Stumps Australia 187 for 3 (Labuschagne 44*, Khawaja 42, Head 9*, Salman 1-5) vs Pakistan
As had been forecast, bad weather gripped Melbourne in the afternoon with play stopped for almost three hours before restarting late in the day. Only 66 overs were bowled all day, but Australia lost just one wicket in the final session to move into a favourable position.
Smith had moments earlier been given out lbw after being trapped by Shaheen Shah Afridi, but the decision was overturned on review.
Labuschagne, who entered averaging a modest 35 this year, was made to work and by stumps had closed in on his half-century having faced 120 deliveries.
Travis Head finished on 9 not out having survived a nervous moment in the last over when he edged offspinner Salman Agha but captain Shan Masood couldn’t hold on to a tough chance.
Hasan justified his selection and was rewarded by having opener Usman Khawaja caught at second slip for 42 with a delivery that zipped off the wicket.
He bowled in sync with Afridi, who threatened by bowling across right-hand batters Labuschagne and Smith and he occasionally made the ball jump off the pitch.
Their sustained bowling on a good length forced Labuschagne and Smith to be in survival mode. With black clouds hanging over the ground, Labuschagne was clearly displeased about play continuing despite the light towers being switched on.
But rain finally fell to give Australia respite, who only scored 24 runs in 15 overs after lunch.
Australia named an unchanged line-up as they looked to wrap up the series and claim a 16th straight victory on home soil over Pakistan.
Masood had no hesitation to bowl with the MCG in recent Test matches having heavily favoured pace bowling. Australia captain Pat Cummins said he also would have bowled first on a pitch with six to seven millimetres of grass.
Pakistan needed early inroads for a confidence boost, but they started disastrously when opener David Warner was given a life on two after a horrific dropped catch at first slip by Abdullah Shafique. Afridi bowled a gem of a delivery on a length that moved away to catch the edge of a tentative Warner only for Shafique to drop a simple chance that went slowly to his left.
Pakistan’s spirit dropped despite an encouraging new-ball spell from Hamza. Having taken just two wickets in three previous Test matches, Hamza didn’t bowl quickly but impressed by nipping the ball both ways, including bowling several menacing late inswinging yorkers.
But Pakistan’s bowlers weren’t able to consistently hit the right areas as Khawaja and Warner built a 90-run partnership.
But he battled calmly as Australia closed in on a wicketless opening session for the second straight Test match until Warner fell to Salman in the last over before lunch.
In the penultimate match of his illustrious Test career, Warner on 38 drove loosely to be caught at slip and Pakistan continued their momentum after the break.
A crowd of 62,000 fans attended the biggest date of the Australian cricket summer in a figure that surpassed the entire attendance over four days for the rebranded Perth Test.
Tristan Lavalette is a journalist based in Perth
