Australia hit a hurdle in their pursuit of Pakistan’s first innings total under blue skies on day three, with the SCG bathed in a sea of pink for Jane McGrath Day.
And then Mitchell Marsh started a rescue mission.
After time was lost due to rain and bad light on Thursday, both teams were eager to move the game on today – with runs on the agenda for Australia’s powerful middle order.
Meanwhile, David Warner’s baggy green cap has been returned – in a welcome boost for the opener in his final Test match.
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3.10PM: WICKET! AND TEA! PAKISTAN LAND LATE BLOW
In the blink of an eye, Australia feel back on top. When Travis Head was dismissed, Pakistan had the game in their hands.
But the rest of the middle session was all Australia – right up until the last ball before tea, when Sajid Khan ripped one back a mile to graze the top of leg stump and remove Alex Carey for 38.
It came shortly after Mitchell Marsh brought up his half-century with a wild hoik off Aamir Jamal, skying a pullshot that flies over the top of Mohammad Rizwan.
That seemed the exclamation point on what had been a superb session for Australia, on the back of an 84-run partnership between Carey and Marsh.
But the former’s late, late dismissal changed the mood once more. Can the Australian tail take a leaf out of Jamal’s book, and contribute with the bat? It could be match-defining.
2.55PM: GAME STARTS TO SLIP AWAY FROM PAKISTAN
This afternoon has started to slip away from Pakistan, as Marsh and Carey quickly gobble up Pakistan’s first innings lead.
They’ve only been together for 19 overs, but cruising along at just under 4 an over is chalk and cheese compared to the Khawaja, Labuschagne and Smith innings over the past two days.
And if Pakistan looks up at the scoreboard now, they’ll see that Australia is not just 5-281, but they’re a mere 32 runs shy of the visitors’ first-innings total.
It’s crept up on everyone.
Carey, especially, has been productive. He’s not done anything especially expansive, but has quietly added 35 from 48 as part of the 76-run partnership.
2.35PM: MARSH RIDES LUCK IN MASSIVE RESCUE MISSION
So much rests on the shoulders of Mitchell Marsh right now.
And Pakistan will be kicking themselves that he’s still out there at all.
Marsh was on just 7 when debutant Saim Ayub shelled a chance at mid-off, giving the Australian a reminder of Pakistan’s generosity in the Boxing Day Test.
In Melbourne, Marsh was on 20 when he was given a life. He went on to make 96 in a match-defining innings.
“The Test match was on that catch,” Fox Cricket’s Kerry O’Keeffe said at the time.
Back in Sydney, he was given a second life when he successfully overturned a shocker of an LBW decision against Hasan Ali – with replays showing the ball was sailing over the stumps.
And he’s making the most of his extra lives, surging towards another half-century as Australia trims Pakistan’s lead to under 50.
2.20PM: MARSH SAVED FROM HORROR CALL
A huge moment in the match, as it appears Mitchell Marsh is trapped LBW to Hasan Ali.
Marsh was looking to thump Hasan onto the legside, but the ball snuck through and hit him on the back leg.
Marsh quickly reviews, and rightly so – because its hit him halfway up the thigh and replays show that it is clearing the stumps by some margin.
Marsh survives, Australia continue, and they’re only 60 runs behind now.
2.10PM: DRINKS! MARSH, HEAD ACCELERATE REVIVAL
This had to be an important partnership for Australia, and it is developing into one.
Marsh and Carey have been at the crease for the best part of 10 overs now, and have added 38 runs.
It means Australia trails by just 70 runs on Pakistan’s first innings – and that is with 52 overs remaining in the day.
The last ball before the drinks break, a vicious cut from Carey off Hasan Ali, indicates that Australia is not intimidated by the new ball – which was recently taken by Pakistan.
“Mitch Marsh could wipe this deficit in an hour, if he’s in the mood,” says Adam Gilchrist.
2.00PM: ‘IT’S JUST A JOKE’: PAKISTAN MAKE MOCKERY OF DRINKS BREAK
We’re 10 minutes from the drinks break, and Pakistan have earned the ire of England great Michael Vaughan – by asking for a drink.
“It’s just a joke, what are the umpires doing out there?” says Vaughan.
Whether it was an insatiable thirst for a sports drink, or a message being passed on from the dressing room, is unclear.
