Australia v Pakistan: Alex Carey close to another wicketkeeping controversy on day two in Perth
Alex Carey sparked memories of his controversial Ashes run out with a moment which almost ignited the Australia-Pakistan series. But one great says it was “fair game”. WATCH THE INCIDENT and RECAP DAY TWO here.
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Alex Carey bizarrely botched a run out attempt on Friday in a moment that raised questions about the lingering effects of the Jonny Bairstow stumping saga.
The missed chance to remove Pakistan opener Abdullah Shafique was a curious subplot on an even day two of the first Test at Optus Stadium which ended with the tourists at 2-132 in response to Australia’s 487.
A brutal 90 from Mitch Marsh had earlier in the day entrenched his spot in the top six, leaving selectors increasingly likely to need a creative avenue if they want Cameron Green back in the Test side any time soon.
DAY 1 RECAP: WARNER’S CENTURY, JOHNSON’S REACTION AND MORE
While Marsh’s innings reprised his punishing knock at Headingley on Test return in July, Carey’s actions behind the stumps were again in the spotlight just as they had been on day five at Lord’s almost six months ago.
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— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 15, 2023
A bit to unpack here as Alex Carey comes ever-so-close to taking the bails off behind the stumps #AUSvPAKpic.twitter.com/QVQuo4pJJB
Pakistan had crept to 0-70 from 34 overs when Shafique blocked a Nathan Lyon delivery to Marnus Labuschagne at short leg.
Labuschagne gave a lookaway throw to wicketkeeper Carey who appeared to spot an opening to run out the Pakistan opener as he lifted his foot from the crease.
Carey gestured to whip off the bails, only for the stumps to remain intact as several of the Aussies motioned to appeal.
The stump mic picked up Carey telling teammates that: “I hit the stump, I hit the stump, I hit the stump, without the bails going off. I touched the stump.”
Former Test opener Greg Blewett said he had “no doubt” there was something within Carey’s subconscious that stopped him removing the bails.
“And when you take it back to the Ashes and the Bairstow incident and I just wonder whether he thought, ‘Is it worth going there again?’ Blewett said.
Australian great and former wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist said on Fox’s coverage that he believed the dismissal “would have been fair game.”
As it turned out, the miss barely cost the Aussies, with Lyon claiming his 497th Test scalp as Shafique departed two overs later on 42, spooning a catch to David Warner at short fine leg.
Pakistan captain Shan Masood upped the ante before falling to a late edge off Mitchell Starc for 30, with the Australians successfully overturning the initial call from umpire Richard Illingworth.
Imam-ul-Haq had crawled to 38 at stumps alongside nightwatcher Khurram Shahzad (seven).
Marsh whacked 15 fours and a six in his 107-ball innings, a knock that ended just after lunch after the West Australian was bowled attempting to drive a nipping delivery from debutant Khurram.
Aamer Jamal — Pakistan’s other newbie — ran through the Australian tail to finish with 6-111.
While denied the milestone in front of an adoring crowd including his former Test batter father Geoff and brother Shaun, Marsh showed that his Ashes form was no flash in the pan.
The 32-year-old has been a white-ball revelation in recent years and his fourth substantial innings in as many Tests since replacing the injured Green at Leeds suggests Marsh is highly unlikely to lose his spot in the side this summer.
With Steve Smith deferring talk of retirement for the time being, Green - barring injury to another of the batters - faces the prospect of an extended exile from the Test XI, an idea that looked unfathomable at the start of the year after the generational talent posted his first Test century in Ahmedabad to follow a maiden five-wicket haul in the format during last summer’s Boxing Day Test against South Africa.
The clearest potential way back for Green would be if selectors opt for a top-order reshuffle when David Warner - who blasted 164 on day one of this Test - retires at the end of the series.
A new opener will therefore be required for the two Tests that follow against the West Indies in January, which on paper serves as an undercard for the more heavy-duty assignments of a two-Test series in New Zealand beginning in late February and the blockbuster home series against India next summer.
