Waugh on struggling S. Marsh0:00
Cricket: Mark Waugh breaks down why he thinks Shaun Marsh is struggling in the Australia vs Pakistan (2nd) Test Match.
AUSTRALIA endured a nightmare in Abu Dhabi on the second day of the second Test at the hands of Pakistan.
The batsmen once again failed to deliver as the Pakistanis attacked ripped through the order with ease, before Pakistan took to the crease and showed the deck was made for plenty of runs as they ran up their lead.
Australia 145
Pakistan 282 & 2/144 (Azhar 54, Sohail 17)
Legends hammer dismal Aussies
Nathan Lyon’s strong words after the opening day’s play clearly fell on deaf ears as the Aussies capitulated in a horror display.
The Aussies entered day two of the second Test already two down after losing Usman Khawaja and Peter Siddle in the final seven overs of day one.
It didn’t take long for things to go from bad to worse, however, as Pakistan quick Mohammad Abbas dismantled the batting attack.
Abbas took the first two wickets of the day, giving him the first four of the innings and putting the Aussies in a tenuous position.
Mohammad Abbas has 54 wickets in 10 Tests. No other fast bowler from Pakistan took this many wickets in his first 10 Tests. Abbas still has an inns to go. #PakvAus
— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) October 17, 2018
The collapse wasn’t over with, as Mitch Marsh, Aaron Finch and Tim Paine all followed suit shortly after and left the scoreboard in a bleak state.
Marnus Labuschagne and Mitch Starc saved the innings from being a complete humiliation with some late heroics, but the capitulation saw Australia’s innings come to an end still 137 runs shy of the first innings score set by Pakistan.
The sad display from the Aussies opened the door for a severe backlash and two legends in Mike Hussey and Shane Warne raised serious questions.
“Once you start getting into your 30s, mid-30s, you can’t afford to have a run like that, because everyone starts talking about your position in the team, is that the end of your career, and that extra pressure builds up on you as well,” Hussey said on Wisden radio.
“In reality, at the end of the day, you do need to be scoring runs. There’s going to be a lot of discussion about his place in the team.”
Then, just like he did in the first Test, Shane Warne hit out and believed only two of the currently team were worthy of keeping their place in the batting line-up.
Australia’s bowling quality has saved this Oz side for a while now, but how long can they keep doing it ? These current batsman need to stand up & quickly or it will be a v long summer, Finch/Khawaja been good and will start in the 1st test in Oz – the rest ??? @FOXCricketLive
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) October 17, 2018
Ps Bowlers will get injured if they have to continue to bowl day after day without rest, due to the batsman continue to fail. Also, I’m a huge fan of Mitch Marsh & his capabilities but appointed VC & batting so high?Paine has to bat in top 6 & why has Lyon not been appointed VC?
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) October 17, 2018
Pakistan then rubbed salt in the Australian wounds with their second innings as they showed that the wicket was indeed batter friendly.
Debutant Fakhar Zaman carried on where he left off in the first innings as he raced to his half century. His innings came to an end on 66, but his name enters the record books as he becomes the first Pakistani player to record back-to-back half centuries on debut.
Twin fifties for Fakhar Zaman in his debut Test – first Pakistani to achieve this feat. Can he convert it into a hundred? #PAKvAUS pic.twitter.com/vqKyyMwmzh
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) October 17, 2018
Azhar Ali entered in the fourth over and he followed in Zaman’s footsteps as he recorded a well-earned half century before the day wrapped up.
After two days of play the Aussies are in a nightmare position as they currently trail by 276 runs with Pakistan still having eight wickets in hand.
Australia took their foot off the throat of Pakistan on day one and ever since they’ve been made to pay dearly. It’ll take a monumental turnaround if they’re to save the series from here.
Lyon takes an absolute screamer
Nathan Lyon removed the record maker for Pakistan in remarkable circumstances.
A routine delivery from Lyon was blasted straight back at him and his unbelievable reflexes saw him not only get out of the way, but get his hands up and reel in the catch.
The powerful shot was perfectly summed up by the commentary team: “Catch it or you’re dead”.
Nathan Lyon has some crazy impressive highlights when it comes to caught & bowled!
— Neroli Meadows (@Neroli_M_FOX) October 17, 2018
That is a hell of a catch from Nathan Lyon
— Daniel Cherny 📰 (@DanielCherny) October 17, 2018
‘Amazing scenes’ after runout
Marnus Labuschagne is on his way back to the sheds after a horror runout caught him with his bat in the air.
A deflection from Yasir Shah saw the ball clatter into the stumps and while Labuschagne’s bat was behind the crease it was not on the ground and he was sent on his way.
Amazing scenes. Labuschagne out after a deflection from Yasir from a Starc straight drive. Bat behind the crease but in the air. That’s a sickener for Aust #PakvAus
— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) October 17, 2018
That is a disastrous dismissal for Australia. Marnus Labuschagne run out from a deflection by Yasir Shah. Incredible. 8 down and 154 behind
— Ben Horne (@BenHorne8) October 17, 2018
Chaos hits Aussies again
Right on the brink of the lunch break, disaster struck the Aussies with skipper Tim Paine trapped on the crease and out via LBW.
The ball from Yasir Shah got the better of Paine who opted to review the decision and although the ball looked like it may have potentially gone close to missing leg stump, the decision was to stick with the umpires call.
Australia now head into the middle session of day two with only debutant Marnus Labuschagne left to partner with the bowling attack.
Bowlers do the job again but huge questions remain on our batsmen as a unit, it’s shaping as another test of character, Pakistan’s bowlers been impressive @TheRealPCB @CricketAust #PakvAus 🏏
— Jim Wilson (@JimWilsonTV) October 17, 2018
So about that Australian cricket cultural renaissance… #PAKvAUS
— Tim Barrow (@TheBarrow) October 17, 2018
Marsh nightmare rages on
Shaun Marsh batted like a man possessed during the Ashes series and left so many people with egg on their faces.
Ever since then however, those who had their doubts have been justified in their concerns over Marsh.
In his 11 innings since making a blistering century in Sydney, Marsh has an average of 14.27 runs. It might be time for the blowtorch to be applied to the selectors who continue to insert him into the squad.
Another low score for Shaun Marsh, nipped out by Abbas for 3, Aust 3-36 #PakvAus
— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) October 17, 2018
Abbas gets his third, collecting the edge from Shaun Marsh, who goes for three, caught at second slip. Australia 3-36. He’s having a woeful series.
— Daniel Cherny 📰 (@DanielCherny) October 17, 2018
