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. Both 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.
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