Geoff Lemon's Blog, page 67

Hopes are again high but history says New Zealand will choke in Australia | Geoff Lemon

The Kiwis will venture across the Tasman full of confidence for their Test series against Australia. But on past experience, this New Zealand team will suffer stage fright like the ones before

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Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. A spirited group of New Zealanders have strung together some impressive Test results. They are punching above their weight on the ICC world rankings, and similarly global admiration for their leader. They have a reputation for decency and decorum while playing a tough and skilful game. They are perfectly placed to come to Australia and win for the first time since Richard Hadlee was running amok and The Cure started becoming a mainstream hit.

The sentiments above have been broadly expressed over the past couple of weeks. They could equally have been copy-pasted back four years to the November of 2015, the last time that New Zealand reached the final stages of preparation for an Australian tour.

Related: Drawn second Test hands New Zealand 1-0 series win over England

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Like the greats before him, David Warner's triple century was a giant feat in a dull game | Geoff Lemon

By their very nature, huge individual scores tend to come in one-sided matches or tedious draws on flat pitches

When David Warner made his unbeaten 335 in Adelaide, a fair few people felt inclined to present some caveats. The pitch was flat, the bowlers were no good, the ball didn’t swing, Mercury was in retrograde. Those opinions would hardly have been muffled when the Pakistan tail-ender Yasir Shah made his first Test ton in reply, having never previously passed 50.

In a deeply surprising result, though, it turns out that all triple centuries tend to get made in conditions favourable to batting. This is a bit like the 100m sprint record not tending to be set uphill. Almost by definition, if one batsman can make 300 runs on his own, the bowling and the fielding can’t have been all that good.

Related: Rory Burns leads England fightback with 'bittersweet' century

Related: Sir Garfield Sobers: if you could watch only one batsman, it would be him | Mike Selvey

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Australia v Pakistan: second Test, day two – as it happened

Pakistan 6-96 trail Australia 3-589 (declared) by 493 runsDavid Warner hits record-beating 335*, Starc skittles Pakistan

11.04am GMT

Related: David Warner passes Bradman, but Test win the priority for Paine

11.02am GMT

35th over: Pakistan 96-6 (Babar 43, Yasir 4) Yasir plays out the last over from Cummins, and that’s the end of a spectacular day’s play. David Warner laced an awesome 335 not out, the highest Test score on this ground, and then Australia’s ruthless pace attack went to work under the lights. Barring an apocalypse, or even the apocalypse, Australia will win this game at a canter. Thanks for your company and emails - goodnight.

10.56am GMT

34th over: Pakistan 91-6 (Babar 42, Yasir 0) Yasir somehow survives Starc’s over, although he could have been out to at least four of the six deliveries. There will time for one more over before stumps.

10.53am GMT

Yasir is not out! Australia lose their last review. Starc bowled around the wicket to Yasir, who pushed at a short ball as it flew down the leg side. There was a noise, which is why everyone thought it was out, but replays showed the ball hit Yasir on the hip. Excellent umpiring from Michael Gough.

10.52am GMT

Australia review for caught behind against Yasir! I reckon this will be out.

10.50am GMT

33rd over: Pakistan 91-6 (Babar 42, Yasir 0) Babar is beaten by a cracker from Cummins, which pitches just outside off and straightens sharply.

“Trying to get my head round the state of play,” says Pete Salmon. “Any news from the WinViz predictor?”

10.46am GMT

32nd over: Pakistan 89-6 (Babar 40, Yasir 0) A double-wicket maiden for Mitchell Starc, whose figures are 14-4-22-4. It’s probably fair to opine that he is back in form.

10.44am GMT

Starc has his fourth wicket! He has been electric this evening. Mohammad Rizwan, who played so well at Brisbane, chased a wide one and was caught behind for a third-ball duck. Babar Azam is all alone on the burning deck.

10.40am GMT

Brilliant catch from Tim Paine! Iftikhar plays his latest and last loose stroke outside off stump, flashing at a short one from Starc, and Paine dives in front of first slip to take a one-handed blinder.

10.38am GMT

31st over: Pakistan 89-4 (Babar 40, Iftikhar 10) Babar squirts Cummins through backward point for a couple. The commentators aren’t happy with Australia’s passive-aggressive fields, with a deep point and only one slip for Babar. I’ll leave with you: I can see both sides.

10.34am GMT

30th over: Pakistan 87-4 (Babar 38, Iftikhar 10) Australia’s bowlers have been very chirpy towards Iftikhar in particular. Perhaps they’re reminding him that this 10 not out is the highest score of his burgeoning Test career.

