Australia v Pakistan: Mitch Marsh dismissed for 96 after leading Australia revival from 4-16
A wicket on the last ball of day three has left the Boxing Day Test on a knife’s edge after a horror drop gifted Australia — and Mitch Marsh — the ascendancy.
Cricket
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cricket. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Having gifted Australia lollies on Christmas Day, Pakistan handed the hosts the ultimate present three days later.
With the Aussies on the ropes at 4-46 in their second innings, opener Abdullah Shafique dropped a sitter at first slip, paving the way for a game-changing innings from Mitch Marsh whose Test renaissance continues to bloom.
While the all-rounder was stopped in the 90s for the second straight Test, the damage had already been done, with the tourists facing a steep chase to keep the series alive heading to Sydney next week.
Steve Smith fell for a painstaking 50 from 176 balls off what proved the final ball of the day, leaving Australia 6-187 at stumps on day three, leading by 241. Alex Carey is not out on 16.
Pakistan’s tail wagged early on Thursday at the MCG, cutting the first innings deficit to 54 by the time the tourists were eventually bowled out for 264 not long before lunch.
If Australia still had the clear ascendancy heading into its second dig, that advantage was effectively wiped out when the home side plummeted to 4-16, losing two wickets either side of lunch.
Pakistan’s left-handed new-ball pair of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mir Hamza ran amok, with Shaheen’s drawing the edge of Usman Khawaja (0), before Marnus Labuschagne (four) tickled one down the leg-side to end his worst year in Test cricket since being recalled during the 2019 Ashes.
Hamza was on a hat-trick not long after the interval, as David Warner (six) bid farewell by chopping on for the umpteenth time in recent memory and Travis Head (0) played all around a swinging beauty.
If Marsh is seriously being considered as a prospective Test opener once Warner goes, then auditions won’t get much more fitting given his arrival came just 5.2 overs into Australia’s second innings.
True to form, Marsh resisted via counter-attack, as Smith played Robin to the West Australia’s Batman.
He should not have made it past 20 though after nicking a full-blooded attempted drive off seamer Aamer Jamal to Shafique.
"It's like a crocodile jaw trying to catch a ball."
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 28, 2023
Abdullah Shafique hands Mitch Marsh a life on 20 #AUSvPAKpic.twitter.com/NMlTKHn3t5
The Pakistan opener had put down Warner on the first morning and made an even worse meal of this one.
“I think you’ve got to get Shafique out of there,” former Australian star Mark Waugh said on Fox Cricket.
“He has not looked like catching one all series. He’s hung onto one and only just.
“At some stage you’ve got to get the hook out and say ‘Out of there son’. It’s like a crocodile jaw trying to catch a ball.
“It’s unfortunate but you’ve got to get him out of there. His confidence is so low at the moment.”
It wasn’t Australia’s only stroke of luck, with Marsh and Smith both surviving umpire’s call lbw decisions from Michael Gough through a 153-run fifth-wicket stand.
Yet having gone for 90 in Perth, Marsh was once more denied as he neared a century, gone for 96 as a diving Salman Ali Agha snaffled a cracker at first slip to give Hamza his third.
Nonetheless it still ended a wonderful return year in the Test arena from Marsh, who averaged 67.5 with the bat after his mid-Ashes opening courtesy of a Cameron Green injury.
Though nowhere near his fluent best of yesteryear, Smith scrapped to a gritty half-century from 153 balls. He stayed on that total for another 23 deliveries before popping up a catch from a steepling Shaheen delivery.
Mohammad Rizwan (42), Jamal (33 not out) and Shaheen (21) earlier frustrated the Aussies. Pat Cummins finished with 5-48 while Nathan Lyon continued his strong comeback series with 4-73.
Play started late after morning drizzle on a day where the strangest moment came when play in Australia’s second innings was briefly delayed when third umpire Richard Illingworth got caught in a lift.
