BRISBANE: Australia duly wrapped up victory over Pakistan by an innings and five runs in the first Test in Brisbane on Sunday but they were forced to wait until late on day four by a magnificent rearguard action from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.

The hosts needed only seven wickets on Sunday to ensure they would take a 1-0 lead to Adelaide Oval for the second and final match of the series but Babar’s second Test century and 95 from Rizwan stalled their march to victory.

The pair were finally dislodged after a 132-run partnership and the Australian fast bowlers finished the job with the second new ball, dismissing the last four batsmen for 30 runs to maintain Australia’s remarkable 31-year unbeaten run at the Gabba.

“Really happy, any time you win a Test by over an innings you’ve done a lot right,” said Australia captain Tim Paine. “Extremely proud of the way we started the innings and to maintain our record at the Gabba is excellent.”

Josh Hazlewood took 4-63 and his fellow paceman Mitchell Starc 3-73 but it was off-spinner Nathan Lyon who played the most decisive role in finishing off the tourists.

Babar showed the quality many believe will one day make him one of the world’s best batsmen in a superb 173-ball innings, hitting 13 fours including the confident drive that brought him to cricket’s most significant milestone.

He was caught behind off Lyon for 104 half an hour before tea — a slightly quicker ball catching the outside edge of his bat and flying through to wicket-keeper Paine.

Rizwan had already secured his first Test half-century and was not done yet, batting expansively as he moved towards what would have been his maiden century only to misjudge an uppercut on 95 with Lyon taking the catch at deep backward point.

Leg-spinner Yasir Shah also made his highest Test score with a fighting 42 to allow the Pakistanis to head to the Adelaide Test with some momentum despite the loss. But there was to be no denying an Australian attack on Sunday which probed and struck at vital moments, whenever Pakistan seemed to be getting the upper hand.

After resuming their second innings at 64 for three at the start of day four, Shan Masood and Babar showed great commitment to frustrate the Australian attack. The pair looked comfortable from the beginning and brought up their 50-run partnership midway through the first hour’s play.

But on 42 Shan tried to hook a Pat Cummins short ball and got a thin edge to Australian Paine to leave the visitors 93 for four.

One run later, Paine was in the action again when new batsman Iftikhar Ahmed was squared up by a beautiful ball from Hazlewood and could only manage to edge it through to the Australian captain.

Babar and Rizwan kept the momentum going, but once Azam fell Pakistan were always up against it.

Marnus Labuschagne was named man-of-the-match for his knock of 185 on Saturday which, with opener David Warner’s 154, helped Australia accumulate a first-innings tally of 580 in reply to Pakistan’s 240.

“We were really pleased for a team-mate like Marnus to finally arrive on the big stage,” Paine added of the ebullient 25-year-old, who secured his maiden Test century on his way to the tally. “He looks like he’s getting better and better, which is a good thing for Australian cricket.”

Pakistan’s dream of an unlikely maiden Test series triumph in Australia might now be gone but their fightback on Sunday should give them renewed hope heading into the second Test, a day-night affair which begins on Friday.

Captain Azhar Ali paid tribute to Babar and Rizwan as well as 16-year-old debutant pace bowler Nasim Shah, but rued the batting collapse on day one of the match.

“I think on the first day we won two sessions but we lost one very badly,” he said. “I think if you lose one session very badly it is always very hard to come back from that, especially against Australia in Australia.

“When we won the toss, we wanted to score big in the first innings. I’d have to say the way we batted in

the second innings, particularly the way Babar and Rizwan batted, they really showed great fight,” he added.”

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN 1st Innings) 240 (Asad Shafiq 76; M.A. Starc 4-52, P.J. Cummins 3-60).

AUSTRALIA (1st Innings) 580 (M. Labuschagne 185, D.A. Warner 154, J.A. Burns 97, M.S. Wade 60; Yasir Shah 4-205).

PAKISTAN (2nd Innings, (overnight 64-3):

Shan Masood c Paine b Cummins 42

Azhar Ali lbw b Starc 5

Haris Sohail c Paine b Starc 8

Asad Shafiq c Smith b Cummins 0

Babar Azam c Paine b Lyon 104

Iftikhar Ahmed c Paine b Hazlewood 0

Mohammad Rizwan c Lyon b Hazlewood 95

Yasir Shah c Wade b Hazlewood 42

Shaheen Shah Afridi c Cummins b Hazlewood 10

Imran Khan c Wade b Starc 5

Nasim Shah not out 0

EXTRAS (B-9, LB-9, W-5, NB-1) 24

TOTAL (all out, 84.2 overs)335

FALL OF WKTS: 1-13, 2-25, 3-25, 4-93, 5-94, 6-226, 7-305, 8-324, 9-331.

BOWLING: Starc 16.2-1-73-3 (1nb; Cummins 21-6-69-2 (5w); Hazlewood 21-3-63-4; Lyon 21-3-74-1; Labuschagne 5-0-38-0.

RESULT: Australia won by an innings and five runs to lead two-match series 1-0.

UMPIRES: R.A. Kettleborough (England) and R.K. Illingworth (England).

TV UMPIRE: M.A. Gough (England).

MATCH REFEREE: J.J. Crowe (New Zealand).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Marnus Labuschagne.

SECOND TEST: Adelaide (D/N), Nov 29-Dec 3.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2019