10.29am GMT

29th over: Pakistan 84-4 (Babar 36, Iftikhar 9) Cummins replaces Hazlewood (8-2-29-1) and is cuffed through the covers for four by Iftikhar. He doesn’t look convincing, but at least he’s trying to put some pressure on the Australian bowlers.

“Do you think if you keep saying ‘supracaudal gland’ you might get some anatomy-related commissions?” says Eamonn Maloney. “Ever MBMed a surgical procedure?”

10.24am GMT

28th over: Pakistan 80-4 (Babar 36, Iftikhar 5) Pakistan have just under 40 minutes to survive until the close. Iftikhar has the windiest of woofs at Starc and is beaten again; he is struggling.

10.20am GMT

27th over: Pakistan 79-4 (Babar 36, Iftikhar 4) A quiet over from Hazlewood - two from it.

10.16am GMT

26th over: Pakistan 77-4 (Babar 34, Iftikhar 4) Iftikhar tries to uppercut a wide one from Starc and is beaten. He edges a fuller, follow-up delivery on the bounce to second slip. The Pakistan batsmen, Babar and Masood excepted, have been very loose this evening. In their defence, the Australian fast bowling has been relentless.

10.11am GMT

25th over: Pakistan 76-4 (Babar 33, Iftikhar 4) Babar drives Hazlewood down the ground for three. It was in the air but Hazlewood was unable to reach it in his follow through. Iftikhar then gets off the mark with a punchy drive for four.

10.07am GMT

24th over: Pakistan 69-4 (Babar 30, Iftikhar 0) Starc’s figures reflect an excellent performance: 8-3-17-2.

10.04am GMT

Asad Shafiq’s miserable struggle is over. The ball after edging Starc for four, he snicked a good delivery through to the keeper. Australia are into the supracaudal gland.

10.01am GMT

23rd over: Pakistan 65-3 (Babar 30, Shafiq 5) Babar is beaten, playing an unbecoming stroke at Hazlewood. He upbraids himself internally and then flicks imperiously to the midwicket boundary. A lively over concludes when Babar plays a defensive stroke that kicks up to hit him on the chin. He’s fine.

9.54am GMT

22nd over: Pakistan 61-3 (Babar 26, Shafiq 5) Starc replaces Cummins. His second ball beats Asad, who continues to flirt fecklessly outside off stump. There are 19 overs remaining today, and it’s time for drinks.

9.48am GMT

21st over: Pakistan 59-3 (Babar 25, Shafiq 4) Babar times consecutive boundaries off Hazlewood, an elegant cover drive followed by a clip through square leg. He’s playing on a different pitch - or, rather, in a different twilight - to all the other Pakistan batsmen. He bats with such grace and serenity, and to hell with the fact his team are getting stuffed.

“As a fan of proper cricket got to say I’m disappointed by Warner’s lack of runs in the V,” says Pete Salmon. “Should be straight in the nets after play and concentrate on keeping that elbow pointing skywards. Plenty of room for improvement.”

9.44am GMT

20th over: Pakistan 51-3 (Babar 17, Shafiq 4) Babar Azam is Pakistan’s best player, by a distance. His overall Test record (1345 runs at 36.59) doesn’t do him justice, but he averages 52 in the last couple of years. He looks comfortable at the crease. Shafiq does not, at least not yet, and he edges Cummins’ last delivery a fraction short of Wade in the slips.

9.39am GMT

19th over: Pakistan 48-3 (Babar 14, Shafiq 4) Babar drives Hazlewood majestically through mid-off for four. I was going to say he’s a beautiful player, but I was always taught not to state the bleedin’ obvious.

9.36am GMT

18th over: Pakistan 43-3 (Babar 9, Shafiq 4) These two are Pakistan’s best players, so Australia will feel they are one wicket away, if not from the tail then at least the supracaudal gland. They almost get it when Shafiq edges his second ball just wide of the diving Labuschagne at third slip.

9.31am GMT

17th over: Pakistan 38-3 (Babar 8, Shafiq 0) This could get pretty messy for Pakistan.

9.30am GMT

Shan Masood has gone, caught behind off Josh Hazlewood. Having left the ball beautifully throughout his innings, Masood felt for a good delivery outside off stump that straightened just enough to take a thin outside edge on its way through to Tim Paine.

One for Starc, one for Cummins, and now one for Hazlewood!#AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/uMDLkZ1RRX

9.24am GMT

16th over: Pakistan 38-2 (Masood 19, Babar 8) Babar Azam is beaten, fencing at another good delivery from Cummins. This is a nice contest between two of the world’s best cricketers. When Cummins slips one full and wide, Babar clatters it to the cover boundary.