DAY TWO LIVE
With Tim Michell
8.52PM: STUMPS — PAKISTAN 2-132, TRAILS BY 355 RUNS
That was an absorbing day of Test cricket.
Any thought that Pakistan would roll over when it batted has been extinguished after the visitors withstood 53 overs.
It was slow going for the most part, with the deficit still 355 runs, but tomorrow promises to be a huge day in the match with Babar Azam still to bat.
He wasn’t needed after Khurram Shahzad came out as nightwatchman.
Earlier, Mitch Marsh’s 90 powered Australia to 487.
8.38PM: SUCCESSFUL REVIEW SENDS PAKISTAN CAPTAIN PACKING
Mitchell Starc gets a huge wicket late on day two, snaring Pakistan captain Shan Masood for 30.
Masood came out with intent to take the game to the Australians and it paid off until then, when he edged a lofty drive through to Alex Carey.
Masood was initially given not out but there was a clear spike on snicko on review.
“Totally changed the complexion of the day’s play,” says Adam Gilchrist in commentary.
Khurram Shahzad is sent out as nightwatchman.
8.30PM: WHEN WILL WE SEE THE WILD THING?
As Australian cricket waits to see the Wild Thing unleashed at Test level, one of Lance Morris’ Western Australian teammates has provided an exciting insight into his development.
Western Australia’s Ashton Turner told SEN Morris had been “starved” of opportunities this year but was getting better with every match he played.
“Lance’s best cricket comes in red-ball cricket at the moment and he’s an interesting one,” Turner said.
“Often his seventh over is quicker than his first over and he’s a guy who needs some time on legs. I think he’s been starved of that a little bit this year. He’s been held back.
“For good reason, we want to have fast bowlers fit to play for Australia in Test cricket and at the moment he’s having to bide his time. But the more cricket he can play, the more exciting he keeps getting and keeps impressing more and more.”
8.05PM: PAKISTAN CAPTAIN TREATED AFTER PAINFUL BLOW
Shan Masood — who has been dealing in lofty blows since arriving at the crease — has been on the wrong end of one from Imam-ul-Haq.
The opener hammered Nathan Lyon back towards mid-on, but the ball cannoned into Masood’s back.
Fox Cricket commentator Mike Hussey said Masood was lucky the ball did not strike him in the spine.
Pakistan medicos spent several minutes working on his back before play resumed.
7.40PM: LYON GETS THE BREAKTHROUGH
Nathan Lyon is three wickets away from 500 after removing the stubborn Abdullah Shafique.
Lyon strangles Shafique on leg stump and he whips the ball to David Warner who takes the catch at leg slip.
After a 74-run opening stand, Australia needed that wicket.
7.30PM: CAREY ALMOST INVOLVED IN ANOTHER CONTROVERSY
It wasn’t quite Jonny Bairstow levels of drama, but Alex Carey was almost involved in another run out controversy on day two.
Marnus Labuschagne threw the ball from short leg to Carey who moved his hand towards the stumps.
As he got close to knocking the bails off, an oblivious Abdullah Shafique lifted his back foot.
Carey stopped and did not whip the bails off, but replays suggested he would have been out if the Aussie gloveman followed through.
“I think that would have been fair game,” says Adam Gilchrist on Fox Cricket.
Carey appeared to say in the aftermath: “I hit the stump”.
Commentator Isa Guha said: “He touched the stump, but the bails didn’t come out of the groove.”
7.25PM: AKRAM'S RUN IN WITH SECURITY
Sometimes being even the most-famous name in Pakistan cricket isn’t enough to open doors.
Wasim Akram learned that in Perth while commentating for Fox Cricket when he was twice stopped to have his accreditation checked.
Surely they would have recognised a man with more than 900 international wickets?
“He said, ‘show me your card’, and I did,” Akram told Fox Cricket.
“He said, ‘no show it again, I haven’t seen your picture.’ So I said, ‘here we go Buddy’.”
