Labuschagne shows what the worst feeling in cricket looks like

Marnus Labuschagne looked exactly how you would expect a cricketer to act after a massive brain fart in the Second Test.

Marnus Labuschagne was caught short. Photo: Kayo, Fox Sports.

Australia is on top in the Second Test after Usman Khawaja enjoyed one of his finest moments in cricket on the opening day in Karachi.

Khawaja pushed Australia to a dominant 3/251 at stumps as he finished unbeaten on 127.

Australia will resume on day two with night watchmen Nathan Lyon at the crease after the spinner came out to face the final seven balls of the day after Steve Smith fell in the second last over of the day.

While the day belonged to Khawaja — and Pakistan’s pathetic, negative tactics — it was impossible to ignore how painful the spectacle of Smith and Khawaja’s 159-run third wicket partnership must have been for Marnus Labuschagne.

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Labuschagne threw his wicket away in a rare brain fart as Pakistan took two wickets back-to-back at the end of the first session.

Labuschagne ran himself out for a duck when his decision to scamper through for a quick single brought him undone by an inch.

It was a huge moment as Australia fell to 2/91, after an opening stand of 82 runs.

Labuschagne dribbled the ball to mid off with a weak cover drive, but his gamble against fielder Sajid Khan blew up in his face.

Khan had three stumps to aim at and his brilliant piece of fielding caught Labuschagne short.

“He’s only got himself to blame there,” Aussie test great Simon Katich said in TV commentary.

Replays showed Labuschagne made a decisive call as soon as the ball bounced off the bat — but he simply misjudged the run.

Marnus Labuschagne was caught short. Photo: Kayo, Fox Sports.

Marnus Labuschagne was caught short. Photo: Kayo, Fox Sports.

The SEN commentary team called it a “disaster”.

You could see how shattered Labuschagne was when he emerged in the Aussie dressing room.

“No worse feeling, first-innings duck,” former Australian opener Simon Katich said in commentary.

“He’s not looking too happy at the moment Marnus. He’s devastated.”

Marnus Labuschagne following his first-innings duck in Karachi. Photo: Fox Sports

‘He will be devastated’: Smith falls at the end of the day

Steve Smith was brought undone just seven balls before the end of the day’s play.

Having played so well to reach a disciplined score of 72 from 214 balls, Smith was dismissed from a brilliant diving catch by Faheem Ashraf at second slip.

Smith was trying to drive from the back foot to the bowling of Hasan Ali, but he could only manage a thick edge which flew low to the left of Ashraf, who had to dive with lightning reflexes to catch the ball just inches above the turf.

Smith was also out for 78 in the First Test.

His wicket saw Australia reach stumps at 3/251.

TV commentator Rob Key said: “After all that hard work, he will be devastated. He will be mortified”.

Khawaja’s fairytale comes true

Usman Khawaja has lived a fairytale as he scored his 11th test century on the first day of the Second Test.

It is a moment of Australian sporting history as he became Australia’s first test centurion in Pakistan for 24 years.

The red hot batsman has now scored three test centuries in his most recent six innings.

Due to security concerns, Australia had not toured Pakistan since 1998 until this series and it is so perfectly fitting that Australia’s first Test centurion on Pakistan soil after the hiatus is the Pakistan-born Khawaja.

Usman Khawaja raises his bat in Karachi. Photo: Kayo, Fox Sports.

Khawaja’s innings was a masterclass in sweeping strokeplay and he never looked in trouble — even as Pakistan’s bowlers and fielding strategy saw the runs dry up.

He celebrated his milestone by leaping into the air and punching his fist.

“What a special moment,” Aussie test great Simon Katich said.

Aussie commentator Mike Haysman said: “This is a moment he is going to remember for a long time”.

He had been dismissed for 97 in the First Test with come commentators claiming he had thrown his wicket away with a risky reverse sweep.

Moments earlier Steve Smith brought up his fifty from 129 balls.

