The home side were blown away in the final session as Australia earned a lead of 123
Tristan Lavalette23-Mar-2022Unplayable quicks Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc tore through Pakistan’s batting order with vicious reverse swing late on day three to engineer Australia’s stunning fightback and power them into unexpected control of the series deciding third Test.After being in a strong position at 214 for 2, Pakistan collapsed against torrid bowling from Cummins and Starc, who claimed nine wickets between them in a remarkable turnaround as Australia gained a 123-run first innings lead.A shocked Pakistan lost 7 for 20 in 10 overs to be dismissed for 268 with Cummins finishing with 5 for 56 and Starc 4 for 33 to turn the match on its head.Openers Usman Khawaja and David Warner survived three tricky overs before stumps as Australia gained a stranglehold in the decider of the historic series, the first played between the teams in Pakistan since 1998.Few could have predicted the late flurry of wickets after Pakistan had mostly blunted Australia’s disciplined bowling for more than two sessions. Wickets had been few and far between for Australia but they toiled hard and were rewarded when Starc produced firecrackers to clean bowl Fawad Alam and Mohammad Rizwan, who had so memorably defied the tourists on the last day in Karachi.After a sedate first hour after tea, Fawad’s slump continued after being clean bowled by a cracking delivery from his nemesis Starc. While the rest of Pakistan’s specialist batters have struck tons in this batting-dominant series, Fawad has mustered just 22 runs from three innings after missing out on a hit on the flat Rawalpindi surface.Starc then produced an even better delivery from around the wicket to knock over Rizwan’s off stump and expose Pakistan’s longer tail with the hosts having entered the match with a five-pronged attack.Sensing Australia’s moment to gain a stranglehold, Cummins quickly snared the wickets of Sajid Khan, Nauman Ali and Hasan Ali to become the first quick in the series to claim a five-wicket haul. He was well supported by Starc, who had struggled with his rhythm on day two but was much better from the onset and reaped the rewards in spectacular fashion later in the day.Babar Azam continued his fine form but was part of the collapse•AFP/Getty Images
In a flash, punctuated by losing their last four wickets for no runs, Pakistan’s grip on the match had eroded as they had no answers to the scintillating reverse swing conjured by Cummins and Starc. Captain Babar Azam, who had played sweetly before the carnage, was left ashen-faced as he watched from the other end. Even Babar, who was coming off a herculean 196 to save the second Test, couldn’t thwart a red-hot Starc and he was the ninth wicket to fall leaving Pakistan’s hopes of a Test and series victory in tatters.After two topsy-turvy days, where little separated the teams, day three loomed as pivotal in the outcome of the historic series, which remains deadlocked after draws in Rawalpindi and Karachi.It had seemed like Pakistan were moving into a strong position after losing just two wickets in the first 47 overs of day three. The hosts had threatened to take the game away from Australia with Azhar Ali and in-form Abdullah Shafique combining for a 150-run partnership as they batted through the first session.Australia, however, kept toiling and spinner Nathan Lyon – who provided a lot of the heavy lifting during the second session – finally broke through after lunch with a faint edge off Shafique that was originally given not out after only Travis Head at silly point had appealed initially.Having wasted a review earlier and with just one left, Cummins gambled correctly as Shafique fell just short of a ton for the second straight innings.In front of his family in the terraces, an unmovable Azhar appeared to be marching towards his 20th Test century and first on his home ground before he fell for 78 late in the second session to a brilliant return catch by Cummins, who athletically clutched a one-hander while tumbling in his follow-through.Knowing the stakes, Cummins celebrated wildly and flung the ball in the air while Azhar’s dejected son watching on could only hang his head in disappointment. In his 94th test, Azhar fell short of an emotional hundred in the first Test played in Lahore since 2009 but did cross 7000 Tests runs to become the fifth Pakistan batter to reach the milestone.After some resistance from Babar, Cummins and Starc then lit a fuse under the match as Australia stormed into a commanding position to leave a previously festive crowd utterly shell-shocked.On Pakistan Day, Australia’s spearheads spoiled the party in an astonishing turnaround that has the tourists well poised for a series victory.