An extraordinary innings from Warner. Hardly played down the ground & scored more than half his runs through point & covers region. Only 3.6% runs came in the 'V' down the wicket. Of all double hundreds in our database since 2006, this is the lowest in the straight 'V'. #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/tQWD4S5EGU

9.20am GMT

15th over: Pakistan 34-2 (Masood 19, Babar 4) Masood plays a defensive stroke off Hazlewood, with the ball getting stuck behind the flap of his pad. Warner grabs the ball and launches into a mock-appeal. The next ball, the last of the over, zips past the edge. The pink ball is starting to talk under the lights.

9.18am GMT

14th over: Pakistan 34-2 (Masood 19, Babar 4) A half-volley from Cummins is flicked sweetly to the square-leg boundary by Masood, who is playing with calm authority. Babar Azam drives classily for four to get off the mark; Cummins responds with a peach that squares Babar up and goes past the edge.

9.11am GMT

13th over: Pakistan 25-2 (Masood 14, Babar 0) Josh Hazlewood replaces Mitchell Starc, who bowled a good opening spell of 6-3-11-1. A quiet over to start.

“Morning Rob,” says Brian Withington. “That Warner scoring sequence could perhaps also be captured algebraically in the expression: 2 x K >> 10 x D (although it should be noted that this does not apply to freaks of nature like Steve Smith for whom 8 x D is greater than England’s entire team).”

9.05am GMT

12th over: Pakistan 22-2 (Masood 11, Babar 0) Babar Azam has been promoted to No4.

9.05am GMT

Steve Smith takes a splendid catch to get rid of the Pakistan captain Azhar Ali. He edged a fullish delivery from Cummins low to second slip, where Smith moved smartly to grab the ball with both hands just below the ground. The umpires went upstairs to confirm it had carried, and replays confirmed it was a clean take. And a darned good one.

8.58am GMT

11th over: Pakistan 21-1 (Masood 10, Azhar 9) Azhar Ali has a fine record against the Aussies, with an average of 55. That includes an unbeaten double hundred at the MCG three years ago. He digs out a yorker from Starc, and that’s all she wrote.

8.54am GMT

10th over: Pakistan 20-1 (Masood 9, Azhar 9) Cummins is too straight to Azhar Ali, who times him crisply through midwicket for the first boundary of the innings. These two, probably Pakistan’s most patient batsmen, are playing nicely.

8.48am GMT

9th over: Pakistan 15-1 (Masood 8, Azhar 5) Masood works a short one from Starc off the breast for a couple and then drives pleasantly for three. There hasn’t been much movement for the quicks, although that may change when we enter the twilight zone.

8.43am GMT

8th over: Pakistan 9-1 (Masood 3, Azhar 4) Shan Masood continues to leave well against Cummins, although he needs to be careful with the angle from around the wicket. He waves a slightly unconvincing drive into the covers for two off the fifth delivery of the over.

8.39am GMT

7th over: Pakistan 7-1 (Masood 1, Azhar 4) Starc resumes after dinner, and concedes his first runs of the innings when Azhar drives through mid-off for a couple. And why not?

“Was that declaration by Tim Paine really necessary?” says Kaushik Sarvadey. “I suppose the urgency was not required because the Aussies had plenty of time.”

8.05am GMT

“Morning/evening, Rob,” says David Horn. “Impressive though your Countdown ability is, Warner’s scores post-reintegration are more reminiscent of Numberwang.”

7.56am GMT

6th over: Pakistan 3-1 (Masood 1, Azhar 0) Masood continues to leave as much as possible, mainly on line. Cummins moves around the wicket as a result and has a huge shout for LBW turned down by Michael Gough. That looked very close, but Australia only have one review remaining and Tim Paine decides not to risk it.

That was the last ball of the session. It’s been an agreeable day for Australia: David Warner made 335 not out, the highest Test score at the Adelaide Oval, before Mitchell Starc ripped out Imam-ul-Haq. See you in 40 minutes for the twilight session.

7.50am GMT

5th over: Pakistan 3-1 (Masood 1, Azhar 0) A wicket maiden from Starc, whose figures are 3-3-0-1.

7.47am GMT

That’ll do. Imam, softened up by a nasty short ball, edges a good one from Starc straight to Warner in the gully. Australia’s bowlers have started ruthlessly, and that wicket comes as no surprise.

7.44am GMT

4th over: Pakistan 3-0 (Masood 1, Imam 2) Masood gets off the mark from his 10th delivery, flicking Cummins for a single. He and Imam are constructing their innings on a need-to-play basis, with a clear plan to leave anything even slightly outside off stump.

7.41am GMT

3rd over: Pakistan 1-0 (Masood 0, Imam 1) Starc is already close to 150kph, and bowls a second maiden - this time to the strokeless Imam-ul-Haq. Pakistan’s openers are ready for their supper.

