On the second day of Australia vs. Pakistan’s third Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground, rain had a cruel joke.
With only 46 overs bowled on the second day, early stumps were called. Australia is now behind by 197 runs, and the match is evenly balanced. Usman Khawaja and David Warner, the opening pair, got things off to a great start, scoring 70 runs together to give the hosts much-needed momentum.
Warner was also fortunate with the bat in what turned out to be his final red-ball game of the season. Saim Ayub lost a simple catch to give the southpaw a lifeline in the third Test after Abdullah Shafique dropped him at slip in the second in Melbourne. But Agha Salman defeated the 37-year-old at 34, so he was unable to capitalize.
On the second day, Usman Khawaja appeared to be quite strong at the bat, but he was dismissed for 47 after nicking one off Aamer Jamal to Mohammad Rizwan. After that, Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith assumed charge of the circumstances. The couple appeared to be getting along well before poor lighting ended the Sydney play and rain then followed.
It appeared like Pakistan was lacking a reliable pacer for the series. It seems that they were not really missing Shaheen Shah Afridi in Sydney when he appeared pale in the first and second Test matches. His replacement in the playing XI, Sajid Khan, was unable to make an impression as he did not take any wickets. The only guy who appeared dangerous was Jamal, but the bowling side as a whole still has a lot of space to grow.
In order to put Pakistan under strain, the hosts plan to grab the lead on Day 3. The Shan Masood-captained team is still very much in the game, and a few wickets could change the result. As the visiting side trails 2-0 in the series, they will need to pull together to help the bowling unit perform at its peak and the fielders show up for the game.
This is how Twitter responded:
Just change to a pink ball and carry on .. Test cricket continues to shoot itself in the foot .. https://t.co/Z2zs0h9ttf
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) January 4, 2024
Pakistan need to be careful about being too hospitable to the opposition. It is ten days since Christmas, when they distributed gifts to the Aussies, and they are still giving them out in the field
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) January 4, 2024
Aamir Jamal Decided to bowl without having a bowl in hand 😲
Ninja technique that will prevent you from bashing invented Jamal 😁#AUSvPAK #Babar #Gill #Iyer #SAvIND #PAKvAUS #DavidWarner #Dropped #CricketTwitterpic.twitter.com/7LsvJhL3Ze
— Sujeet Suman (@sujeetsuman1991) January 4, 2024
STUMPS: Play has been abandoned for today.
Play will resume at 10:00am tomorrow #AUSvPAK
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 4, 2024
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Definition of Insanity is doing the same thing over & over again expecting a different result. Always Rains in January yet the Test always gets scheduled in January! How many weather affected days are we up to now in the last decade? I need more than my fingers & toes. #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/wi2JMFTsF2
— Jordan Bengtson 🇦🇺 (@jordybengtson) January 4, 2024
India
