Australia go to lunch at 454 for 4 against Pakistan in 3rd Test, Day 2 after Matt Renshaw falls for 184
AUS go to lunch at 454 for 4 against PAK in 3rd Test, Day 2 after Renshaw falls for 184
Matt Renshaw’s innings was brought to an end at 184, as Australia go to lunch at 454 for 4 on Day Two of the third Test against Pakistan at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Peter Handscomb remained unbeaten on 83, while debutant Hilton Cartwright is batting on 25. Handscomb now has a 50-plus score in each of his four Tests. Renshaw, who struck his maiden ton on Tuesday, looked set to convert that into a double-ton, as he resumed Day Two at 167. He added just 17 more runs to his tally, as he dragged one back on to his stumps off Imran Khan, giving him his first wicket of the innings.
After Renshaw’s dismissal in the sixth over of the day, Handscomb and Cartwright batted very well, adding 50 for the fifth wicket. Cartwright, in fact, got off the mark with a boundary off the very first ball he faced in international cricket. Though Australia took their time at first, they continued to score at close to four an over. Handscomb, especially, has taken a liking to Yasir Shah. He slog-swept Yasir with utmost ease, often looking to collect a boundary. Pakistan have managed to cut down the run flow, but have not been able to create pressure to pick up more than a wicket.
FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: Australia vs Pakistan 3rd Test at Sydney
Pakistan had a chance to dismiss Cartwright right at the end of the session. Azhar Ali’s tossed-up ball took Cartwright’s outside edge. But Younis Khan failed to hang on to a low catch to his right, giving the youngster a lucky break.
Australia resumed Day Two of the Test at 365 for 4, after winning the toss on Day One and electing to bat. David Warner initially stole the limelight with a magnificent 78-ball ton, which he scored before lunch. Warner, thus, became the fifth batsman after Victor Trumper, Charles Macartney, Don Bradman and Majid Khan to score a century before the first session on the first day of a Test. His opening partner Renshaw took some time to get going, but reached his first ever Test ton in only his fourth Test.
Australia have already won the series, and this match is nothing but a dead rubber for them. Australia won the first Test at Brisbane by 39 runs and followed that with an innings- and 18-run win in the second Test at Melbourne. In this Test, other than Cartwright, Australia have included Steve O’Keefe, who will partner Nathan Lyon in the spin department. As far as Pakistan are concerned, they have handed out a Test debut to Sharjeel Khan. Also, Imran Khan makes a comeback to the playing XI in place of Sohail Khan.
Brief scores:
Australia 463 for 4 (Matt Renshaw 184, David Warner 113; Imran Khan 1 for 97, Wahab Riaz 2 for 70) vs Pakistan