Lyon takes 4-0 from 60:00
Cricket: Nathan Lyon produced six of his best consecutive deliveries, grabbing four wickets in the process in the opening innings against Pakistan.
AUSTRALIA stuck with an unchanged eleven and started like a house on fire in the first session of the day.
But Pakistan refused to lie down and a big partnership resurrected their innings and set up a tantalising remainder to the second Test.
Pakistan 282
Australia 1/20 (Siddle 4, Finch 13)
Aussies erupt before Pakistan revival
Australia got the ideal start to the second Test in the opening session, but then Pakistan dug in and finished the day on top.
After a staggering five-wickets fell before lunch, the middle session well and truly belonged to Pakistan before the final session went right down to the wire.
Nathan Lyon was the sole destroyer in the morning as he claimed a remarkable four wickets in the space of six deliveries.
The off-spinner climbed the rankings and is now the fourth most prolific wicket-taker in Test cricket for Australia with 314.
Lyon claimed his first two wickets with the last ball of one over before missing out on his hat-trick, only to claim a wicket with the very next ball.
That’s dead set out. Brilliant spell from Lyon #PAKvAUS
— Mark Gottlieb (@MarkGottliebFOX) October 16, 2018
4 wickets in 6 balls for Nathan Lyon 😱😱😱 #GOAT #PAKvAUS
— Matt Balmer (@MattBalmer7) October 16, 2018
The Aussies went into the sheds with their tails wagging as Pakistan limped to 5/77. It marked the first time in Pakistan Test history they’d lost four top order wickets without making a run as they fell from 1/57 to 5/57.
After the lunch break the momentum completely turned.
Test debutant Fakhar Zaman and skipped Sarfraz Ahmed fought off the rampant Aussie attack and left them clueless as they ticked the scoreboard over.
Their stand was brought to an end right before the stroke of the Tea break when Marnus Labuschagne trapped Zaman in front of the stumps; his innings coming to an end agonisingly shy of his maiden Test century on 94.
Pakistanis dismissed in the nervous 90s on Test Debut
99 Asim Kamal v SA, 2003
95 Abdul Kadir v AUS, 1964
94 FAKHAR ZAMAN v AUS, today
90 Taslim Arif v IND, 1980#PAKvAUS— Israr Ahmed Hashmi (@IamIsrarHashmi) October 16, 2018
Remarkably Ahmed then fell in the final session also on 94, making it only the fourth time in Test history two teammates have been removed on an identical score in the 90s in an innings.
Pakistan entered the final session with only four wickets in hand and the innings was finally brought to an end when Mitchell Starc steamrolled Mohammad Abbas with the new ball.
Australia were sent in and only had to survive seven overs, but it all went pear-shaped in the fourth over when Khawaja was sent on his way after a faint glance down leg side was collected by Ahmed.
Then on the final ball of the day, it got worse for the Aussies when nightwatchman Peter Siddle was smashed on the front pad.
Originally given not out Pakistan opted to review the decision which showed the ball clattering into leg stump.
Khawaja, indestructible in Dubai, gets out to a fine leg glance and a super Sarfraz catch in Abu Dhabi. As Khawaja would say, that’s cricket #PakvAus
— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) October 16, 2018
Marnus Labuschagne was the other story of the day for the Aussies after claiming three wickets with the ball and reeling in an extraordinary catch.
Of course it wasn’t all sunshine and roses as the debutant dropped a simple catch which would have sent Zaman back to the rooms when he was on 30.
It was a valiant fightback from Pakistan on the day after being 5/57 and then made even better when they claimed two late wickets.
The Aussies on the other hand will be hoping to pile on the runs and bat throughout the entirety of the day as they look to surpass the Pakistan total and take their first lead of the series.
Mark Waugh’s on-air slip-up
Pronouncing certain names can be tough, but when a Test debutant has the name Fakhar … there’s bound to be one person come undone.
Unfortunately the mishap happened on the first day at the first main break in play with Mark Waugh falling victim.
As he tried to describe the backfoot shots he was playing the slip-up occurred and it left fellow panellists Brett Lee and Neroli Meadows in fits of laughter.
Hahaha Fakhar Zaman 😂
Thanks for the laugh, @juniorwaugh349!#PAKvAUS pic.twitter.com/v03aoYabFQ
— Giulio Di Giorgio (@gdigiorgio) October 16, 2018
‘GOAT’ has Pakistan in disarray
Two wickets with the last two balls of his over and Nathan Lyon strolled in for the hat-trick ball. Unfortunately Asad Shafiq defended the ball away brilliantly.
But then very next ball he was sent packing and despite being given not out, a review confirmed the good news for Australia.
The disaster only got worse for Pakistan a matter of moments later when Babar Azam tried lifting Lyon up and out of the stadium.
As he advanced down the wicket the ball went straight through the gap and collected his middle stump.
Lyon claiming four wickets in six balls has the Pakistan team in complete disarray.
The stunning display has seen Lyon climb all the way up into fourth place on the list of Test wickets for Australia with 314.
You can watch the masterclass in the video player above.
Nicely pitched off-break from Lyon but Shafiq keeps it out, then next ball a huge bat/pad shout. Aust use their last review… and it is a bat pad! 3 in 4 for Lyon! #PakvAus
— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) October 16, 2018
‘One of the best catches ever’
Australia struggled taking wickets in the first Test, but things have started in much better fashion in Abu Dhabi with Mitchell Starc claiming the first wicket in the third over.
Mohammad Hafeez knocked the ball in the direction of the man at short leg, Marnus Labuschagne, who took an extraordinary catch.
The ball slammed into his right leg and he quickly closed up before juggling the ball off of his knee and keeping it from hitting the turf.
Perfect start for the Aussies after being sent in to bowl first yet again.
That is one of the most extraordinary short leg catches you will ever see. Marnus Labuschagne!
— Daniel Cherny 📰 (@DanielCherny) October 16, 2018
Fair old juggling effort from @marnus3cricket there!!!
— Neroli Meadows (@Neroli_M_FOX) October 16, 2018
That’s one of the best short leg catches I’ve ever seen.
— Rudi (@RudiEdsall) October 16, 2018
Justin Langer silent sledge that ‘almost killed me’
It turns out the worst sledge Justin Langer ever received…
Didn’t involve any words at all. pic.twitter.com/BeOesJF8ad
— 7 Cricket (@7Cricket) October 16, 2018
AUSTRALIAN coach Justin Langer has revealed a silent sledge from former South Australian spinner Dan Cullen remains his most infuriating sledge on a cricket field.
In an interview with Channel 7 Cricket, Langer says Cullen only needed to flash him a look to leave him seething during a heated Sheffield Shield match between the Redbacks and Western Australia.
Langer said he and Cullen had been chirping away at each other for some time during their first meeting in Cullen’s debut Shield season in 2004.
“The worst sledge I got was from a young red-headed South Australian called Dan Cullen and he was sort of winding me up and I was smacking him around,” Langer said.
“I was a senior player by then. Then we got into a bit of verbal and when he got me out he just went (winking). He just winked at me. I just went ahh, it nearly killed me.
“I think the wink more than the words hurt me.”
