Watch: At the Boxing Day Test match in Melbourne, Abdullah Shafique dropped a sitter at slip with Mitchell Marsh on 20.
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Pakistan resumed the third day of the second Test match of the Benaud-Qadir Trophy, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, on 194-6. Aamer Jamal (33 not out) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (21) helped them reach 264 as Pat Cummins claimed 5-48 and Nathan Lyon 4-73.
Australia began with a 54-run lead, but Shaheen (3-58) and Mir Hamza (3-27) soon had them reeling at 16-4 when Mitchell Marsh joined Steve Smith. The pair consolidated the innings somewhat, taking Australia to 46-4.
At this point, Jamal bowled on a good length outside the off stump. Mitchell Marsh went for an expansive cover drive, but the ball moved away fractionally, took the edge, and flew to the right of Abdullah Shafique at first slip.
Shafique seemed to catch the ball – it was an easy catch – with both hands, and perhaps even held the ball for a split second, before it popped out, much to the horror of Jamal and his teammates.
Shafique also dropped a catch of comparable difficulty in the first innings, off Shaheen. Warner, then on two, went on to make 38, but the second-innings lapse hurt Pakistan more.
“That’s just like a crocodile jaw trying to catch a ball,” quipped Mark Waugh on air.
Marsh went on to smash 96 in a fifth-wicket stand of 153 with Smith (50). At stumps on day three, Australia were 187-6 with Alex Carey (16) at the crease. They lead by 241 runs.
Watch Abdullah Shafique drop Mitchell Marsh during the Boxing Day Test match:
"It's like a crocodile jaw trying to catch a ball."
Abdullah Shafique hands Mitch Marsh a life on 20 #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/NMlTKHn3t5
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 28, 2023