Australia is 5-229, with Mitchell Marsh (25) starting to get things going.
That’s something to discuss at drinks…. In 10 minutes.
1.40PM: WHO IS IN FRONT MIDWAY THROUGH DAY THREE?
It’s remarkable that we can even consider posing this question, given where Pakistan were at the halfway mark of their innings, but are they on top in this Test?
With Australia having lost 3-18 around the lunchbreak, the match has swung firmly in favour of the tourists.
Australia are 5-211, still trailing by 102. More worryingly for the Australians is that the pitch, which was flagged as a dry one before the Test, has already shown that it is favouring spin.
Salman ripped a ball through the gate of Marnus Labuschagne, and that should set alarm bells off considering Australia will be batting last on this wicket.
Much of Australia’s hopes will rest on this partnership between Mitchell Marsh (13 not out) and Alex Carey (1 not out).
If Pakistan can get another breakthrough, they’ll have their sights on a first-innings lead… and from there they’ll be hard to stop.
1.25PM: WICKET! HEAD FALLS TO TIGHT LBW
It’s been a busy little period after lunch – and Pakistan has a huge wicket.
Aamir Jamal has had a tremendous series, and he traps Travis Head on the crease. Umpire Michael Gough has no hesitation in raising the finger, nor does Travis Head in calling for a review.
It’s a tight one, but ball-tracking sides with the bowler suggesting it would be clipping leg stump.
“Live I thought it might have been sliding down, but it’s just shaving the leg stump,” says Mark Waugh.
1:20PM: DROPPED! MARSH GETS A LIFE, HEAD NOT SO LUCKY
The worst possible start to the middle session for Pakistan, with Saim Ayub dropping a low chance off Mitchell Marsh.
With Marsh on 7, Salman draws the false shot from the Australian, who had moved to start his walk to the dressing room as the ball hung in the air.
The ball carries to Ayub at mid-off, but he can’t get down low enough and doesn’t control the catch.
“That’s a costly list from Saim Ayub, off a dangerous batter in great nick,” says Wasim Akram.
1:15PM: AUSTRALIA BRING AGGRESSION AS 200 IS NOTCHED
In the minutes after the lunch break, Australia has moved past its next milestone with the 200 coming up.
With their two freest runscorers – Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh – at the crease, there’s the opportunity to move the game along a touch and quickly eat into Pakistan’s first-innings lead, which has so far been reduced to 113 now.
“They can change the game in half an hour. Both natural strokeplayers, I think they’ll look to score,” says Mark Waugh.
If these two can combine for a decent chunk of this middle session, I think we’ll see the match situation change considerably – but Australia will be eager for one of them at least to chalk up a big score today.
1:00PM: FOX REIGNITES JOHNSON-WARNER BATTLE?
David Warner’s public spat with Mitchell Johnson gripped the nation before this Test series, as well as his missing baggy greens this week, well according to Fox the two could be linked.
Fox Cricket’s lunch program The Big Break revealed “exclusive” footage of where they may have gone.
“Cricket Australia couldn’t get to the bottom of this but we did … this is exclusive vision of where David Warner’s caps were retrieved from .. I didn’t wish to do that (the image) Mitch if you’re watching it was Mitch our producers idea,” Mark Howard said.
A more light-hearted look at one of the defining stories of the summer so far.
12.30PM: LUNCH! PAKISTAN HIT BACK AFTER AUSSIE ONSLAUGHT
Another even session, but Pakistan will enjoy their lunch far more than Steve Smith or Manus Labuschagne after Australia’s leading batsmen fell in the half hour before the break.
What looked like a steady session for the hosts, one which would set the platform for a big afternoon, both Smith and Labuschagne fell in quick succession to give Pakistan a major lift.
Smith went first, lulled into a trap by Mir Hamza, before Labuschagne copped a gem of a delivery shortly after notching a half-century.
In truth, both should’ve heeded the advice from Pakistan legend Wasim Akram before play.
“They should look for runs otherwise they’ll get a good delivery from a spinner or fast bowler,” Akram said on Fox Cricket.
He was spot on, as the Australian pair scored at a glacial pace before being undone but some SCG pitch trickery.
In total, Australia added just 83 runs in the extended session for the loss of two wickets.
They trail by 114 on Pakistan’s first innings.
12.10PM: WICKET! MARNUS FOLLOWS SMITH!
