hamza and Hasan Ali both play after being overlooked for the first Test.

They come in for injured paceman Khurram Shahzad and Faheem Ashraf, who was axed.

It means an all-pace attack led by the experienced Shaheen Shah Afridi and impressive newcomer Aamer Jamal, with no room for a specialist spinner.

Pakistan have performed poorly in Australia, losing 15 Tests on the trot with their last win in 1995.

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

Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (capt), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Agha Salman, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza, Aamer Jamal