Published: Oct 02, 2018, 07:11 PM (IST)
Edited: Oct 02, 2018, 07:11 PM (IST)
Slow left-arm spinner Jon Holland‘s maiden five-wicket haul raised his stakes to seal a spot in the playing eleven ahead of the Pakistan vs Australia Test series as Australia’s four-day warm-up match against Pakistan A ended in a draw at the ICC Academy ground in Dubai on Tuesday.
Australia had declared their first innings at 494/4 after allrounder Mitchell Marsh lit up Day Three with a marathon innings of 162. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Pakistan were helped to 261/7, ahead by 45 runs, after fifties from skipper Asad Shafiq (69) and Abid Ali (52).
Holland, who last played a Test, his second for Australia, against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2016, claimed his first wicket of the day in opener Shan Masood (41) to break the 53-run partnership. Fast bowler Michael Neser dismissed Sami Aslam (12), while experienced off-spinner Nathan Lyon then saw the end of set batsman Abid Ali, who scored a 90-ball 50.
From thereon, Holland was responsible for all Pakistan’s remaining four wickets. He dismissed skipper Asad Shafiq (69), Iftikhar Ahmed (45), Usman Salahuddin (4) and Saad Ali (5) as Pakistan slumped from 213/4 to 257/7. Holland was looking dangerous to add more to his tally with the wicket assisting spinners, but wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan (8) and Wahaz Riaz (2) held on for a draw. Holland returned with figures of 5/79 in 25 overs.
Pakistan will face Australia in a two-match Test series beginning on October 7 at the Dubai International Stadium. Both teams will then be involved in a three-match T20I series beginning on October 24.