What a ball! An absolute cracker from Agha Salman, who undoes Marnus Labuschagne with a gem that spits out of the rough.
It turns sharply and rips through the gate, taking Labuschagne’s off stump.
The Australian No.3 is baffled as to how that has beaten him, with a Gatting-esque reaction.
But he has to go, on his way for 60. Australia have now lost 2-0, with both set batsmen back in the dressing room.
Suddenly Australia are 4-187, still trailing by 126, and can’t afford any more slip-ups before lunch.
12.05PM: CONCERN FOR HAMZA AFTER HEAVY FALL
The very next ball after dismissing Steve Smith, Mir Hamza landed heavily on his left knee and caused a further delay.
The paceman required a brief assessment from the medical staff before being able to complete his over.
Hamza collected his hat and jumper following his over and took his place on the boundary.
Pakistan have been in the wars this Test, with Hasan Ali forced from the field yesterday with an ankle injury. But he returned to the attack this morning.
12PM: WICKET! SMITH THROWS AWAY INNINGS
Steve Smith has spent 20 seconds looking at the pitch after falling into Pakistan’s trap, falling half an hour before the lunch break for 38.
Facing up to Mir Hamza, Smith chips a meek offering in the air right into the section of the field where Pakistan have stacked three players at short extra-cover.
“He’s a great player, but he’s fallen for the trap. Great players very rarely fall into those traps,” says Michael Vaughan on Fox Cricket.
After such a patient innings, that was a bizarre way to go out for Smith.
Australia are 3-187, trailing by 126. But Smith’s dismissal brings Travis Head to the crease… and that should change the tempo of things.
11.50AM: SYDNEY TEST COPS MOST BIZARRE DELAY YET
We’ve had play stopped for bad light. We’ve had play stopped for rain.
But we’ve come to expect that of the Sydney Test.
A scrunched up ball of tape, though? That’s a new one.
But it forced a 10 minute delay at the SCG on Friday, when Steve Smith spotted the ball of electrical tape just to the right of the sightscreen.
It took an army of groundstaff to isolate the problem, before one enterprising member of staff climbed up the white sheeting that is covering the seats behind the sightscreen and retrieved the problematic ball of tape.
“He’s saved the Test match, that bloke. He has saved the Test match,” muses Ian Smith on Fox Cricket.
11.45AM: MARNUS NOTCHES PATIENT HALF CENTURY
It’s been a long time coming, but an Australian has posted a half-century.
Marnus Labuschagne, halfway through the morning session on day three, brought up the mark from his 131st ball.
It’s been a hard graft, but Australia are well placed to put on a mighty first innings score. With 45 minutes to play before lunch on day three, they trail by 135 runs.
Australia, 2-178, with Smith and Labuschagne well set. Pakistan will be chasing a wicket rather urgently otherwise lunch will not taste particularly nice.
11.30AM: UMPIRES MISS RARE PENALTY
Pakistan debutant Saim Ayub has been a tearaway in the field, throwing himself around to keep the pressure up on Smith and Labuschagne.
He also took an enormous divot out of the SCG outfield when he prevented a boundary off a Steve Smith cover drive – but replays suggest it was the youngster’s hat, which fell from his head during the mistimed dive, which stopped the ball.
As per cricket’s laws, should the ball touch the fielder’s cap, or helmet, ‘a penalty of five runs would be awarded to the batting side’.
The rule was introduced in 1798.
But on this occasion Ayub escaped with just a sore knee, rather than an additional five-run
penalty.
10.20AM: PM ALBO WEIGHS IN ON WARNER CAP MYSTERY
With David Warner’s baggy greens safe and secure, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has weighed in on the latest developments.
Ablanese was asked to step in and sort out the mess when Warner initially made his public plea for the return of his beloved caps.
Pakistan captain Shan Masood jokingly called for Albanese to trigger a nationwide search, and while that was ultimately not required, the PM was still pleased at the update on Friday.
“It is great that the caps are back. It’s something that should be earned, not procured,” Albanese said on Fox Cricket.
11.10AM: PAKISTAN BURN DRS ON MARNUS
Is this our first desperation review of the day?
Sajid Khan thinks he has Marnus Labuschagne out LBW, just shy of a half-century.
The initial calls were for a catch – before the ball landed safely – but Sajid was able to extract a DRS from his captain.