DAY 3 LIVE
with Tim Michell
6.30PM: STUMPS — AUSTRALIA 6-187, LEADS BY 241 RUNS
This match would look very different had Mitch Marsh not been dropped on 20.
Take away the 76 runs he added and Australia would be under the pump heading into day four.
Instead, Marsh’s 153-run partnership with Steve Smith has Australia in the box seat to take a 2-0 series lead heading to Sydney.
Pakistan will still be in the game if it can keep the lead to less than 300, but even now it will face a challenging fourth-innings chase after having no answer for Pat Cummins in the first dig.
Alex Carey will want runs tomorrow to help keep the critics at bay and has a big job alongside the tail.
6.28PM: WICKET! SHAHEEN ENDS SMITH RESISTANCE
Maybe it’s game on again!
Shaheen Shah Afridi gets Steve Smith fending at a perfectly-directed bouncer and all the Aussie No.4 can do is knock the ball to Shakeel at gully.
And, that’s stumps as well.
5.54PM: SMITH FIFTY
That’s far from the most fluent fifty Steve Smith has scored but boy has it been pivotal.
He clips one off the hip to fine leg and gets a warm hand from the MCG crowd who have appreciated the grind he showed during his telling partnership with Mitch Marsh.
“It’s an innings of substance. He’s fought through it, even though he hasn’t been at his best,” Simon Katich says on SEN.
5.36PM: WICKET! MARSH GONE FOR 96
Salman has pulled in an absolute screamer at first slip to get rid of Mitch Marsh four runs short of a century.
In case you wanted a perfect example of why Pakistan is cricket’s ultimate enigma — that is it.
How can you have a player catch that and put Marsh down as simply as Shafique did earlier?
In the end, that drop cost Pakistan 76 runs and has probably decided this match.
“I’m just staggered that they have held a chance,” says Michael Vaughan on Fox Cricket.
Australia leads by 223 runs — which might be enough for victory already.
Highest Test score at the MCG:
— Nic Savage (@nic_savage1) December 28, 2023
Shaun Marsh - 99
Mitchell Marsh - 96
Geoff Marsh - 86#AUSvPAK
What a catch @SalmanAliAgha1. Come on boys, believe, this can be the turning point. pic.twitter.com/Q4Ui9LKEu5
— Shadab Khan (@76Shadabkhan) December 28, 2023
5.10PM: PAKISTAN CRUELLED BY DRS — AGAIN
After Mitch Marsh just survived a review earlier today not playing a shot, Steve Smith has survived thanks to umpire’s call as well.
Aamir Jamal is fired up as Pakistan hunts a breakthrough but was visibly upset when DRS came up umpire’s call.
Aamir struck Smith on pads and to the naked eye the ball was angling down leg.
But the review suggested it was much closer than it appeared and Smith was lucky not to be dismissed.
“Michael Gough is a bit of a not out umpire isn’t he,” says Mark Waugh on Fox Cricket.
“(That’s) three that he has given not out which have actually been clipping the stumps and two of them the batsmen let the ball go.
“I think if you let the ball go, you should lose the umpire’s call.
“If it’s hitting the stumps. If you don’t play a shot, you should lose that benefit.”
5PM: WHAT PLAYERS WANT TO KNOW ABOUT CHRISTMAS BBL PUSH
Australian Cricket Association boss Todd Greenberg says players want a greater understanding of why a Christmas BBL match would work before committing to the concept.
Days after Sydney Sixers star Jordan Silk said he thought players were ready to play on December 25, Greenberg said most would “lean in” if they understood the potential benefits.
“If you can take them through the logical reasons of why and almost establish in their eyes a business case for, ‘this is good and it’s good for players, it’s good for the game’, they’ll listen intently and most of them will lean in,” he told SEN.
“There will be people that won’t want to play on Christmas Day. Like there will be people who work in (media) that won’t want to work on Christmas Day. But I get a sense people are open to the conversation.”
Greenberg said reducing travel by playing a derby was one scenario which had been discussed.
