Fifties for Carey, Green blunt Pakistan as Australia reach 320-5
Fifties for Carey, Green blunt Pakistan as Australia reach 320-5
Alex Carey and Cameron Green each hit solid half centuries Tuesday to take Australia to 320-5 at lunch on the second day of the third and deciding Test against Pakistan in Lahore.
Carey was unbeaten on 60 and Green 56 as the pair frustrated Pakistan during an unbroken 114-run partnership for the sixth wicket.
At the start of play Pakistan would have felt they could make early inroads with the second ball only five overs old.
But Australia, who resumed at 232-5, took advantage of a placid Gaddafi Stadium pitch to bat through 28 overs unscathed.
The first two Tests in Rawalpindi and Karachi both ended in draws where the bat dominated the ball.
With the Lahore pitch becoming benign the final Test could be heading for the same fate, though Pakistan thought they had removed Carey for 27 when umpire Aleem Dar gave him out caught behind off fast bowler Hasan Ali.
But the Australian reviewed straight away and technology showed that Carey had missed the ball, which also had not carried to wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan.
Carey took full advantage of his reprieve by smashing spinner Sajid Khan for two of his five boundaries in all before completing his third Test fifty with a single.
Green was as stubborn as he reached his fourth Test half-century off 177 balls with five fours.
The Pakistan pace duo of Naseem Shah (2-45) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (2-56) were the most successful home bowlers.
Australia are on their first tour of Pakistan since 1998, having previously refused to tour the country over security fears.
The match marks the return of Test cricket to Lahore for the first time since a 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lanka team bus caused Pakistan to have to play their home matches abroad for a decade, mainly in the United Arab Emirates.
(R.Dupont--LPdF)
