It’s still drizzling here in Melbourne and the 2nd test between Australia and Pakistan has been abandoned after one day of play due to rain.
It was a classic test cricket pitch coupled with good cricket and a loud crowed until it started to rain. So far Australia is in a commanding position.
Paceman Jackson Bird took two wickets, with Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon grabbing one wicket a piece before a premature close at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Azhar Ali is unbeaten on 66, with Asad Shafiq on four not out.
Bird bowled Younus Khan for 21 and also got the wicket of skipper Misbah-ul-Haq for 11 in what was proving to be a beautiful day of cricket.
Azhar and Younus resumed play after lunch at 60-2 and harnessed a 51-run partnership until Younus was lbw’ed for three by Hazlewood but the decision was reverses after a review.
Younnis survived until the drinks break and was bowled by Bird.
Misbah clubbed Lyon for six over the long on boundary on the first ball faced against the spinner but lasted only a couple of more overs before Nic Maddinson dived low and forward to clutch a one-handed catch at short leg off Bird’s bowling.
Umpires called for a video review but the footage showed the fielder had just got his fingers under the ball above the grass.
Azhar rode his luck to edge Bird through gully and the slips cordon for four before rain halted play and brought an early tea.
Paceman Hazlewood earlier dismissed number three batsman Babar Azam for 23 on the last ball before lunch with captain Steve Smith taking a fine, low catch in the slips.
Lyon dismissed opener Sami Aslam for nine just before the drinks break of the first session after Pakistan captain Misbah won the toss and elected to bat.
Brought on in the 12th over, the offspinner had Sami caught behind with his third ball, a venomous turning delivery that reared off the pitch and clipped the batsman’s glove on the way through to Smith at slip.
Pakistan is on 142 for four wickets before play was abandoned due to rain after tea on day one of the second test against Australia in Melbourne on Monday.