“I think it’s a conversation we’re having. The world evolves. If you’d said this maybe 15-20 years ago it would have been sacrilege to play on these days. But other models and other sports are making it work,” he said.
There was no BBL match on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day this year.
4.45PM: CAN BABAR BE PAKISTAN’S HERO?
After scores of 21, 14 and 1 in this series, Pakistan badly needs Babar Azam to produce a knock befitting his standing as the world’s No.5 batter in the second innings in Melbourne.
Former Pakistan captain and coach Waqar Younis spoke of Babar’s struggles during this Test and said, “he’s not really the Babar I know.”
Speaking on ABC radio, Waqar said: “Babar Azam is not really looking that great. Not himself...his body language wasn’t that great walking on the field.
“He looked really worried and that’s not a great sign. Even in the morning when I saw him he was not himself.”
4.20PM: WAUGH SETS MINIMUM TARGET FOR AUSTRALIA
Australia needs to set Pakistan at least 225 runs to be confident of victory, says Mark Waugh.
As Mitch Marsh and Steve Smith push the lead closer to 200, Waugh set 225 as the minimum score Australia would need to deny Pakistan a breakthrough victory on Aussie shores.
“They’re looking for 250 plus, obviously, when the pitch is still doing a bit. It’s not going to break up, that’s the thing,” Waugh said on Fox Cricket.
4.15PM: WARNE ANNOUNCES LEGACY TARGET MET
Shane Warne’s son Jackson has announced the Shane Warne Legacy has met its target of 23,000 heart health checks during the Boxing Day Test.
Four-minute heart health checks have been available at the MCG — and Priceline Pharmacies — with a goal to reach Warnie’s famous 23 during the Test.
Jackson said he believed the goal had been reached during tea break on day three.
“It just shows he’s still living on and saving lives while doing it,” he told Fox Cricket.
In a raw interview, Jackson said he would “always see Shane Warne as my dad”.
“I never looked at him as Shane Warne. The emotions, of course it’s been a rollercoaster the last 18 months but I know he would want us to be happy,” he said.
“There’s been times for us to be sad and that was last year. Now we just need to celebrate his life, honour him, make him happy and make him proud.”
To learn more about the Shane Warne Legacy, click here
4PM: ‘BUGGER THE VICS’ — BASIL DOUBLES DOWN
Perth Mayor Basil Zempilas has taken aim at Victorian cricket fans for the second time in three days while pitching an audacious plan to bring the day-night Test to the west.
On Boxing Day, Zempilas tweeted: “Hmmmm. What’s their excuse? Not like you can go to the beach?” in reference to the MCG crowd.
On Thursday, he doubled down by declaring “Bugger the Vics” while telling 6PR of his plan to snatch the day-night Test.
This summer’s day-night match will be played at the Gabba, with a start time of 3pm AEDT for each day.
If a start time of 2pm in the west was locked in, stumps would be after midnight on the eastern seaboard.
“Bugger the Vics I say. Bugger the rest of them as well,” Zempilas said.
Zempilas said the strong attendance at Scorchers games showed Perth’s appetite for night cricket, adding the state had been “dealt a raw hand” by Cricket Australia.
“It’s holiday time of the year. The kids can stay up later. I accept that you want as many young people around the nation following our national cricket team, but it is that time of the year when kids can stay up,” he said.
“Don’t we all do it when the Ashes are on? Don’t we do it when there’s big football matches overseas? We do stay up and it becomes a part of the fun and the culture of it.”
Less than 60,000 people attended the four days of the ‘West Test’ and Zempilas conceded the crowd was “soft”.
Zempilas explained his tweet regarding the Boxing Day crowd as tongue-in-cheek.
“All of this came out of a bit of tongue-in-cheek fun at the Victorians for all going home when it started raining. And I looked up at the MCG, virtually empty and said, ‘what’s their excuse? It’s not as if they can go to the beach,” he said.
