Sports

Pak vs Aus: Usman Khawaja hundred propels Australia to 251-3 in Karachi

Published

2 years ago

Farwa

Usman Khawaja smashes 11th test hundred.
He forges 159-run partnership with Steve Smith.
Steve Smith makes 72 before falling to Hasan Ali.

KARACHI: Usman Khawaja smashed his 11th test hundred and forged a 159-run partnership with Steve Smith to power Australia to 251 for three on the opening day of the second test against Pakistan on Saturday.

Islamabad-born Khawaja had fallen agonisingly short of a hundred in the opening test in Rawalpindi where he top-scored for his side with a breezy 97.

The elegant left-hander made amends in Karachi where he shelved the reverse sweep and made an unbeaten 127, which included 13 fours and a six.

Smith made 72 before falling to Hasan Ali in the penultimate over of the day.

Nightwatchman Nathan Lyon had yet to open his account.

“It would’ve been nice to have Smith there at the end too but we had a good partnership,” Khawaja said. “We’ve still got plenty of batting to come.

“It started to reverse in the second session and made it tough to score against the pace bowlers.”

Earlier, Australia got off to a strong start after Pat Cummins elected to bat on a dry surface at the National Stadium.

Khawaja looked in sublime touch and scored freely on the leg-side after being fed regularly on his pad.

His opening partner David Warner was less convincing, though, surviving a couple of LBW appeals and getting hit on his shoulder by a short delivery from Hasan Ali.

Warner hit Sajid Khan for a six to bring up Australia’s 50 in the 11th over.

Sajid conceded two more sixes in his fourth over, prompting Pakistan captain Babar Azam to take the spinner out of the attack.

Seamer Faheem Ashraf broke the 82-run opening stand with a back of a length delivery that Warner, who made 36, could only edge to Mohammad Rizwan behind the stumps.

Pakistan tasted a second success soon afterwards when Sajid ran out Marnus Labuschagne for a duck with a direct throw from mid-off.

Khawaja and Smith steadied the ship batting through the second session.

Khawaja took a single off Nauman Ali to bring up his third hundred in four tests since his recall in January after more than two years’ absence.

Pakistan spinners resorted to a negative line after tea, bowling way down the leg side, to stem the run flow and the batsmen were happy to just pad them away.

“In the last session, they bowled pretty leg side and had some negative plans to see if we’d play some shots,” Khawaja said.

“We decided not to and didn’t want to give them any free wickets.”

Smith, who made 78 in Rawalpindi, once again failed to convert his fifty into a hundred and edged Hasan for Faheem to take a low one-handed catch at second slip.

Leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson makes his test debut, joining Lyon in Australia’s two-man spin attack with Josh Hazlewood sitting out.

Teams:

Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam (captain), Fawad Alam, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Faheem Ashraf, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi

Australia: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Swepson, Nathan Lyon

Latest News

Saying goodbye to international cricket, Bismah Maroof

Published

3 days ago

Farwa

The decision to leave international cricket was made by Pakistani women’s cricket player Bismah Maroof on Thursday.

According to details, Maroof declared, “I am choosing to say goodbye to the sport, which I really enjoy. I have had a really memorable cricket journey.”

Saying, “The PCB, companions, family, and fans have always supported me,” she highlighted the importance of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and fans to her career.

With an average of 29.55, Maroof had scored 3369 runs in 136 WODIs while playing for Pakistan.

Throughout 140 WT20Is, Maroof averaged 27.55 and scored 2893 runs.

Latest News

For the Pakistani team’s T20I against New Zealand, Haseebullah has replaced Azam Khan.

Published

6 days ago

Farwa

In a brief press release, PCB said, “The national selection committee has announced wicketkeeper/batter Haseebullah as the replacement player for Azam Khan, who was sidelined from the T20I series against New Zealand due to a tear in his right calf muscle.”

The information indicates that Haseebullah will become a member of the Pakistan team following the third Twenty20 International, and he will be eligible to be selected for the two remaining Twenty20 Internationals, which are slated to take place in Lahore on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.

Earlier in the year, Haseebullah, 21, played in his only Twenty20 international match against New Zealand.

or the unfamiliar, Azam Khan was declared out of the whole series on Saturday after missing the first Twenty20 International because of pain in his right knee and right calf muscle.

According to PCB, “Azam Khan has been advised to undergo a 10-day rest following radiology reports confirming a Grade One tear of his right calf muscle.”

The announcement also stated, “Azam will therefore be unable to take part in the current Twenty20 International series against New Zealand, which concludes in Lahore on April 27.”

Notably, Mark Chapman’s incredible innings helped the visitors to an easy seven-wicket victory in the third Twenty20 International, tying the five-match series between Pakistan and New Zealand at one.

Pakistan team for the Twenty20 Internationals in New Zealand

Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Babar Azam (c), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, Irfan Khan Niazi, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan

Mohammad Ali, Agha Salman, Sahibzada Farhan, and Muhammad Wasim Jr. are the reserve players.

Latest News

Rain cancels out Pakistan vs. New Zealand’s opening Twenty20 international

Published

1 week ago

Farwa

As the rain returned, Shaheen Shah Afridi’s expertly timed in-swinger to dismiss Tim Robinson left only a two-ball match going on at the Pindi Cricket Stadium.

On-field umpires Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza shook hands with the players and decided to call off the contest as soon as the rain started up again. Additionally, there was a thirty-minute delay in the planned fixture toss. Then, after winning the coin toss, Michael Bracewell, the captain of New Zealand, decided to bat first.

The players from both sides assembled shortly after for the national anthems, but more rain caused the proceedings to be postponed.

The match appeared likely to be called off before a ball was played due to the intensity of the second spell of rain. But after the rain stopped, the ground crew worked extremely hard, and the game might go into five overs.

The second game, which takes place at the same location on April 20, will pit the two teams against one another.