7.35am GMT

2nd over: Pakistan 1-0 (Masood 0, Imam 1) Imam gets off the mark with a dodgy single off Cummins. Shan Masood, who was slow to respond, would have been out with a direct hit from Head in the covers. Cummins ends an excellent over by ripping one past Masood’s outside edge. This has been a ferocious start from the Australian bowlers.

“I think the equation could be simplified,” says Rowan Sweeney. “Warner - Stuart Broad = 335.”

7.33am GMT

IMAM IS NOT OUT! Australia lose a review. It was a good delivery from Cummins, bowling over the wicket to Imam. It would certainly have hit the stumps - but replays showed it pitched outside leg.

7.32am GMT

AUSTRALIA REVIEW FOR LBW AGAINST IMAM! I think this pitched outside leg.

7.31am GMT

1st over: Pakistan 0-0 (Masood 0, Imam 0) “Evening Rob,” says Phil Withall. “Looking at Warner’s scores since his return to Test cricket made me wish they’d had a numbers round in Extreme Countdown...”

Arf. I think you can get 335 by using all his Ashes scores: 61 x 5 + 11 + 3 + (8x2) + 0 + 0 + 0 = 335.

7.29am GMT

Shan Masood is given out LBW - but the decision is overturned on review. There was a faint inside-edge, although strangely Masood only reviewed after 13 or 14 seconds.

7.24am GMT

Mitchell Starc will open the bowling. There’s just under half an hour before the dinner break.

7.21am GMT

Warner’s innings in full

335* from 418 balls, with 39 fours, one six - and, as Damien McLean pointed out a few overs ago, umpteen quick singles. Warner? Phwoarner more like!

7.16am GMT

We'd say you have plenty of patience @davidwarner31 pic.twitter.com/hRKoFTtRvy

Seeing Warner's celebrations and feeling bad that Imran Tahir never got a 300

7.16am GMT

So, what did you do at the weekend? David Warner made 335 not out.

7.15am GMT

Warner’s scores since his return to Test cricket looks like the kind of maths puzzle even Max Fischer couldn’t solve: 2, 8, 3, 5, 61, 0, 0, 0, 5, 11, 154, 335*.

7.15am GMT

127th over: Australia 589-3 declared (Warner 335, Wade 38) Warner waves Iftikhar for a single to move to 335, the second highest score in Australian Test history, and Tim Paine decides to leave it at that. Warner walks off to a standing ovation from the crowd and a guard of honour from his team-mates. After all he’s been through in the last couple of years, that is a thoroughly lovely moment.

7.10am GMT

126th over: Australia 582-3 (Warner 330, Wade 36) No sign of a declaration, which suggests Australia will bat on after tea. The 400 might actually be on. For now, Warner is five away from the second highest Test score for Australia - Don Bradman and Mark Taylor, famously, both made 334.

“I’ve got to say, it’s been a privilege to watch this whole knock live,” says Damien McLean. “Say what you will about this Pakistani attack, but you still have to make the runs. This hasn’t been the Warner I’ve watched in the past, who used to make a hundred then just try and hit the bowlers out of the park. Great to see what he can do when he puts his mind to playing long. The running between the wickets has been the highlight for me; running as hard now as early yesterday.”

7.06am GMT

125th over: Australia 579-3 (Warner 329, Wade 34) “Good morning,” says Matt. “So I am following the match, still learning about the sport, and my question is how many days long is a match?”

A Test match is usually scheduled to last five days, but sometimes it’s four. And some of them finish in three or even days. There are also one-day matches, but they occasionally go to a second day. Confused? Splendid. Now lie down on the couch and tell me about your schooldays.

7.02am GMT

124th over: Australia 574-3 (Warner 325, Wade 33) Musa Khan returns to the attack, the poor sod. Five from the over.

6.58am GMT

123rd over: Australia 569-3 (Warner 323, Wade 30) Warner cuffs Iftikhar for four more. His Test average in Australia has gone past 67, which is a record for an opener in home Tests (minimum 10 innings). He has had his moments away from home, most notably those storming hundreds in South Africa in 2013-14, but he will be remembered as a devastating player in home conditions.

“Good work,” says Michael Barker. “But when will they declare, Rob?”

6.51am GMT

122nd over: Australia 560-3 (Warner 315, Wade 29) Wade runs down the wicket and launches Abbas miles in the air. The ball teases midwicket and deep square leg before plopping safely. It was in the air so long that the batsmen were able to turn for the third.

Warner then shows Wade how to do it with a blistering pull into the crowd. That’s his first six of the innings. He heaves violently at the next ball, slicing it over the solitary slip for four more. Warner is trying to get as many as possible before the declaration. He is 315 not out.

