Australia beat Pakistan by 39 runs in Brisbane test​

Dec 19, New Delhi (CRICKETNMORE): Australia beat Pakistan in a close encounter to win the first test by just 39 runs on Friday at Brisbane's Gabba ground.​ It was a courageous chase from Pakistan, who were bowled out for 142 in its first innings in reply to Australia's 429. Smith elected not to enforce the follow-on despite having a 287-run lead, and then declared at 202-5 on day three, setting 490 target for Pakistan.​

Pakistan​ ​started the last day needing 108​ ​to win​ ​while the home side​ ​needed two wickets. B​oth​ Shafiq and Shah kept the pressure on Australia in a 71-run partnership that went close to giving Pakistan an unlikely world-record victory.​ But first Shafiq went for a brilliant 137 followed by​ Yasir Shah (33) who was dismissed as run-out by Australian skipper Steve Smith​.​

"I think I lost all my fingernails. Some game of cricket, wasn't it?" said Smith.

"A lot of credit has got to go to the way they played. But I thought our bowlers stuck at it all day, we bowled a lot of overs, our quicks just kept coming back."​ Smith said.​

​Check brief Scorecard 

Australia 1st Inning: 429/10 (130.1 overs)

Pakistan 1st Inning: 142/10 (55 overs)

Australia 2nd inning: 202/5 (39 overs)

Pakistan 2nd Inning: 450/10 (145 overs)

Pakistan 2nd Inning Scorecard

S Aslam   c M Renshaw b M Starc    15  39

A Ali   c M Wade b M Starc    71  179

B Azam   c S Smith b N Lyon    14  36

Y Khan   c S Smith b N Lyon    65  147

Misbah   c M Wade b JM Bird    5  34

A Shafiq   c D Warner b M Starc    137  207

S Ahmed   b M Starc    24  41

M Amir   c M Wade b JM Bird    48  63

W Riaz   c S Smith b JM Bird    30  56

Y Shah   run out (S Smith)    33  66

Rahat Ali   Not Out    1  2

Extras    7 (b-0,lb-5,w-2,nb-0)

Total    450

M Starc    38    10    119    4

J Hazlewood    42    11    99    0

JM Bird    33    6    110    3

N Lyon    29    3    108    2

N Maddinson    3    0    9    0

​Photo Source - Cricket Australia Twitter Account