“That was of course relating to our own crowds at our own Test match. Yes, the Vics did have more on one day, the opening day of the Boxing Day Test than we had for our entire Test match, but then again...if our Test match started on Boxing Day, a public holiday, I reckon we’d get a fair crowd as well.”
TEA — AUSTRALIA 4-107, LEADS BY 161 RUNS
Mitch Marsh has made 37 from 44 balls since being put down by Abdullah Shafique and is batting Pakistan out of this game.
Marsh is 57 not out from 77 balls, while Steve Smith goes to tea unbeaten on 26.
From 4-16, this pair has put on 91 runs — albeit with a lot of help from Pakistan’s fielders.
Michael Vaughan warned Pakistan the Test could be out of reach midway through the third session unless Shan Masood can rally his troops.
“He's got to convince them that the next hour is the key. If they try and save it to the last 30-40 minutes of the session, it’s going to be too late,” Vaughan said on Fox Cricket.
2.49PM: MARSH SURVIVES DRS BY INCHES
Hasan Ali gets a ball to nip back at Mitch Marsh who is struck on the pads without offering a shot.
Pakistan reviews a not out call and Marsh only gets away with it on umpire’s call.
Another lucky break for the Aussie No.6.
The lead continues to grow and get towards dangerous territory for Pakistan.
2.34PM: ANOTHER FIRST SLIP DISASTER
Oh no. Abdullah Shafique has done it again.
Mitch Marsh edges Jamal at a perfect height for catching and Shaffique puts down another sitter.
“The Test match was on that catch. You have to take it,” says Kerry O’Keeffe on Fox Cricket.
To make matters worse, Shan Masood misfields the next ball and it runs away for four.
“Should be 5-46,” says Mark Waugh.
Waugh says Pakistan needs to save Shafique and get him out of the cordon.
“I think you’ve got to get Shaffique out of there,” he said.
“He has not looked like catching one all series. He’s hung on to one, only just.
“And at some stage you’ve got to get the hook out and say, ‘out of there son’.
“It’s just like a crocodile jaw trying to catch a ball. It’s unfortunate but you’ve got to get him out of there.
“His confidence is so low at the moment.”
On Channel 7, Waqar Younis says: “This might be the moment that Pakistan miss. This was a big, big opportunity which Abdullah Shafique, who is not having a great time in the slips, and this might be the difference between winning and losing this game.
“Pakistan fought so, so hard through all of this match and that catch might cost them this match. Might. They have to catch easy, this was easy for Abdullah Shafique who is having a horror time in the slips.”
Shafique has dropped four catches in four innings in this series, three of which have been in the slips.
Marsh was on 20 from 33 balls when he was dropped.
As bad as it gets. 😬ðŸðŸ‘‡ pic.twitter.com/V1V1ububGi
— Telegraph Sport (@telegraph_sport) December 28, 2023
2.10PM: CAN MARSH WRITE ULTIMATE MCG REDEMPTION STORY?
Once seen as a villain at the MCG, Mitch Marsh has a huge opportunity this afternoon to endear himself to the Melbourne faithful.
Marsh had the fans in the palm of his hand yesterday while fielding, even producing a trademark Cristiano Ronaldo ‘siu’.
But he has a much more serious role to play today as Australia tries to build a defendable total.
Earlier, he spoke to Fox Cricket about his Test cricket renaissance.
“The last four or five Tests have been really fun. Being out for four years, you sort of get back into a team and the big thing for me was doing it my way. Go back to when I was a young kid, I was always attacking,” he said.
“If the ball was there to hit for four or six, it normally went. That’s the way I want to do it. And if I fail doing it that way then I can finish knowing that I gave it my all. I’ve got the backing of Ronny (coach Andrew McDonald) and Patty to do that. I’m keen to bat with Heady for a session, that would be fun.”
It is five years since Marsh replaced Peter Handscomb in the Australian team and was booed by the Victorian crowd.
“It was pretty tough at the time,” Marsh said.
“It was a strange day in my career that one. To be honest I probably wouldn’t change it for the world now (with) how things have progressed and where things are at now.
