Lahore: Pakistan failed Friday to hold out in the last session of the third and final cricket test against Australia. The visitors went on to win the game by 115 runs which helped Australia clinch the series 1-0. The first two Tests had ended in draws.
Pakistan were dismissed for 235 in their second innings on a worn-out wicket. Incidentally this was the first time Australia played in a Test series in Pakistan since 1998. It is a series Australia will certainly remember.
Resuming on 73-0, and entering the final session at 190-5, Pakistan collapsed against veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon. He got plenty of turn and bounce from a fifth-day wicket and finished with 5 wickets for 83 runs from 37 overs.
Australia was rewarded for setting Pakistan a challenging target of 351 after boldly declaring its second innings at 227-3. Pakistan had conceded a decisive 123-run lead after scoring 268 in its first innings in reply to Australia’s 391.
Lyon bowled an unchanged marathon spell of 28 overs on the last day. Pacer Pat Cummins (3/23) clean bowled No. 11 Naseem Shah to finish off Pakistan.
Opener Imam-ul-Haq (70) and captain Babar Azam (55) scored fighting half centuries. However, the rest of Pakistan’s batters crumbled against the menacing reverse swing of Cummins and the sharp spin of Lyon.
The first Test ended in a tame draw at Rawalpindi where the pitch was rated as below average by the ICC. Babar’s brilliant 196 in more than 10 hours denied Australia a win at Karachi where Pakistan played out 171.4 overs in more than five sessions and forced an epic draw.
Brief scores
Australia 391 and 227 for 3 declared beat Pakistan 268 and 235 (Imam-ul-Huq 70, Babar Azam 55, Nathan Lyon 5/83, Pat Cummins 3/23) by 115 runs.