Cummins scalps 10, Australia seal sequence

Melbourne: Australian captain Pat Cummins took 10 wickets in a masterclass of clutch bowling to finish stout Pakistan resistance and lead his aspect to a 79-run victory on the fourth day of the second Check on Friday, locking up the three-match sequence 2-0.

Simply when it regarded just like the match would go right down to the wire on the ultimate day, the paceman stepped in to take away Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan’s final recognised batsman, and declare his 250th Check wicket.

Cummins (5/49) adopted that up with the wicket of Aamer Jamal for a duck to set off an additional half an hour of play, throughout which he claimed his fifth wicket of the innings and tenth of the match to assist mop up the tail.

It was his second 10-wicket match haul in 57 Exams and concluded an excellent yr by which he led Australia to the World Check Championship, ICC World Cup triumph and the retention of the Ashes in England.

Set an imposing victory goal of 317 runs after bowling Australia out for 262 earlier than lunch on the Melbourne Cricket Floor (MCG), the vacationers had put collectively a sequence of partnerships that pissed off the potent Australian assault.

There have been some dwelling nerves when the final substantial stand of 57 between Rizwan (35) and Agha Salman (50) acquired the goal beneath 100 runs however the match turned for good when Cummins separated the pair.

Pakistan had threatened to take management of the match on a number of events over the primary 4 days solely to let the Australians off the hook.

Fired by an innings of 96 from Mitchell Marsh, Australia had dragged themselves again from 16/4 after lunch on Thursday and resumed on 187/6 on a sunny morning on the MCG.

Wicketkeeper Alex Carey scored 52 to assist prolong the lead earlier than he was trapped leg earlier than by seamer Mir Hamza (4/32) to carry an finish to the innings.

Pakistan had been all the time going to be up in opposition to it given the truth that just one crew had efficiently chased greater than 300 runs within the fourth innings in 146 years of Check matches on the MCG.

The vacationers had been dismissed for 89 within the fourth innings when Australia received the primary Check by 360 runs in Perth and the early indications had been that Melbourne would witness one thing related.

Abdullah Shafique, whose dropped slip catches in each innings had proved vastly expensive to Pakistan, departed for 4 earlier than lunch when he lunged at a Mitchell Starc supply and Usman Khawaja took the catch within the cordon.

Cummins trapped Imam-ul-Haq in entrance for 12 quickly after the resumption however a 61-run partnership between Shan Masood and Babar Azam stalled Australia’s progress.

Once more, Cummins made the breakthrough by inducing Masood into an edge which Steve Smith claimed within the slips with the Pakistan captain on 60.

Babar continued to maintain the scoreboard ticking over however Australia’s bowlers remained affected person as they focused the highest of his off stump and Josh Hazlewood acquired the reward when he nipped one again to bowl the Pakistan dangerman for 41.

Pakistan began placing collectively one other partnership but it surely was value solely 16 runs when Starc (4/55) despatched down a supply that grew large on Saud Shakeel, who top-edged it behind to Carey for twenty-four with Pakistan nonetheless 155 runs from their goal.