AUS vs PAK 2nd Test: Marsh and Smith's partnership helps Aussies to fightback vs Pakistan

Australia`s Steve Smith and Mitchell Marsh during the test match against Pakistan (Pic: AFP)

Australia's Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith smashed 90 and 50 runs, respectively on Thursday and helped Australia to take a lead by 241 runs against Pakistan at the end of day three. After dismissing Pakistan for 264 runs, the Aussies were struggling with 16 runs for four wickets. But Marsh and Smith took control and smashed a 153-run partnership.

On day three of the second test, Australia were 187 for the loss of six wickets. The unorthodox Australian batsman Steve Smith lost his wicket in Shaheen Shah Afridi's over. Pakistan's Abdullah Shafique dropped a catch when Marsh was on 20. Marsh was just shy of four runs by completing his well-deserved hundred. He lost his wicket to Mir Hamza's over with Salman Ali Agha taking a stunning one-hander.

Also Read: Sunil Gavaskar: A valiant Indian batsman of his time

After Cummins took 5-48 and Nathan Lyon 4-73 to dismiss Pakistan, Australia needed to negotiate a tricky 15 minutes of the morning session.

But Usman Khawaja was out for a duck second ball, caught behind by Mohammad Rizwan off bowling spearhead Afridi. The same combination struck again when Marnus Labuschagne edged down the legside on five as the hosts slumped to 6-2 at lunch. When they returned, David Warner let rip with a drive to the boundary off Afridi, but he didn't last, dragging a Mir Hamza ball onto his stumps on six. He received a standing ovation as he walked off for the last time as a batsman at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with the third Test in Sydney set to be the last of his long career.

Also Read: IND W vs AUS W 1st ODI: Alyssa Healy on Australia's captaincy approach

Travis Head's wicket was a huge blow for Australia as they were 16-4 back then. But Marsh and Smith shouldered each other and dug deep to take Australia out of the attack.

Cummins takes five

When Aamer Jamal came on, Marsh slammed three boundaries in four balls to further relieve the pressure before the missed chance by Abdullah. Smith played a crucial supporting role, taking 101 balls for his first boundary before reaching a gritty 40th Test half-century. Pakistan had begun the day on 194-6, after an electric spell from Cummins in the final session on Wednesday saw a collapse from 124-1, and the Australia skipper was again in the thick of the action. Rizwan made a confident start, adding 13 to his overnight 29.

But he was no match for a canny Cummins, who tempted him into a drive that flew straight to Warner who had just been moved to cover from slip. It broke a 45-run partnership with Jamal who began to play his shots. New partner Afridi crunched four boundaries before he was undone by Lyon's spin, trapped lbw for 21. Jamal was in good touch, finding the ropes three times in six balls at one point in his 33 not out. Cummins grabbed his fifth wicket by bowling Hasan Ali for two before Lyon had Hamza stumped for the same score.

(With AFP Inputs)