“We had a lot of fun with the crowd yesterday and it’s been an amazing start to the summer.”
On his Ronaldo celebration, Marsh added: “I couldn’t do the (Merv Hughes) stretching because Heady took that over. My nephew Austin loves his soccer. I sort of faked to do it. I didn’t think (the crowd) would realise what it was — they were all over it.
“I saw an opportunity to get them up and about...to be able to enjoy myself in the middle of the MCG. I never really thought I’d be back playing another Boxing Day Test match. So, I certainly had the mentality that I am going to live it up and enjoy...it was an amazing atmosphere yesterday afternoon.”
Marsh and Steve Smith have stemmed the flow of wickets and pushed Australia’s lead beyond 80 runs despite some serious questions being asked by Pakistan.
1.46PM: NO HAT-TRICK
Mitch Marsh lets the hat-trick ball sail through harmlessly outside the off-stump.
WinViz has gone from 80-20 in Australia’s favour to 53-47.
1.43PM: HEAD BOWLED FIRST BALL!
Absolute carnage at the MCG!
Hamza gets the ball to tail back to Travis Head who plays all around it and he’s on a hat-trick.
Australia is 4-16.
“Australia under all sorts of pressure. It’s been a long time since they’ve felt this on home soil,” says Adam Gilchrist on Fox Cricket.
“That is bowling perfection. Completely deceived Travis Head.”
1.41PM: WICKET! WARNER DRAGS ON
David Warner’s time as a Test batter at the MCG is over.
Mir Hamza drops short and Warner gets a bottom edge on an attempted pull shot onto the stumps.
Australia is in all sorts at 3-16, leading by 70 runs.
“They are right in the hunt here,” says Adam Gilchrist on Fox Cricket.
Thanks, Dave 👠pic.twitter.com/liDZbzKAnH
— Melbourne Cricket Ground (@MCG) December 28, 2023
SECOND SESSION UNDERWAY — AUSTRALIA RESUMES AT 2-6
The second session of day three was delayed a few minutes due to third umpire Richard Illingworth getting stuck in a lift.
Players and umpires gathered in the middle of the MCG and are having a chat as we wait for developments.
“Do you reckon cricket is the number one sport that has stoppages for the most bizarre things?” says Michael Vaughan on Fox Cricket.
“We’ve got a stoppage here because the third umpire is stuck in a lift. You’ve got your two umpires ready to go in the middle, your Pakistan team ready to go, the two batters out there ready to play.
“Everything is ready to go and we have got a third umpire stuck in a lift.”
A wild Richard Illingworth appeared! #AUSvPAKpic.twitter.com/7Rsqci4whn
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 28, 2023
Wasim Akram said he had “never seen anything like this before.”
Play eventually got underway about five minutes late after fourth umpire Phil Gillespie made his way to the third umpire’s area.
Adam Gilchrist added: “He’s still puffing from running up the steps.”
Illingworth appeared and took his position after a few balls.
12.46PM: WICKET! LABUSCHAGNE CAUGHT BEHIND LAST BALL BEFORE LUNCH
What a mini-session for Pakistan.
“Can we produce one piece of magic?” asks Michael Vaughan on Fox Cricket.
It wasn’t necessarily a magic ball, but a magic outcome for Pakistan.
Labuschagne tries to clip a ball off his pads, gets a small edge and Rizwan cleans up down the leg side.
An amazing 15-minute period for Pakistan and Australia is 2-6, leading by 60 runs.
“Pakistan very much back in the game here,” says Wasim Akram.
At lunch, why not have a crack at our Pakistan v Australia quiz?
12.33PM: WICKET! KHAWAJA EDGES BEHIND
What a start by Shaheen!
Second ball of the innings and he gets Khawaja edging a ball that angled in and then went slightly away to get the wicket.
Rizwan did the rest.
Another wicket here and Australia would effectively be 2-54 which would almost put this Test back on an even keel.
