Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi and Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne had been concerned in a heated trade on Day 1 of the continuing Boxing Day Check on the Melbourne Cricket Floor on Tuesday. Shaheen was seen sledging Labuschagne early within the second session because the Australian batter survived a fiery spell from Pakistan’s tempo ace. Shaheen confirmed a little bit of aggression, attempting to rattle Labuschagne, who confirmed nice composure early on in his innings. A number of photos and movies of their intense battle have gone viral on social media.
— Mad Max (@MadMax59z) December 26, 2023
Shaheen Afridi X Marnus Labuschagne , that is the aggression that’s wanted. Missed this shaheen since ages Welcome Again Sheenu
|| #PAKvsAUS || #AUSvPAK || #Shaheen || pic.twitter.com/2R1zKesBoU— Haris Arshad (@harris00071) December 26, 2023
Pakistan eliminated openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja on day one of many second Check in Melbourne to depart the match finely poised earlier than rain arrived and tea was taken early on Tuesday.
On the break, the hosts had been 114-2 with Marnus Labuschagne on 14 and Steve Smith not out two.
Pakistan’s bowlers did earn some reward, with Warner gone for 38 on the stroke of lunch, snapping a 90-run partnership with Khawaja that was wanting ominous.
They saved the stress on after they returned, with Khawaja departing for 42 earlier than Labuschagne and Smith dug in to climate some testing bowling, with runs onerous to return by.
The hosts want to seal the three-Check sequence after thumping the guests by 360 runs in Perth, and made a strong begin.
Pakistan captain Shan Masood received the toss and opted to bowl with the pitch showing to swimsuit the seamers on an overcast day.
Spearheaded by Shaheen, they discovered loads of motion, however didn’t take their probabilities early on with Warner dropped on two by Abdullah Shafique, who put down a regulation catch at second slip.
Warner, who made 164 within the first innings at Perth in his farewell Check sequence, was additionally lucky to get away with an edge that sailed over the slips for a boundary on 17.
However his luck ran out with a rash shot off part-time spinner Agha Salman within the last over earlier than lunch, with Babar Azam holding a catch at slip off a thick outdoors edge.
Warner’s long-time opening companion Khawaja has been embroiled in a dispute with the Worldwide Cricket Council over how he can carry consideration to the humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
He was denied a bid to show a sticker displaying a black dove holding an olive department on his bat and as an alternative walked out with the names of his daughters on his footwear.
The 37-year-old hit a boundary off the second ball he confronted to get off the mark, and two extra fours within the first over after the drinks break saved the scoreboard ticking over.
However simply as he regarded destined for a giant rating, Hasan Ali drew an edge that Salman took effectively within the slips to depart Australia on 108-2.
With darkish clouds overhead, the lights had been turned on mid-afternoon with Labuschagne and Smith in survival mode because the bowlers turned the screws earlier than the rain arrived.
Shaheen may’ve had wicket early on within the match however Abdullah Shafique dropped Warner within the slips.
(With AFP Inputs)
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