Pakistan pair Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq belied their many years of experience to fall prey to a ridiculous run out against Australia.

On the third morning of the second Test in Abu Dhabi, with Pakistan well ahead in the game, Azhar edged Peter Siddle through gully and, despite the slow outfield, the batsmen assumed it had run away for four. They duly met in the middle for a fist-bump of solidarity.

But unfortunately for them, the ball had stopped up just short of the boundary rope, where it was collected and returned by Mitchell Starc. By the time his quick throw reached wicket-keeper Tim Paine, who removed the bails, neither batsmen was watching, looking puzzled when the Australians began celebrating.

It was a bizarrely soft dismissal, even by the standards of Pakistan, who have in the past had something of  a reputation for chaos and calamity. Azhar had been well set on 64 at the time.

Though Sarfraz Ahmed’s side remained in a commanding position over Australia, it was this embarrassing moment that sent Twitter into meltdown on Thursday.

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