Warner falls to absolute peach

David Warner became the first wicket of the test to fall when he was on the receiving end of a sweet delivery from Faheem Ashraf.

Ashraf got the ball talking and it moved away from Warner before it collected an edge and sailed through to keeper Mohammad Rizwan.

.@iFaheemAshraf gets the prized wicket of Warner. 🙌🏼 #BoysReadyHain l #PAKvAUSpic.twitter.com/rcylItqlVV

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) March 12, 2022

Warner fell for 36 — the second time this series he has failed to reach a century despite getting a start and settling in to his innings.

What on earth is going on in Pakistan?

The Second Test was just a few overs old when Pakistan was forced to move its second slip forward considerably after several slight edges dropped well short of the slips cordon early in Australia’s innings.

It is a concerning sight after a lifeless deck in Rawalpindi ruined the First Test.

Pakistan move their second slip forward. Photo: Kayo, Fox Sports.

Despite Pakistan quicks Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hasan Ali troubling opener David Warner with a difficult line and a perfect length, he survived the new ball with several edges landing short.

He was also caught on the pads several times.

Pakistan took matters into their own hands with captain Babar Azam moving his second slip forward because of the lifeless bounce being produced by the pitch.

Cricket Pakistan’s official Twitter page called the field “interesting”.

Interesting field set-up from Babar Azam!#PAKvAUSpic.twitter.com/UEjjYRI9Yz

— Cricket Pakistan (@cricketpakcompk) March 12, 2022

Australia wins crucial toss

Australia are batting first in Karachi with just one change to the team from the dour first Test. Leg spinner Mitchell Swepson is in for quick Josh Hazlewood, while Pakistan made two changes, recalling pace bowler Hasan Ali and allrounder Faheem Ashraf for Naseem Shah and Iftikhar Ahmed.

Mitch Swepson lives his dream. Photo: Fox Sports.

Swepson was handed his Baggy Green by his Queensland state captain Usman Khawaja. Pakistan brought back frontline paceman Hasan Ali and allrounder Faheem Ashraf — who both missed the first Test due to injuries – replacing Iftikhar Ahmed and Naseem Shah.

‘Wrong’: Pakistan hit back over pitch farce

Pakistan have hit back at criticisms of the first Test pitch as captain Babar Azam said his side was not scared of Australia.

The match was a dour draw in Australia’s first Test in Pakistan in 24 years as it became the Test with the fewest wickets fall in a match of over 330 overs this century as just 14 fell over the five days.

Pakistan have hit back over the week, but on the eve of the second Test, captain Azam said the boredom of the first Test was not a sign that Pakistan were scared of Australia’s bowling stocks.

“Every venue has different condition. Nothing to worry,” Babar told the reporters.

“This is a wrong perception that we’re scared of Australia or Pakistani batters played with a defensive approach in Rawalpindi Test.”

Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq, who scored his first two Test centuries in the match with 157 in the first and 111 not out in the second, said it’s not like other nations consult Pakistan before Test matches when they’re away.

“A draw is something nobody wants to see,” Imam had told ESPNcricinfo on Thursday.

“But when we go to Australian conditions, they don’t make pitches consulting us but make it according to their will so I think we should see our strength and should live up to our strength.”

Then again, generally teams look for conditions that will help them win rather than give no opportunity for either side to compete.

Earlier in the week, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ramiz Raja basically confirming the lifeless Rawalpindi pitch was intentionally prepared to negate Australia’s world-class pace attack.

“I understand the frustration of the fans,” Ramiz said in a video posted on PCB’s Twitter account.

“Undoubtedly, it would have been very good if we had a result but this is a three-Test series and we need to understand that a lot of cricket still remains to be played.

“Just for the heck of it, we can’t prepare a fast pitch or a bouncy pitch and put the game in Australia’s lap.

“It’s important that when we play at home, we play to our strengths. We also had limited resources, unfortunately.”