Co-commentator Michael Vaughan then asked: “So you’re just going to wear it all day now?”
The last time Akram featured on the coverage he still had his accreditation on, true to his word.
Meanwhile, Pakistan have eeked the deficit down to less than 420 runs after taking their partnership past 70.
6.50PM: ‘BETTER THAN BABAR’: HUGE CALL ON PAKISTAN OPENER
Former Australian opener Simon Katich says Pakistan’s rising star Abdullah Shafique will emerge as a better player than superstar Babar Azam.
The 24-year-old opener has a Test average of 50.8 after 14 matches and has cracked the top-20 in the ICC’s Test batter rankings.
Babar is the fourth ranked player in the world and has almost 13,000 international runs, highlighting how highly Katich rates Shafique.
Along with Imam-ul-Haq, the right-hander has so far thwarted Australia and taken Pakistan to 0-50.
“He’s a good young player, he’s had a good start to his Test career. What I like about him the most is that he’s aggressive against spin,” Katich told Channel 7.
“We saw him in Pakistan last year on that Test tour against Australia. And we have already seen him today bang Nathan Lyon straight back over his head.
“I like the look of him. I think he’s going to be a better player than Babar Azam.”
Shafique averaged 79.4 when Australia toured Pakistan last year.
6.30PM: HEAD’S INSIGHT INTO EPIC WC CELEBRATIONS
Travis Head has conceded he “got caught up in the emotions” during Australia’s epic One-Day World Cup celebrations.
Fans around the world were captivated as Head shared days worth of posts which clearly showed him revelling in the World Cup triumph in India.
He reflected on the celebrations with Fox Cricket on Friday, saying: “I did (enjoy myself). I didn’t help myself with some of the social stuff that may have come out over the few days.
“I got caught up in the emotions a little bit, but honestly I couldn’t wrap my head around what happened and all the emotions and everything that went into it and how big it was.
“I’d not played a World Cup, so the experience I had winning the World Test Championship was a little bit quiet obviously with being a new concept but a one-day world cup is what everyone dreams of playing in and winning.
“To then come in so quickly and all sort of be such a blur, I think I was just a bit overawed by the whole situation. But I enjoyed three or four days (celebrating).”
6.02PM: TEA — PAKISTAN 0-43
Pakistan openers Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq have survived a brutal end to the second session as Pat Cummins came close to claiming the first wicket.
The visitors head to the break having bowled well but without a breakthrough after 20 overs.
Shafique and ul-Haq have been very patient, with the latter nine runs from 49 balls.
5.45PM: ‘NERVOUS’ LYON CHASES MAGIC MILESTONE
Nathan Lyon is into the attack for the first time since being injured at the Ashes and chasing four wickets to become the third Australian to take 500 Test wickets.
Only Shane Warne (708) and Glenn McGrath (563) have achieved the mark before.
Lyon started the Pakistan series on 496 wickets, which ranks eighth overall on the all-time wicket-takers list.
“We know how important he is to our team. We missed him, obviously, at the back end of that Ashes and what he provides to our bowling unit,” Steve Smith said earlier today.
“So, good to have him back. Hopefully he has a big impact out here and can get his 500. I know he’ll be pretty nervous up until that point like he is. Hopefully he can get them quickly.”
5.30PM: ‘NEAR PERFECT’ — WAUGH ON CUMMINS’ CAPTAINCY
Former Aussie batter Mark Waugh says there has only been one major blemish on Pat Cummins’ captaincy scorecard — his field placement during this year’s Ashes series.
Cummins’ fields came in for criticism during the England series as the home side came from 2-0 down to almost snatch the series.
“I think tactically overall he has improved out of sight,” Waugh said on Fox Cricket.
“The Ashes was a test for him tactically. I must admit I did question some of the field placements.
“But I think everything else has been near perfect with his captaincy.”