6.47am GMT

121st over: Australia 543-3 (Warner 301, Wade 26) Thanks Geoff, evening everyone. Wade slaps Iftikhar square on the off side for four to continue this orgy of runs in Adelaide. The most euphoric moment may be yet to come: David Warner is 99 away from you know what.

6.45am GMT

120th over: Australia 537-3 (Warner 300, Wade 21) He’s done it! Warner plays an on-drive, rolling towards the rope. It teases the fielders, teases the crowd, then runs into the rope. Three hundred for Warner! What a return to form. He’s been prolific, but this would have been beyond even his dreams. Batting long, going huge, those have never been big parts of his batting career. But here, he has. The luck has been there, the skill has been there, and the fortitude has been there. David Warner joins the slender ranks of those with Test triples. And as if to prove that he’s not done yet, Warner sets up again to leave and defend the next five balls of the Abbas over.

And with that, what better time to hand over to that famed lover of all things Warner, Rob Smyth.

6.41am GMT

119th over: Australia 533-3 (Warner 296, Wade 21) Warner moves quickly towards his triple, clobbering Iftihkar for four through square leg, then adding two more through cover.

6.37am GMT

118th over: Australia 526-3 (Warner 289, Wade 21) Abbas comes back into the attack. By now it’s less an attack than a gentle request. Wade doesn’t care for the parsimony of Abbas, so he whacks a couple through point and four through the covers.

6.30am GMT

117th over: Australia 519-3 (Warner 288, Wade 15) Yasir’s horror run continues, as Wade decides that he’s going to channel 2012 Warner. Gets into position early, feet apart, weight down, ready to heave, and launches a pull-slog into the stands. High and long, no finesse about that but plenty of contact. Yasir is about to bring up his own double-century.

6.28am GMT

116th over: Australia 510-3 (Warner 286, Wade 8) Warner’s placement through cover has been a real feature of this innings. Again he leans forward and drives, again he finds the finest of gaps to stream to the boundary. Shaheen can do nothing.

6.23am GMT

115th over: Australia 505-3 (Warner 281, Wade 8) Yasir is having a miserable old time at the Adelaide Oval, much as Imran Tahir had at the hands of Warner back in 2012. That was more gung-ho, this is more relentless. Less relentful? You get the idea. Warner sweeps another boundary, ticks another single. Wade slogs a couple of runs. Yasir keeps going at worse than 6 runs per over.

6.22am GMT

114th over: Australia 496-3 (Warner 275, Wade 5) Shaheen is right on the spot to Wade, landing his length really well. The over is quiet until Wade edges along the ground for a boundary.

6.13am GMT

113th over: Australia 492-3 (Warner 275, Wade 1) Suddenly things quiet down, with just a couple of singles from the Yasir over. Wade is immediately sweeping, as is his wont.

6.09am GMT

112th over: Australia 490-3 (Warner 274, Wade 0) Matthew Wade is next in, after some decent runs at Brisbane last week. He’s immediately the subject of a DRS challenge, having pushed at Shaheen outside off, but there’s no contact between bat and ball on the forensics. Shaheen has 3 for 79, and has tried hard.

6.05am GMT

What’s this? Another modest score from Smith! He’s made 40 in the series while his teammates have rattled up about a thousand between them. And this was to another yahoo shot. He doesn’t seem at his best when Australia is right on top and he’s supposed to cash in. He aims a huge swipe at Shaheen, apparently aiming somewhere over wide long-on, and gets a faint inside edge having completely lost his shape. Shaheen does the big Starman celebration pose. Maybe save it for when the oppo isn’t 500 ahead, champ.

6.03am GMT

111th over: Australia 490-2 (Warner 274, Smith 36) That was less conventional from Warner. Gets a ball spinning into his pads from Yasir, and whips across the line at it, all wrists after reaching around his front pad, and somehow middles it for four. That’s a fairly high-risk stroke though. Safer when Yasir drops short and Warner cuts a couple. Two more through cover.

6.00am GMT

110th over: Australia 481-2 (Warner 266, Smith 35) Warner is happy to continue against Shaheen in his safety-conscious style. Nothing extravagant, leaves and defends a few, then seizes on the overpitched delivery to off-drive it for four.

5.55am GMT

109th over: Australia 477-2 (Warner 262, Smith 35) The break has ended, and Yasir has the ball. There’s a big appeal from him and Rizwan in concert, though no one else joins in, when the ball beats Smith’s bat and flicks the flap of his pad. But I fancy it hit him outside off and was turning away. A couple of singles are added.

