Warner, Burns lead Australia charge to leave Pakistan struggling

Published November 23, 2019
PAKISTAN paceman Naseem Shah celebrates the wicket of Australian opener David Warner before the lbw decision was overturned due to a no-ball during the first Test at the Gabba on Friday.—AP
PAKISTAN paceman Naseem Shah celebrates the wicket of Australian opener David Warner before the lbw decision was overturned due to a no-ball during the first Test at the Gabba on Friday.—AP

BRISBANE: David Warner scored his first century since returning from his ball-tampering ban to drive Australia to a first-innings lead of 72 runs over Pakistan with nine wickets still in hand on the second day of the opening Test at the Gabba on Friday.

The 33-year-old opener finished another sunny day in Brisbane on 151 not out off 265 deliveries while sharing a formidable first-wicket partnership of 222 with Joe Burns before Australia went to stumps at 312 for one in reply to Pakistan’s first-innings score of 240.

Hometown hero Marnus Labuschagne — who was real find of this year’s Ashes tour — will also resume on Saturday unbeaten on 55 after notching his sixth Test half century, with the redoubtable Steve Smith the next batsman up and the hosts looking to bat their opponents out of the contest on a good Gabba track.

Warner’s path to his 22nd century was not entirely smooth and he benefited from a reprieve on 56 when he was caught behind off the bowling of teenaged Test debutant Nasim Shah. The 16-year-old schoolboy’s celebrations of his maiden international wicket were abruptly curtailed, however, when television pictures showed he had overstepped the mark.

Warner returned to the crease only to endure another scare on 93 when he was inches from being run out by a direct hit from Yasir Shah fielding in the deep.

There was a nervous wait on 99 over the tea break before he finally reached cricket’s most significant milestone for the first time in nearly two years with a single clipped off his hips.

While Warner’s celebration of his half-century earlier in the day had been muted, the left-hander’s delight at the hundred was palpable as he leapt into the air in trademark fashion and kissed the badge on his helmet.

The 33-year-old, who managed just 95 runs in 10 innings during this year’s Ashes series against England, reached the coveted milestone when he turned Yasir around the corner for a single in the second over after tea.

Before the Ashes, he spent a year in the wilderness over the ball-tampering scandal and there were questions as to whether his days as an automatic choice at the top of the order were over.

However, in home conditions and against an attack that struggled for sideways movement, Warner was in imperious form as he brought up his fourth Test century at the Gabba.

“For me it’s about going out there and backing my ability,” he said, insisting he never felt any pressure about his place in the side. “At the end of the day you get selected or you don’t get selected and you’ve just got to accept that.”

In the second last over of the day, Warner had another close shave when he was beaten by an Imran Khan delivery that brushed the off stump without disturbing the bails.

“Today I was on the receiving end of a bit of luck, which is what you need in a game — over there [in England] I didn’t get any luck at all,” he said.

The right-handed Burns, playing his first Test since February, also had a point to prove after being dropped for the Ashes series and it looked like he would join his opening partner with a century of his own on his home ground.

He fell three runs short, however, when Yasir’s leg breaks finally earned Pakistan a breakthrough, Burns trapped attempting a sweep and playing on around his legs to depart for 97 and end his marathon stand with Warner.

Warner had yet another scare late in the day when an Imran Khan delivery clipped his off stump without dislodging the bails.

Pakistan may have been ruing the decision to leave out experienced seamer Mohammad Abbas and pick two fast-bowling teenagers in Nasim and Shaheen Shah Afridi alongside the 32-year-old Imran Khan.

Nasim, who ended the day with figures of 0-65, did show why he had been awarded his first Test cap at such a tender age with some genuine pace-bowling in his 16 overs but it looked a long way back for the tourists at the close of play. He looked like he belonged on the big stage with a number of bristling spells before leaving the field late in the day with an apparent leg injury.

“He won’t get a harder Test debut, bowling at the Gabba,” Warner said. “He kept his speed up the whole day — he charged in all day, there’s a [future] superstar there.”

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN (1st Innings) 240 (Asad Shafiq 76; M.A. Starc 4-52, P.J. Cummins 3-60).

AUSTRALIA (1st Innings): D.A. Warner not out 151
J.A. Burns b Yasir 97
M. Labuschagne not out 55
EXTRAS (B-2, LB-4, NB-3) 9
TOTAL (for one wkt, 87 overs) 312
FALL OF WKT: 1-222. TO BAT: S.P.D. Smith, T.M. Head, M.S. Wade, T.D. Paine, P.J. Cummins, M.A. Starc, N.M. Lyon, J.R. Hazlewood.
BOWLING (to-date): Shaheen Shah Afridi 18-5-44-0 (2nb); Imran Khan 12-1-43-0; Nasim 16-0-65-0 (1nb); Iftikhar Ahmed 6-0-26-0; Yasir Shah 28-1-101-1; Haris Sohail 7-0-27-0.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2019

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