4.55PM: PONTING’S VIEW ON WARNER REPLACEMENT
Ricky Ponting wants Australian selectors to consider future series against India and England when considering who replaces David Warner as Test opener.
Ponting said Australia couldn’t afford to be thinking about who would be successful against the West Indies in January’s two-Test series.
The former Aussie skipper questioned whether England’s Bazball approach had been a factor in suggestions Australia should consider an attacking option such as Mitch Marsh or Travis Head at the top.
“Maybe I’m a little bit old-fashioned. Let’s take Bazball out of the equation, what we saw last year,” Ponting said on Channel 7.
“Would we be having the same conversation now if that wasn’t around? I’m a believer in now, we need to pick our best opener for the biggest series coming up.
“Don’t think about someone that’s going to have success against West Indies in the two Tests coming up. Let’s look towards India, let’s look towards the next Ashes series.
“Who’s the person that’s going to be most suited to opening the batting and doing a good job for us through those series?
“If that’s one of the guys in the team now, great. If that’s Cameron Bancroft or one of the guys on the outside, then let’s wait and see which way the selectors go.”
4.23PM: AUSTRALIA ALL OUT FOR 487
Nathan Lyon becomes Jamal’s sixth victim and Australia’s innings ends after 113.2 overs.
4.14PM: JAMAL TAKES FIVE ON DEBUT
Aamir Jamal has a five-wicket haul on Test debut.
Pat Cummins is caught at slip by Salman Ali Agha and Jamal has figures of 5-110 in his 20th over.
“The most impressive thing, he’s bowled wicket-taking deliveries,” says Michael Vaughan on Fox Cricket.
“It’s been a genuine five-for.”
4.04PM: MARSH ROCKED FIRST BALL AFTER LUNCH
Well, that hasn’t gone to script.
Khurram Shahzad goes straight through a big gap left by Mitchell Marsh who’s bowled on the first ball after the break.
No hundred for the hometown crowd to savour.
Nathan Lyon makes his return to Test cricket with Australia 8-476.
LUNCH — AUSTRALIA 7-476
Mitch Marsh will be eyeing a home century when play resumes in the second session of day two in Perth.
Marsh has gone to lunch on 90 not out with captain Pat Cummins unbeaten on nine at the other end.
Aamir Jamal was the standout bowler for Pakistan, skittling Alex Carey and Mitch Marsh to have 4-108 from 19 overs on his Test debut.
You wonder if Pat Cummins is going to keep Pakistan in the field as long as possible or might let the bowling cartel lose after Marsh reaches triple figures.
2.56PM: JAMAL STRIKES AGAIN
Debutant Jamal has produced two absolute peaches this morning to remove Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc.
This was close to a carbon copy — around the wicket, Starc caught on the crease and a small outside edge before thundering into the top of off stump.
The Pakistan quick now has four wickets on Test debut.
That was a great response after he was unlucky not to have Starc out lbw the ball before due to DRS umpire’s call.
“That was a peach from Jamal,” says Mike Hussey in commentary.
2.47PM: VAUGHAN — MARSH CAN DOMINATE FOR YEARS
As he eyes another hundred on his home ground, Mitch Marsh has been tipped to become a dominant force in Test cricket for years to come.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan told Fox Cricket he thought Marsh’s run-a-ball 118 during this year’s Ashes series had been the making of him as a Test batter.
And he said the confidence Marsh was batting with could propel him to new heights.
“I still think the best years are still ahead of Mitchell Marsh,” Vaughan said.
“I think he’s going to have a dominating period in Test match cricket over the next 2-3 years with the bat in hand.
“Now he’s got that real confidence from that innings that he played at Headingley...Mark Wood was bowling as quick as I’d seen Mark Wood down the hill at Headingley.
“Mitchell Marsh had all the time in the world.”
The 32-year-old has been touted as a potential replacement for David Warner but Mark Waugh said he hoped selectors left Marsh where he could be his most destructive.