5.34am GMT

An extraordinary start to the day for Australia. Warner and Labuschagne were flying through the first overs, and with Smith ended up piling on 173 runs in a session extended by half an hour. Pakistan had a moment of happiness when Shaheen castled Marnus with a lovely ball that swung into him, but one wicket did not yield anything further.

Warner this international summer has 702 runs for two dismissals. He’ll continue in a moment, and so will we.

5.31am GMT

108th over: Australia 475-2 (Warner 261, Smith 34) Last over before the short tea break, which comes first in day-night matches, and Warner is happy to see off Shaheen after Smith takes a single first ball.

5.27am GMT

107th over: Australia 474-2 (Warner 261, Smith 33) Warner nearly run out, but he’s fast and he dives just as he does so often in T20 cricket. Two more runs to his total after once more helping Yasir through fine leg. He goes further into one-day mode, playing the reverse-sweep to Yasir’s over-the-wicket line. Knowing there’s a large gap behind point, Warner makes the most of it for four.

5.24am GMT

106th over: Australia 468-2 (Warner 255, Smith 33) Shaheen is bowling decently, again excited as a ball moves back towards Smith’s off stump, but again it’s a ball that looks good but isn’t really threatening. Just a Warner single from the over.

5.21am GMT

105th over: Australia 467-2 (Warner 254, Smith 33) Three for Smith and then three for Warner off Yasir, both of them working the leggie away through fine leg. The TV replay picks up that Warner didn’t actually ground his heel for the third run, but the umpire didn’t notice. In the book, he has now made a new highest Test score, passing his 253 against NZ at the WACA four years ago.

5.17am GMT

104th over: Australia 461-2 (Warner 251, Smith 30) Another edge for Warner, this one seemed more deliberate: soft hands, played down, along the ground into the gap. So softly played that the ball rolls to a stop just inside the rope and only profits Warner by two runs, but that’s enough to raise another milestone. Shaheen is not impressed.

5.14am GMT

103rd over: Australia 459-2 (Warner 249, Smith 30) Smith just does what Smith does. Waits back, steps across, plays anything through midwicket that can be played through midwicket. Twice Yasir lets him work the ball for doubles. Dismissal number eight for Yasir doesn’t appear to be imminent.

5.08am GMT

102nd over: Australia 455-2 (Warner 249, Smith 26) Musa is taken off to go and listen to some Fall Out Boy or whatever teenagers do to deal with angst. I don’t know, I’m ancient. Shaheen has Warner defend one ball, then slash another over the cordon. That was much more about luck than control for Petit Davide. Wide and chased. As is another ball, fuller, that leaves Warner on one knee outside off as he misses. It’s a good over from Shaheen, bowling to his heavily off-side field.

5.04am GMT

101st over: Australia 451-2 (Warner 245, Smith 26) That’s lovely, Steven. Waits for the leg-break that Yasir tosses up. Watches it dip. Shimmies slightly to be in position, then whips the drive off his toes through midwicket for three. You won’t see many right-handers play leg-spin better than that. In two hours they’ve added 148 today.

5.01am GMT

100th over: Australia 446-2 (Warner 243, Smith 23) Musa, the frustration continues. Yet another no-ball, pitching full to Warner from around the wicket. Then an edge from Warner that rolls away for four. The bowler’s pace is still good, mid-140s, but he can’t get the rest of his game together. Warner gets off strike, then Smith pulls a short ball for his 7000th Test run, raised in his 126th innings.

That’s four more runs than Bradman ever got. And so it makes Smith, by my reckoning, the fastest to the milestone in terms of innings faced.

4.55am GMT

99th over: Australia 438-2 (Warner 237, Smith 22) Smith is getting his on-side game working to Yasir, moving across to knock the leg-spinner square. But it’s not without its risk, as he finds when he gets squared up trying the same shot, gets a thick outside edge and sees it bounce into the gully.

4.53am GMT

98th over: Australia 434-2 (Warner 236, Smith 19) Another no-ball from Musa, and nearly got Warner with that one at all. Seam movement, beat the edge by a fraction, and costs Pakistan a penalty run. What is it with Warner and no-balls? It seems that on good batting days, the bowler’s best delivery to him is always an overstep. Did he once visit a shaman with a photo of Mohammad Amir, or what?

4.46am GMT

97th over: Australia 433-2 (Warner 236, Smith 19) Yasir to Smith, but the batsman gets the upper hand in this over. Whips a boundary through midwicket, then gets off strike to cover. Nyah-nyah.