“Well, we were just talking about how important it was for (Pakistan) to start well. It’s their main man,” Ricky Ponting says on Channel 7.
“The most experienced fast bowler, Shaheen Afridi. With an absolute peach to Khawaja. Second ball of the innings. Good length. Left him off the wicket. Squared him up.
“Takes the outside edge. Good bowling. Just moved away. Straight forward catch to Rizwan. To the man who has been pumping out (runs), Usman Khawaja is on his way for second ball duck.”
A reminder due to the later start, lunch is due at 12.45pm.
12.20PM: PAKISTAN ALL OUT FOR 264
Sharp work from Alex Carey behind the stumps to catch Mir Hamza on the line and end Pakistan’s innings on 264.
Credit to Aamir Jamal for a fine hand from No.8 — he finishes unbeaten on 33 from 80 balls.
Australia leads by 54 runs.
“Good to get it done (and) hold on to a decent lead. Pretty happy,” Cummins tells Fox Cricket.
“I think I said yesterday, it was pretty tricky that first day or so with the bat. So, I was happy to get 300-odd. Again, any first-innings lead you’re happy with.
“I think the wicket’s in a pretty good position now, so time to cash in.”
12.15PM: WICKET! HIGH FIVE FOR CUMMINS
Pat Cummins you can’t do that to a No.10 batter.
Cummins has the ball talking and gets one to nip back at Hassan Ali that would have skittled most batters.
From outside off it crahses into off-stump and Pakistan is nine down.
Cummins has 5-46 and salutes the MCG crowd.
This is the 10th time Cummins has taken five wickets in Test cricket and second time against Pakistan.
“Whatever he touches turns to gold,” says Isa Guha on Fox Cricket.
“Pat Cummins can do no wrong.”
11.55AM: WICKET! LYON TRAPS SHAHEEN AFTER REVIEW
Shaheen reviews immediately after being given out lbw off Nathan Lyon.
He's a long way back, but it struck him very high on the pad and he’s a big man.
The DRS goes Lyon’s way, showing more than half the ball was striking the top of off-stump.
That was an enterprising innings by the Pakistan No.9, making 21 from 20 balls to bring the deficit to less than 80 runs.
11.40AM: ‘LESSER OF TWO EVILS’ — ACA WEIGHS IN ON JOHNSON
Australian Cricket Association boss Todd Greenberg says Cricket Australia chose “the lesser of two evils” when it cancelled two speaking engagements featuring Mitchell Johnson in Perth.
Johnson was stood down from two lunchtime functions at Optus Stadium, but CA abandoned the plan after the former Test quick’s scathing criticism of Warner in newspaper columns.
At the time, Cricket Australia told this masthead: “Mitchell is one of Australia’s most celebrated bowlers, but we felt on this occasion it was in everyone’s best interests that he was not the guest speaker at the CA functions.”
Greenberg said on Thursday that CA had been backed into a “lose-lose” situation by the volcanic feud.
“It was one of those, I think, lose-lose (situations),” he told SEN.
“If they continue with it they’re going to cop some criticism. If they don’t, they’ll also cop criticism. I think it was the lesser of two evils by the sound of things.”
11.20AM: WICKET! RIZWAN FALLS
There’s the wicket Australia badly wanted this morning.
Mohammad Rizwan falls for 42 after failing keep a drive off Pat Cummins along the ground.
Rizwan tried to pierce the off-side field but bunted the ball to David Warner for a simple catch.
Pakistan still trails by 103 runs and is staring at a significant first-innings deficit now.
Cummins has four wickets and has clearly been the standout of the bowlers from both teams.
“It was a pretty obvious plan and he fell straight into the net,” says Adam Gilchrist on Fox Cricket.
11.10AM: HAZLEWOOD — WHY I WAS HAPPY TO MISS IPL RICHES
After Mitch Starc and Pat Cummins pocketed more than $7m combined, you wonder how their bowling comrade Josh Hazlewood might have felt to miss out on the IPL auction.
