{ "id": "134923", "author": "26", "cnmid": "", "title": "Marsh's Half-Century Leads Australia Fightback After Pakistan Blitz", "lang": "en", "series": "1", "cup_year": "2023", "article_type": "General", "excerpt": "Mitchell Marsh hit a counter-attacking 96 in a fighting rescue mission with a dogged Steve Smith Thursday to help Australia build a 241-run lead and regain control of the second Test against Pakistan.", "subtype": null, "editor1": "

Mitchell Marsh hit a counter-attacking 96 in a fighting rescue mission with a dogged Steve Smith Thursday to help Australia build a 241-run lead and regain control of the second Test against Pakistan.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Australia vs Pakistan 2nd Test Scorecard<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

The hosts were reeling at 16-4 after dismissing Pakistan for 264 in reply to their first innings 318 in Melbourne.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

But Marsh and Smith put their heads down to compile what could be a match-saving 153-run partnership.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

At stumps on day three, the hosts were 187-6 with Smith out for 50, off 176 balls, in the last over of the day, leaving Alex Carey unbeaten on 16.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mir Hamza both took three wickets.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

It could have been a different story but Abdullah Shafique spilled a regulation catch in the slips when Marsh was on 20.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Marsh eventually fell four runs short of a deserved century, but it took a superb one-handed diving catch at slip from Agha Salman to remove him.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

After Cummins took 5-48 and Nathan Lyon 4-73 to dismiss Pakistan, Australia needed to negotiate a tricky 15 minutes of the morning session.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

But Usman Khawaja was out for a duck second ball, caught behind by Mohammad Rizwan off bowling spearhead Afridi.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

The same combination struck again when Marnus Labuschagne edged down the legside on five as the hosts slumped to 6-2 at lunch.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

When they returned, David Warner let rip with a drive to the boundary off Afridi, but he didn't last, dragging a Mir Hamza ball on to his stumps on six.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

He received a standing ovation as he walked off for the last time as a batsman at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with the third Test in Sydney set to be the last of his long career.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Things got worse for the hosts when Travis Head was bowled by Hamza's inswinging yorker next delivery to leave Australia in disarray at 16-4.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

But Marsh saw off the hat-trick ball and along with Smith dug in to take the sting out of the attack.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/span><\/div>\r\n\r\n

Cummins takes five<\/p>\r\n\r\n

When Aamer Jamal came on, Marsh slammed three boundaries in four balls to further relieve the pressure before the missed chance by Abdullah.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Smith played a crucial supporting role, taking 101 balls for his first boundary before reaching a gritty 40th Test half-century.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Pakistan had begun the day on 194-6, after an electric spell from Cummins in the final session on Wednesday saw a collapse from 124-1, and the Australia skipper was again in the thick of the action.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Rizwan made a confident start, adding 13 to his overnight 29.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

But he was no match for a canny Cummins, who tempted him into a drive that flew straight to Warner who had just been moved to cover from slip.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

It broke a 45-run partnership with Jamal who began to play his shots.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

New partner Afridi crunched four boundaries before he was undone by Lyon's spin, trapped lbw for 21.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Jamal was in good touch, finding the ropes three times in six balls at one point in his 33 not out.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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Cummins grabbed his fifth wicket by bowling Hasan Ali for two before Lyon had Hamza stumped for the same score.<\/p>\r\n", "image": "https:\/\/img.cricketnmore.com\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Mitch-Marsh.jpg", "alt_img": "Mitch Marsh", "alt_title": "Australia vs Pakistan second test", "image1": null, "video": null, "seo_title": "Marsh's Half-Century Leads Australia Fightback After Pakistan Blitz On Cricketnmore", "seo_desc": "Mitchell Marsh hit a counter-attacking 96 in a fighting rescue mission with a dogged Steve Smith Thursday to help Australia build a 241-run lead and regain control of the second Test against Pakistan.", "seo_keywords": " Australia Vs Pakistan, Mitch Marsh", "tag": null, "tagging": "Mitch Marsh, Australia Vs Pakistan, Mitch Marsh", "status": "1", "img_rpt": "0", "google": "1", "standout": "0", "edapps": "0", "pulse": "0", "no_index": "0", "feed": "0", "fixture": null, "slug": "marshs-half-century-leads-australia-fightback-after-pakistan-blitz", "user_id": "0", "read_count": "1", "ians_date": null, "ians_time": null, "server_time": null, "trash": "0", "view_count": "3558", "page_break": "0", "instant_articles": "1", "auto_link": "1", "created": "2023-12-28 13:48:47", "updated": "2023-12-28 13:48:47", "img_from": "Image Source: Google", "img_source": null, "schedule_publish": null, "news_keywords": "Mitch Marsh, Australia Vs Pakistan Second Test", "livescore_text": null, "livescore_link": null, "btn_text": null, "resend_feed": "0", "google_feed": "0", "read_more": "0", "posted_by": "1", "jio_date": "2023-12-28 13:48:47", "scheduled": "0", "news_now": "1", "breaking_news": "1", "google_date": null, "featured": "0", "pred_match_id": "Select", "article_content_type": null, "link": "https:\/\/www.cricketnmore.com\/cricket-news\/marshs-half-century-leads-australia-fightback-after-pakistan-blitz-134923" }