One replay was enough to confirm a mark on HotSpot, so Labuschagne survives. It also looked a touch high, if not for the inside edge!
Labuschagne remains unbeaten on 45. Steve Smith is on 27, Australia are 2-161 and have lifted the runrate a touch over the past 10 overs.
10.45AM: THE WORLD’S TOUGHEST PITCH… FOR BOWLERS
It used to be the MCG that had the reputation of Australia’s deadest pitch – but has that been passed on to the SCG?
In recent years the MCG pitch has been revived, providing some outstanding contests… and the SCG has pivoted towards draws, albeit many of them rain-affected.
In the past nine years, there have been six draws.
Because on top of the rain issue, it is also the hardest ground on the planet to take a wicket.
“A wicket falls once every 80 balls on average, with that the worst strike-rate of any ground in Test cricket,” writes journalist Scott Bailey.
A batter’s paradise? Perhaps. Although Australia have made hard work of it so far, scoring at roughly 2.5 runs an over through their first 60 overs.
10.30AM: SLOW GOING FOR AUSTRALIA
Half an hour into day three, and Australia’s strategy remains one of attrition – with just 10 runs added to the overnight score.
With Smith and Labuschagne at the crease, that’s likely to be the case certainly for as long as Pakistan’s first-choice seamers Hasan Ali and Mir Hamza are working through their first spells.
Smith is unbeaten on 11, with Labuschagne on 28, having worked their way through five maidens on Friday morning.
They do, of course, have the gamechangers coming in next in the form of Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh.
But after losing more than 40 overs to rain yesterday, both teams might want to move the game along a touch today.
10.20AM: MYSTERY SURROUNDS WARNER’S BAGGY GREEN RETRIEVAL
In the other biggest news of the day – David Warner’s baggy green caps have been found, and returned to his possession.
Warner went public earlier this week calling for the return of his treasured caps, and just prior to play on day three he posted on Instagram trumpeting their return.
It’s great news for Warner in the middle of his 100th Test, but now the mystery turns to just what happened to them over the past week.
News Corp cricket writers Ben Horne and Robert Craddock have the latest on the saga here.
10.05AM: ‘SHUT YOUR MOUTH’: INDIA HIT BACK AT CRITICS
Fresh from thrashing South Africa by seven wickets in the quickest Test match ever played, India have taken on a fresh enemy: the haters.
After triumphing on a Newlands pitch where 23 wickets fell on the opening day, and India chased down the modest victory target inside five sessions.
And that gave captain Rohit Sharma the chance to have a crack at the critics of India’s dustbowl home pitches.
“I don’t mind playing on pitches like this as long as everyone keeps their mouth shut in India and doesn’t complain about Indian pitches,” he said.
“You come here to challenge yourself. And when people come to India it is challenging as well.”
9.50AM: HUGE DAY LOOMS FOR AUSTRALIA
So we’ve made it to Day Three at the SCG. Jane McGrath day, with the famous old ground a sea of pink.
And the stage is set for a big day for Australia and Pakistan, following the time lost to rain yesterday.
Australia will resume on 2-116, trailing by 197, and with Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne at the crease.
After crawling along at around 2.5 runs an over throughout yesterday, the senior pair have been encouraged to lift the tempo today and properly take the fight to the tourists.
“I can understand they were struggling as far as runrate was concerned on the Melbourne pitch – it was a seaming pitch,” said Pakistan great Wasim Akram on Fox Cricket.
“But this is a slow pitch, but the runrate was just under 2.5 yesterday.
“That’s adding extra pressure on the batters. Today when they come out to bat, both experienced player, they should look for runs otherwise they’ll get a good delivery from a spinner or fast bowler.”
9:35AM: ‘EVENTUALLY, SHE WILL DIE AND AT HER GRAVE WILL BE MISS T20’
Yesterday’s early stoppage in play due to bad light and subsequent rain caused many to savage where Test cricket is headed, but Fox Cricket’s Kerry O’Keeffe took a more light-hearted approach to the matter.
O’Keeffe labelled himself a “devotee of Test cricket,” as the growth of franchise cricket and shorter-forms threaten a game that appears to some to be antiquated.
The former Test player himself said that T20 cricket will simply never have the history and stature of the longest form of the game.