4.42am GMT

96th over: Australia 426-2 (Warner 234, Smith 14) You’ll never guess what happens next... David Warner is caught off a no-ball! It was the young Naseem on debut in Brisbane, here it’s Musa. Fortunately he doesn’t have the ecstasy / agony bit of finding out via a wait and a replay, because the umpire calls the no-ball in live action. So there’s no celebration as Warner drives away from his body and sends a thick edge straight to gully. Instead, Babar throws his head back, and Musa puts his head in his hands. Should have had Warner, but that basic error costs Pakistan again. Warner celebrates in his own style, seeing a bouncer, playing a wristy uppercut from well above his head over first slip for four. Then tucks away a single. Flourish and humility, one after the other. Ten runs from an over that should have brought a wicket instead.

4.37am GMT

95th over: Australia 416-2 (Warner 226, Smith 13) Right, it will be Yasir Shah changing to the Riverbank End. Bowling to Steven Smith with a slip and a short leg. A short cover as well, 15 paces from the bat. Backward point, deep point, regulation cover, mid-off, id-on, midwicket. No one deep on the leg side. Don’t bowl short... Yasir doesn’t, flighting the ball and landing it full, around the off stump. Smith keeps stretching forward to defend. This shapes as a good battle already, there’s a bit of extra fizz in the air. Smith walks across and hits hard on the bounce into the short leg fielder, presumably Masood under the scone-box. Line of fire. He ensures the over is a maiden.

4.34am GMT

94th over: Australia 416-2 (Warner 226, Smith 13) No he wont, because Muhammad Musa Khan has come back on. This is a weird move from Azhar Ali. Unless Yasir wants to switch ends and replace Abbas after a lengthy spell. Smith lashes through point but sees his shot saved, then drives through cover and gets three. Warner ducks a bouncer. Then drives to deep cover, where Shan Masood saves well after being wrong-footed. Two runs.

4.28am GMT

93rd over: Australia 411-2 (Warner 224, Smith 10) Another good over from Abbas, using the seam and trying to cut the ball into Warner, with a fairly close fielder square on the leg side looking for a catch I fancy. Warner gets a couple of leg byes and can’t lay bat on ball throughout. Smith will face Yasir in the next over.

4.26am GMT

92nd over: Australia 409-2 (Warner 224, Smith 10) Ok, so Azhar brings Yasir Shah on try getting an edge over Smith. Except that Yasir bowls the full over to Warner. And Warner pulverises a long-hop for four, punches two more through cover, and survives the one threatening ball as Yasir zips a straight one through that beats the edge when Warner is expecting turn.

4.19am GMT

91st over: Australia 402-2 (Warner 217, Smith 10) Abbas draws an edge from Warner, but the left-hander plays it softly enough that he grounds the ball for three runs rather than edging it in the air. He bowls nicely to Smith as well, seaming the ball a couple of times. Smith gets tangled up while trying to play to the leg side, and in the end the ball beats his outside edge even as he tries to play across the line, and thunks him on the thigh pad. That’s the best over that Abbas has bowled in the Test. He was forthright in the press conference last night, saying that he was upset at missing the Brisbane Test, but that he couldn’t get into rhythm with no Tests for nearly a year. Drinks break.

4.12am GMT

90th over: Australia 399-2 (Warner 214, Smith 10) It’s easier to score off Shaheen than Abbas, with his pace on the ball and his higher likelihood of mistakes. He gives Warner width and Warner gives him the treatment. Cut for four. Shaheen predictably responds with a bouncer, but Warner just ducks, then cuts the next ball into the point gap for one.

4.10am GMT

89th over: Australia 394-2 (Warner 209, Smith 10) Abbas has bowled very economically: 24 overs now, 69 runs. But he hasn’t threatened a great deal with the ball. Smith is watchful against him, guards against seam movement with the new ball, takes another single with his default scoring shot. Warner prefers the off side, scores one to point.

4.05am GMT

88th over: Australia 392-2 (Warner 208, Smith 9) And Smith doubles his score again! The fine leg merchant, walking across to Shaheen this time and diverting the path of the ball away for a boundary. Smith has gone 1, 2, 4, 8. Can he score 16 from his next ball? I wouldn’t rule it out.

Nope, he ruins the sequence with a single. Warner thanks him for the strike by driving perfectly through extra cover for four, splitting a tiny gap in the field. In just over an hour the Australians have added 90 runs.

4.00am GMT

87th over: Australia 383-2 (Warner 204, Smith 4) Smith doing what Smith does. Walking across, making space on the leg side. Abbas bowling a bit too short as well. Glanced for two, deflected off the pad for three. Smith doubles his score again.

3.58am GMT

86th over: Australia 378-2 (Warner 204, Smith 2) A decent start from Shaheen, who gets some seam movement to beat Smith’s edge. Smith was pulling inside the line though, and Shaheen started too short to take the edge. That ball was Joey in Friends: looked good, didn’t achieve much. Smith doubles his score with a single to mid-on.

