Smith ton lights up rainy day

I’m writing this during the fourth days play, shortly before lunch in what has become a rain-wrecked contest, and to this point, Lyon has managed to capture just 9 wickets at over 66 during the preceding cricket this summer, numbers indicative of subpar performances warranting further investigation.

Pakistan have already lost the first Test match at the Gabba, and the second ongoing Test match moving towards a draw, narrowing down the visitors chances of making history.

Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq called a halt upon the dismissal of Riaz leaving Azhar unconquered off 364 balls in nearly 10 hours at the crease spread over three days.

Pakistan were shaky when they resumed on day two at 142-4, but Azhar and Asad took them through the morning session.

“He obviously hasn’t bowled at his best in this game”.

The ball was re-bowled and Azhar drove it into the covers for three.

‘I think the wicket was tough, ‘ Arthur said. “We’re desperately looking for that allrounder who can bowl some overs for us”. Yasir has been taken for 150 runs from 34 overs by Australian batsmen at the MCG. Azad Shafiq also hit a half-century.

Not that either of his replacements has yet added value.

De Silva made 43 not out as Sri Lanka struggled to 181 for seven – still 105 runs behind South Africa’s first innings total of 286 – before bad light ended play.

Pakistan say they have the momentum heading into the Boxing Day Melbourne Test after giving Australia a mighty fright during an epic run-chase in the opening clash of the series.

With the high workload of the pacemen, Saker has called for an additional part-timer to help the team’s frontline bowlers.

“Right at the moment, the selectors have gone the way they’ve gone”.

“We’re going to have to weigh that up”.

“I would have thought they would have turned up thinking, We re just going to win this, it s only going to take two good balls and that s it. They make the best decisions in the best interests of the team”.

The tailender also raised eyebrows with a weird scoop shot off Lyon which slip fielder Steve Smith anticipated but ran too far to the leg-side to catch. We go in with four bowlers. “It’s about summing it up in the morning, it’s obviously going to be hard to get a result”, he said.

“And they play spin pretty well so it’s never easy bowling against subcontinent players when the ball isn’t doing a lot off the wicket”.

He has eclipsed Majid Khan, who scored 158 at the MCG in 1972. So there’s different reasons for that. I don’t think there is a problem. when I get into the 90s. “But again, we’d like to get more overs out of our spinners for sure”. Smith’s last five innings at the MCG have delivered scores of 100no against Pakistan, 70no and 134no against West Indies, 14 and 192 against India.