Boxing Day Test day one: ‘Very happy’ Aussies survive scary period as Smith cops yet another brutally close review
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The message delivered to Pakistan leading into the Boxing Day Test at the MCG could not have been clearer. Stick with Australia early on. Stare them in the eye. Take the game to the hosts in the opening session. Keep the pressure on.
Former Australian captain Greg Chappell declared it. So, too, leg-spinner Kerry O’Keeffe and Mike Hussey, who was elevated into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame on Tuesday.
Those banging on the drums about the importance of starting fast against Australia delivered their message as loudly as the thunder accompanying the heavy rain that hit the MCG midway through the opening day of the Test, causing a lengthy delay.
But for the second Test in succession, Pakistan missed the starting pistol with dropped catches and wayward bowling, once again surrendering the early advantage to Australia on a testing day for batsmen given the weather conditions on Boxing Day.
Perhaps Australia’s only concern is that Steve Smith’s struggle for form, by his lofty standards, continued, with the No. 4 losing his wicket in the final session of the day for 26.
At stumps on a day where play extended to 7pm to cater for the overs lost in the middle of the day, Australia was at 3-187, with Marnus Labuschagne not out on 44 and Travis Head unbeaten on nine.
While showers are predicted for the opening session on Day 2, play is scheduled to start at 10am at the MCG.
Pakistan won the toss and sent the hosts into bat. It seems likely Pat Cummins would have done the same if the coin flip had fallen Australia’s way given the state of affairs at the MCG.
The conditions were made to order for Pakistan to seize the upper-hand. The sky was grey, with doom and gloom predicted for later in the day. The Kookaburra was swinging. Shaheen Shah Afridi looked on point initially and so, too, Mir Hazam.
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