CAIRNS: Pakistan’s cricket tour of Australia got off to a shaky start on Thursday when the visitors were all out for 208 on the first day of a three-day tour match against a Cricket Australia XI.

Playing with a near full-strength line-up and with a pink ball in the day-night match in preparation for the first Test on Dec 15 in Brisbane also a day-night encounter Pakistan lost six wickets in the final session under lights at the Cazaly’s Stadium.

But Pakistan’s bowlers got their side back in the match, taking four wickets for just three runs in three overs at the start of the Cricket Australia XI innings.

Mohammad Amir swung the ball back to claim wickets on the first two balls of the innings and another in his second over, while fellow left-arm quickie Rahat Ali also took a wicket in his opening over.

Cricket Australia XI seam bowler Cameron Valente claimed four wickets, including three of Pakistan’s top six.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, the visitors fell to 50-3 midway through the opening session, and wickets went down steadily from there.

Only veteran Younis Khan offered sustained resistance, facing 138 balls and striking four fours before he inside-edged a ball from Ryan Lees that swung back slightly under lights to be caught behind for 54. He was the only Pakistan batsman to reach 50.

Wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed made a crisp 39 from 65 deliveries with four boundaries, while opener Azhar Ali (23) and skipper Misbah-ul-Haq (20) were the two batsmen to make 20 or more. Pakistan have never won a Test series in Australia, winning just four of 32 Test matches since their first visit in 1964.

Australia have won just one of their past six Tests. The home side is coming off consecutive One-day International wins over New Zealand to clinch that three-match series ahead of the final match on Friday in Melbourne.

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN (1st Innings):

Sami Aslam b Wheatley 10

Azhar Ali c Winter b Valente 23

Babar Azam c Winter b Steketee 16

Younis Khan c Inglis b Lees 54

Misbah-ul-Haq c Inglis b Valente 20

Asad Shafiq b Valente 18

Sarfraz Ahmed c Wheatley b Steketee 39

Mohammad Nawaz b Nair 4

Wahab Riaz lbw b Steketee 16

Mohammad Amir c Inglis b Valente 0

Rahat Ali not out 2

EXTRAS (LB-6) 6

TOTAL (all out, 84.5 overs) 208

FALL OF WKTS: 1-21, 2-42, 3-50, 4-88, 5-130, 6-150, 7-177, 8-201, 9-202.

BOWLING: Steketee 19.5-8-47-3; Wheatley 13-4-38-1; Lees 15-7-24-1; Valente 18-6-36-4; Nair 15-4-36-1; Short 4-0-21-0.

CRICKET AUSTRALIA XI (1st Innings):

J.J. Pierson b Amir 0

J.M. Carder c Azhar b Rahat 0

W.G. Bosisto lbw b Amir 0

M.W. Short not out 1

J.L. Winter b Amir 2

EXTRAS 0

TOTAL (for four wkts, 3 overs) 3

FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-0, 3-0, 4-3.

TO BAT: A.J. Nair, J.P. Inglis, C. Valente, M.T. Steketee, R.A. Lees, C. Wheatley.

BOWLING (to-date): Mohammad Amir 2-1-3-3; Rahat Ali 1-1-0-1

UMPIRES: G.A. Abood and S.A.J. Craig.

MATCH REFEREE: P.L. Marshall.

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2016