ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Abdullah Shafique’s late dismissal was the one blot in an in any other case glowing session for Pakistan who reached 105 for one at lunch on the opening day of the primary check towards Australia in Rawalpindi on Friday.
After Pakistan captain Babar Azam gained the toss and elected to bat on a flat observe, openers Abdullah and Imam-ul-Haq responded with a 105-run stand.
Nathan Lyon dismissed Abdullah for 44 in the penultimate over earlier than lunch to make sure Australia completed the two-and-half-hour session on a extra optimistic word.
Imam was not utterly comfy initially, however used his toes nicely towards the spinners and was on 57 at lunch with Azhar Ali but to open his account on the different finish.
Australia are in Pakistan for the primary time in 24 years for a full tour, which might probably result in common visits by high groups who’ve largely stayed away since a 2009 assault on the Sri Lanka group bus in Lahore.
Australia gamers wore black armbands in reminiscence of former wicketkeeper Rod Marsh who died aged 74 on Friday. The groups additionally noticed a minute’s silence for the Australian stalwart.
Josh Hazlewood returned from a aspect harm to interchange Scott Boland in Australia’s three-pronged tempo assault however an early breakthrough eluded the vacationers.
Cummins used up a assessment making an attempt to get Imam lbw by Mitchell Starc, then launched spin in the eighth over. But Abdullah stepped out to hit Lyon over the long-on rope for a six and Imam would later give Australia’s frontline spinner the identical therapy.
Lyon lastly broke the stand when Abdullah stepped out solely to sky the ball excessive in the air, permitting Cummins to run from mid-off to take a tumbling catch.
Cummins was but to make use of all-rounder Cameron Green, who was not even born when Australia final toured Pakistan in 1998.
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; Editing by Robert Birsel and Kenneth Maxwell)