8:45AM: KHAWAJA: WARNER WAS ORDERED TO GET IN PEOPLE’S FACES
-Lachlan McKirdy
David Warner sacrificed his own external image to be the antagonist for Australia in the early part of his career, according to his opening partner Usman Khawaja.
Warner’s penultimate innings in Test cricket ended on Thursday for 34 when he was dismissed before lunch on day two at the SCG.
While there are still more celebrations to come in “Warner Week”, Khawaja became emotional when he reflected on the career of a friend he has known for more than 30 years.
“I always love batting with Davey,” Khawaja said. “This series he has batted beautifully. too.
“He got that big 100 in the first game … it’s nice to see him leave on a high.
“He has been such an amazing cricketer for Australian cricket for so long, it’s nice for him to go out on his own terms in front of his home crowd.
“I couldn’t think of a better way for him to go and he’s still entertaining. Four off the first ball yesterday, he’s still doing it the Davey Warner way.”
With public perception still firmly split on Warner despite his record as one of Australia’s best openers, Khawaja offered a new take on the 37-year-old’s unique career.
Khawaja felt that while in the past he might have come off as aggressive and abrasive, often he was asked to play the attack dog role by the team and it didn’t reflect who he really was.
And since returning from his ban after Cape Town, Australian fans have finally had a chance to see the David Warner that Khawaja has known the entire time.
“For a long period of time, he was in people’s faces and doing stuff playing cricket,” Khawaja said. “But that wasn’t always Davey. He was also getting told to play a certain way by the coaching staff.
“If coaches or senior players asked him to get into the contest and sledge the other team, he’d do it. He’d always put himself second in those situations.
“He doesn’t have to go out and do it but he wants to do it because he wants to help the team and that’s how he felt like he had to help the team.
“You’ve seen a very different David Warner since he’s come back, after 2019 he’s been great. He’s scored runs. He’s done it his own way.
“You can tell he’s smiling a lot on the field. He’s doing it David Warner’s way, which has been really good to see in the last half of his career.”
8:00AM: SUN PEEKS OUT IN SYDNEY
Good morning, it’s 21 degrees and partly cloudy in Sydney!
Yesterday’s weather drama looks like it won’t be repeated on Day 3, with chances of showers lowering dramatically as the day progresses.
Play will start at 10am AEDT to make up for lost time.
FORMER AUSSIE SKIPPER BLASTS ‘TERRIBLE’ SCG WICKET
– Ben Horne
Usman Khawaja has come to the defence of the SCG pitch, after former Test captain Tim Paine slammed the wicket as “terrible.”
The Australian opener declared the surface to be the “perfect SCG wicket”, but his comments stood in stark contrast to the assessment of Paine, who doesn’t believe the Sydney pitch has improved from earlier in the season when he made damning comments following a Sheffield Shield game.
“The wicket it just looked terrible again. I don’t know what’s going on there. They were bowling balls on day one of a Test match and it was rolling,” Paine said on SEN.
“ … I can’t believe that, for day one of a Test match in Australia, the ball was rolling along the ground.”
Paine last month described a pitch which yielded 24 wickets in a single day as an “absolute disgrace” and “embarrassing.”
However, Khawaja, who grew up playing in Sydney, leapt to the defence of SCG curators and praised them for the surface served up for the Test match.
Khawaja believes the SCG has actually replicated the great Sydney pitches of old in this Test.
“I think this is as close to an SCG pitch that I grew up playing on,” Khawaja said after play on day two.
“Once that new ball got a shine off after 10 overs, it was quite a slow wicket and it spun a bit and the ball stayed low. And that’s what we want.
“That’s the SCG we grew up playing.
“I think that’s what we love about Australia, all the wickets aren’t the same.
“Yeah, if this was Perth or the Gabba then you’d be like, ‘Yeah, something’s not right here’.
“But this is the SCG. I think that’s a really good wicket out there. I think it’s a perfect SCG wicket out there.
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“If we keep getting play on it, I expect it to deteriorate, it’s already taking turn. I think it’s a very good wicket.”
On Channel 7, former Australian Test bowler Trent Copeland revealed that there is a dead patch in the middle of the wicket due to the centre bounce area for Sydney Swans matches at the AFL.
Curators are powerless to do anything about the quirk of that patch in the pitch due to the traffic from AFL season.
Originally published as Australia vs. Pakistan: All the latest news, action from Day 3 at the SCG