2.22PM: CAREY BOWLED BY JAMAL
Pakistan’s bowling has been pretty ordinary this morning but from nowhere Jamal produces an “absolute jaffa” to skittle Alex Carey.
Bowling around the wicket, he angles in towards Carey’s middle stump before the ball holds its like and rockets into off stump.
Australia is 6-411.
2.17PM: MARSH ROCKETS TO FIFTY
The pace of Pakistan’s bowlers is well down this morning in Perth and Mitch Marsh is taking full toll.
The WA crowd is loving it as their hometown boy charges past 50 and Australia’s total is now above 400.
It’s quite remarkable what Marsh has done since coming back into the Test side during the Ashes.
And even harder to think he once regarded himself as Australia’s most hated cricketer.
Everyone seems to be on board the Mitch Marsh express now.
1.55PM: PAKISTAN GREAT BAFFLED BY SELECTION SNUB
One of Pakistan’s greatest cricketers says he is confused by the non-selection of Hassan Ali for the first Test.
The 29-year-old has taken 78 Test wickets and would have brought experience to a bowling line-up which instead contains two debutants.
“Most experienced player, 78 wickets in Test cricket, six five-wicket hauls,” Akram said on Fox Cricket.
“One 10-wicket haul. And you need experience in Australia, especially on pitches like this. “We have seen yesterday Ahmed Jamal struggle with the first spell and so did Faheem Ashraf. “And they all kind of are the same pace...apart from Shaheen Afridi who is slightly quicker at times. Not consistently quick.”
Akram later said he was “baffled” by Ali being left out.
“He’s experienced, he runs in, he bowls well. He’s aggressive,” he said.
1.30PM: HUGE WARNING FOR PAKISTAN BATTERS
Day one centurion David Warner has provided an insight into a Perth pitch which will test the mettle of Pakistan’s batters on day two.
With Australia destined to bowl on Friday, Warner said there were sections of the pitch which were “kissing and climbing” during his innings.
The prospect of a juicy deck will have Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc and Josh Hazlewood bullish.
“I felt like batting at this end here specifically, there’s a little bit of a patch area that was kissing and climbing,” Warner told Channel 7.
“I felt anything (with) width I could throw the kitchen sink at. I think I missed a fair few.”
Pakistan great Wasim Akram added: “I think this is only going to get (more) difficult for the batters.”
1.20PM: LEGEND’S TAKE ON RACE TO REPLACE WARNER
Adam Gilchrist says he fears Australia will back itself into a corner if it shoehorns Mitchell Marsh or Travis Head into replacing David Warner as Test opener.
As selectors weigh up whether to entrust a traditional opener with partnering Usman Khawaja or shuffling the order to accommodate Cameron Green’s return, Gilchrist said he was worried about affecting team chemistry.
“My mindset’s more still with a traditional opener for Test cricket. But I hear the suggestion or hear the reasoning behind Cam Green,” Gilchrist said on Fox Cricket.
“And I think if they were going to go that way, if it someone else other than a traditional opener, he is the man there.
“The point being if you went with Marsh, or even Travis Head or Labuschagne was mentioned, what happens if it doesn’t work out for them?
“If Mitch Marsh went to the top of the order and Cam Green came in in the middle order, Cam Green got runs and Mitch Marsh didn’t.
“Do you say, ‘OK, well Mitch you’re out’. Or ‘you go back to six, Green you’re out and we’re going with an opener’. There’s probably a bit too much to chance.”
Warner will almost assuredly get his SCG farewell after a blistering century on day one in Perth.
Mark Waugh agreed Green would be a better choice for the top of the order than Marsh, Labuschagne and Head.
“It will be interesting to see what the selectors do when Warner does retire (with) that opening slot. I’d be tempted to give it to Cameron Green,” he said.
“I think Bancroft has probably got his nose in front out of Renshaw, Harris, Bancroft, of those three, I’d reckon.”
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Originally published as Australia v Pakistan: Alex Carey close to another wicketkeeping controversy on day two in Perth
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