The answer? Happy.
Hazlewood, who has played for Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore during his IPL career, is not available for the full IPL tournament.
But he is keeping his options open should a slot become available during the middle of the competition.
“I was happy not to get picked up. The way I was heading with only being available for maybe a month including finals,” he told SEN.
“Hopefully a quick or two go down halfway through and it can open up a window for me to play a part in any team for sort of the last few weeks.”
10.45AM: THE AWKWARD REALITY FOR PAKISTAN’S NEW CAPTAIN
Pakistan’s new Test captain Shan Masood is facing a “big dilemma” two Tests into his leadership, says former Australian batter Simon Katich.
Masood, who averages 28.5 from 32 Tests, has tried to take the game to the Australians and play aggressively — both in Perth and at the MCG.
His tactic worked, to a point, on day two when he dispatched Nathan Lyon during a counterattacking flourish.
But it ultimately brought about Shan’s downfall when he went after Lyon one too many times and skied a catch to Mitch Marsh.
Katich said Shan was in an “unenviable” position where he was the most-vulnerable of Pakistan’s batters to selection pressure.
“The top-four … it’s a class top-four. They can all play,” Katich said on SEN.
“But Shan Masood has got the biggest dilemma because his Test numbers aren’t brilliant, averaging under 30, and he’s trying to play an aggressive style of cricket which isn’t easy to do against this Australian attack in these conditions.”
Damien Fleming said the Pakistan skipper should be batting at No.5.
“I like the attitude. You see Travis Head batting at No.5. I’d like to see Masood there,” Fleming said.
“I tell you what Rizwan is a very good player. I was wondering whether they would play Rizwan and Sarfaraz in the same team in that first Test. If that was to happen I reckon Rizwan could bat three.”
Meanwhile, play is underway on day three with the start only delayed by 15 minutes due to morning rain.
10.20AM: LATEST WEATHER, PLAY UPDATE
If there’s no more rain at the MCG, play will start at 10.45am.
10.10AM: PONTING’S BRUTAL REALITY CHECK FOR OPENING CONTENDER
Ricky Ponting has dished out a brutal reality check for Australian selectors, saying there was “no chance” Cameron Green would open against the West Indies.
As selectors weigh up whether to shoehorn Green into the top of the order of choose one of Cameron Bancroft, Matthew Renshaw or Marcus Harris, Ponting made his preferred option clear.
Asked if Green would succeed Warner after his SCG farewell, Ponting told Channel 7: “No chance. Time to go back and find Australia’s next best opening batsman with the India test series and Ashes in mind.”
9.40AM: PLAY DELAYED
Classic Melbourne! The covers are back on at the MCG as the lightest of rain falls. It’s been confirmed we will have a delayed start to day three
9:35AM: RAIN CLEARS IN MELBOURNE
Signs are looking promising for play this morning at the MCG after overnight and morning rain in Melbourne. The main covers have been taken off and Australia has been warming up as it eyes the last four wickets of Pakistan’s innings. Maybe a bit of juice in the track and humidity in the air will help Australia’s cause.
8AM: PAKISTAN SERIES UNDERPINS BROKEN BARRIERS OF TEST CRICKET
Robert Craddock
When the Pakistan cricket side turned up with gifts for Australia on Christmas Day, it seemed odd that teams about to go into a Boxing Day battle could be so intimate.
Could you imagine Allan Border doing it for Mike Gatting?
But that’s life in modern cricket. Covid togetherness and the Indian Premier League, which has no Pakistan players, has changed everything.
Barriers have been broken down and friendships formed across national lines.
Frenemies have replaced enemies.
It’s happened before, though. Through the years there have been occasions of players from rival nations surviving the hothouse of international cricket to become friends.
Here’s a selection of some of the most noted, and unexpected.
