After bowling Pakistan out for 240 on the opening day at The Gabba, Australia’s opening partnership of David Warner and Joe Burns alone nearly shaved off the deficit to put Australia in supreme command of the first Test. Akshay Gopalakrishnan picks out six balls that defined the second day’s play in Brisbane.
Early slice of luck
1.1, Imran Khan to Joe Burns, no run
Few things can be more frustrating for a fielding team than an edge falling short of a fielder. Never mind the sledges, this is the worst kind of teasing a cricketer can go through. On Friday such signs made an early appearance.
When Imran Khan landed his first ball of the day short and wide of Joe Burns, the opener cut tentatively at it and got a bottom edge for his troubles. To his good fortune, and Pakistan’s annoyance, the ball dropped just short of the wicket-keeper, Mohammad Rizwan.
Stumps at The Gabba. Warner and Labuschagne have seen Australia through with an unbroken second-wicket stand of 90. Australia lead by 72 runs, with nine wickets and three days remaining in the Test. #AUSvPAK https://t.co/qUtglOaXG2 pic.twitter.com/9LZCpvcpGm
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) November 22, 2019
It was an early indication that Pakistan would have a long and miserable day on the field. Four balls later, Imran sent down another short ball, well outside the off stump, and Burns this time unleashed an imperious cut over backward point for four. The stage was set.
The first hundred
24.1, Naseem Shah to Joe Burns, 2 runs
While Warner deservedly hogged the spotlight for his superb century, Australia recorded another important hundred on the day. When Burns tucked a shortish ball from Naseem in front of square for a brace, it brought up Australia’s first century partnership for the first wicket in 18 innings. After averaging 8.5 for the opening partnership across ten innings in the Ashes series in England, this was a huge step-up.
That landmark had come in the last over before lunch, and by the interval, Warner had moved to a stroke-filled half-century, while Burns had played some eye-catching strokes of his own to move to 41. And though Naseem shocked Burns with a short ball that the batsman took his eyes off to cop a blow on the arm, Australia had barely been challenged all morning, having moved along at a comfortable rate of four runs an over.
The costly lapse
26.6, Naseem Shah to David Warner, 1 no-ball
Maiden Test wickets are always special, not least when the wicket turns out to be that of one of the generation’s finest openers, while he’s batting on a half-century. But there are little details that cannot be missed at any cost, and sport is uncompromising in those regards, as 16-year-old debutant Naseem found out.
Having toiled for over two sessions, Pakistan finally had a moment to smile about, as a distraught Burns trudged off reluctantly, even as his home crowd showered him with cheers. As it turned out, the respite was short-lived, as Warner marched on, undeterred, and in the company of the amazingly consistent Marnus Labuschagne, who notched up yet another half-century, saw Australia through to stumps, with a lead of 72 runs, and nine wickets intact.
