Australia strike twice after setting 490 to win

Pakistan 142 (Sarfraz 59*, Hazlewood 3-22, Bird 3-23, Starc 3-63) and 2 for 70 (Azhar 41*) need 420 runs to beat Australia 429 and 5 for 202 dec (Khawaja 74, Smith 63)Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

There was no mayhem this time, no clatter of wickets in a giddy rush, or frenzied burst of noise from the Gabba’s biggest crowd ever outside the Ashes. Instead Australia steadily and surely placed their foot ever more firmly on the throat of Pakistan, claiming a pair of wickets at the start of their chase of 490 to win.

All of Australia’s bowlers delivered handy spells, Mitchell Starc accounting for Sami Aslam via another excellent catch from the new first slip Matt Renshaw, before Nathan Lyon coaxed another edge to slip, this time from Babar Azam to Steven Smith. 

Lyon’s effort over numerous overs to find exactly the right line, length and pace to deceive Babar, like a destroyer sinking depth charges ever closer to a submarine, was instructive. It showed that Australia had earned themselves plenty of time to make life impossible for each of Pakistan’s batsmen, even if the visitors showed greater discipline in the second innings.

The initial decline to 8 for 67 on the second evening remained a millstone around the necks of Misbah-ul-Haq’s team. Younis Khan …

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