RICHARD HADLEE (NEW ZEALAND)-DEAN JONES (AUSTRALIA):
A story of many threads. Pace great Hadlee dominated Jones in a Test series in the mid-1980s and even branded Jones his bunny. Jones struck back in one-day cricket and they forged a friendship that blossomed through many guest-speaking gigs over the decades. The Hadlees shared Jones’s last Christmas dinner at his Romsey property before his death in 2021 when Sir Richard stirred the pot by giving Jones a Christmas present of a pillow case with a bunny on it.
BRIAN LARA (WEST INDIES)-ANDREW SYMONDS (AUSTRALIA):
Lara flew 10,000km to be present at Symonds’ funeral as a silent tribute to what he called their “developing friendship’’.
“Sometimes you lose relationships with players when you retire,’’ Lara said. “But ours grew and it was not because he forced it or I forced it. It just happened naturally. We were awesome together.’’
MITCH MARSH (AUSTRALIA)-TOM AND SAM CURRAN (ZIMBABWE):
They used to play backyard cricket – and even in hallways – when Mitch’s father Geoff coached Zimbabwe and have remained good mates.
VIRAT KOHLI (INDIA)-AB DE VILLIERS (SOUTH AFRICA):
They played together for Bangalore in the IPL for years and were often seen at breakfast. During Test series between India and South Africa, when one of them peeled away from their home team to talk with the other, teammates occasionally felt a bit left out.
KEITH MILLER (AUSTRALIA)-DENIS COMPTON (ENGLAND):
The two debonair heart-throbs used to love going out together and swapping tales about their deeds in World War II, where Miller was a Mosquito pilot who cheated death on several occasions. Once in Brisbane they were seen leaving the nurses’ quarters at the Royal Brisbane Hospital at 8am the morning of a match.
MARK WAUGH (AUSTRALIA)-KEN RUTHERFORD (NEW ZEALAND):
A mutual love of the racing industry made these two an obvious fit. They used to chat often at Hawkesbury races when Rutherford was club boss and Mark’s wife Kim was racing horses there. Rutherford jokes he likes spending time with Waugh because it makes him feel like a good tipster.
DAVID WARNER (AUSTRALIA)-SHAHEEN SHAH AFRIDI (PAKISTAN):
They got to know each other when they were staying in the same hotel during a Test series in Pakistan. Afridi was known to occasionally wait for Warner at the bottom of a lift to have a chat.
STEVE WAUGH (AUSTRALIA)-RAHUL DRAVID (INDIA):
Test rivals over a long period, they had incredible mutual respect. Waugh enjoyed Dravid’s immaculate technique and his sincerity as a person.
ANDREW FLINTOFF (ENGLAND)-MATT HAYDEN (AUSTRALIA):
Hayden reckons the only cricket deliveries he never actually saw were ones bowled to him in the 2005 Ashes by Flintoff; quick, curling, seaming, brutes of things they were, too. They played together at Chennai in the IPL and Hayden got Flintoff to write the foreword to his book. Hayden reckons the funniest hours of his life came when he was drug-tested in the IPL and Flintoff stayed back to keep him company, spinning yarns about his life.
GLENN MCGRATH (AUSTRALIA)-HEATH STREAK (ZIMBABWE):
They shared a great love of the outdoors and used to go on safaris together.
SHANE WARNE (AUSTRALIA)-KEVIN PIETERSEN (ENGLAND):
Both showmen and entertainers who respected these traits in each other. Warne once wound up Pietersen by telling his Australian teammates to call Pietersen “Kevin’’ rather than KP on the field.
More Coverage
Originally published as Australia v Pakistan: Mitch Marsh dismissed for 96 after leading Australia revival from 4-16
Crash: Why selectors distanced themselves from Smith’s decision
It’s no surprise Australia put a bomb under the plan to make Steve Smith an opener but it was a surprise who lit the fuse, writes ROBERT CRADDOCK.
Teen phenom in Test frame as selectors backflip on Smith plan
The picture for Australia’s first Test team is becoming clearer – with chief selector George Bailey revealing plenty after the announcement of the Australia A squad.