Pak vs Aus: David Warner, Usman Khawaja leads Australia to 138-0

RAWALPINDI: As the visitors replied strongly on the third day of the opening Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, openers Usman Khawaja and David Warner led Australia to 138 without loss in their first innings.

As Australia raced away from Pakistan’s first-innings declaration of 476-4, Khawaja was on 70 and Warner was on 60.

After scoring at more than four an over in the morning session, the visitors need another 139 to avoid the follow-on with all 10 wickets in hand, in contrast to Pakistan’s first innings, which lasted two days and 162 overs.

With little spin and no reverse swing, Pakistan’s seam bowling pair and three slow bowlers found the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium ground as unresponsive as the australians did on the first two days, when only four wickets fell.

Pakistan had only themselves to blame for failing to make a critical breakthrough, as Khawaja was dropped twice by the hosts due to sloppy fielding.

Fawad Alam, pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi’s disappointment, dropped a simple chance at gully off a miscued cut while Khawaja was on 22.

Khawaja, who was born in Pakistan, made full advantage of the opportunity, hitting three consecutive boundaries on his way to his 15th Test half-century in just 67 balls.

This time, wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan let him go when Khawaja, who was on 62 at the time, gloved a chance while attempting to reverse-sweep spinner Nauman Ali.

Khawaja, who was recalled to the side in January for the Ashes Test in Sydney and made centuries in both innings, had hit 12 fours from 104 balls in his 70-ball innings at lunch.

Warner, a fellow left-hander, had faced 97 balls for his 60 runs, including 11 boundaries.

Australia is touring Pakistan for the first time since 1998, after previously refusing to do so due to security concerns.

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