3.50am GMT

85th over: Australia 377-2 (Warner 204, Smith 1) Smith is practicing all of his shots and leaves and nudges at the non-striker’s end, as Warner plays a for-real cover drive against Abbas, almost on the back foot and then coming forward suddenly through the ball, on the up. You have to be seeing them well to do that. The Pakistanis are excited when Abbas nearly gets pad, but there was plenty of bat involved as well.

3.47am GMT

84th over: Australia 373-2 (Warner 200, Smith 1) A wicket, sure, but David Warner on the cusp of a double, and Steve Smith walking to the middle. Tasty tasty times if you’re a devotee of Australian cricket. Smith knocks away a single first ball to give Warner back the strike with three balls to come. Warner works it through square leg and will get... two, with the aid of a misfield. Thought of the third, couldn’t quite risk it, and he walks away to square leg to clear his head on 199.

Two balls left in the over. Blocked to the off side. No run.

3.41am GMT

Shaheen, the pick of Pakistan’s attack yesterday, shares the new ball and he strikes after just two deliveries, castling Labuschagne with a beautiful in-swinging delivery that did for the middle of off stump. A superb delivery to end a superb innings.

3.39am GMT

83rd over: Australia 369-1 (Warner 197, Labuschagne 162) The new ball IS now taken and Abbas, after that over of looseners, takes it from the river end. It’s a very Abbas over; moderately paced, on a decent line and length, and utterly unthreatening. Warner displays the patience of a man who knows a score of unimaginable magnitude is on offer today, leaving or dead-batting five deliveries then pushing firmly through the covers for two.

More stats

Warner and Labuschagne now own the highest partnership for any wicket for Australia v Pakistan in Tests #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/wTYVeC9hx4

3.35am GMT

82nd over: Australia 367-1 (Warner 195, Labuschagne 162) Turns out we were misled and Pakistan did not take the second new ball after all. Quite why they didn’t, nobody seems able to fathom. The outcome is another pointless over from Yasir that’s too fast, too flat, too short, and too full of runs. “This is rubbish bowling,” says Ricky Ponting on TV, “absolute rubbish”. Labuschagne doesn’t mind, bringing up the 350 partnership with a brace of cut boundaries. This ceased to be a contest many hours ago and Azhar Ali doesn’t seem remotely concerned.

3.30am GMT

81st over: Australia 357-1 (Warner 194, Labuschagne 153) The new ball is taken immediately and the game enters its next phase, hopefully one more competitive than the last few hours of one-sided drubbing. Abbas takes the new pink Kookaburra and settles into his groove on a length around that fourth or fifth stump line but Labuschagne is ready for it, standing tall on his toes and controlling drives into the off-side. A couple hit the field, one pierces the gap for two runs.

The partnership now inside the top 10 of all Australian Test partnerships....

3.26am GMT

80th over: Australia 354-1 (Warner 194, Labuschagne 150) Marnus Labuschagne’s introduction to Test cricket may have arrived in unconventional circumstances but he is to the manor born. The Queenslander brings up his 150 with a nudge off Yasir, a milestone celebrated by Warner by dispatching the Pakistan leggy over cow corner for six of the most contemptuous runs you could find. That’s followed soon afterwards by a rank long-hop being pummelled to the square leg fence for four. If this was a title fight the referee would be giving Pakistan a standing count.

Another record ✅

Warner & Labuschagne pass Cook & Trott for the highest second wicket stand for all tests in Australia #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/xM82V81DnJ

3.21am GMT

79th over: Australia 342-1 (Warner 183, Labuschagne 149) Both teams are rattling through their work this morning, Iftikhar with a nondescript over, Australia tipping and running to keep the circulation flowing. The tourists are nearly into the new ball.

3.20am GMT

78th over: Australia 339-1 (Warner 181, Labuschagne 148) Another one for Marnus! The runs keep flowing. Gallops down and plonks Yasir over mid-on for four. They’re going to have some fun today.

3.18am GMT

77th over: Australia 333-1 (Warner 180, Labuschagne 143) They are not hanging around this morning. Warner creams Iftikhar’s short ball away with a pull shot. The off-spinner replaced the young pace bowler after one over. Curious. Two more runs to fine leg for Marnus. The scoreboard is whirring.

3.12am GMT

76th over: Australia 325-1 (Warner 175, Labuschagne 140) Yasir starts the over well, just conceding a couple of singles, but Labuschagne finishes it well by carting him over midwicket for four. No hanging around for Australia with the sun shining for the moment in Adelaide.

3.12am GMT

75th over: Australia 318-1 (Warner 173, Labuschagne 135) If Warner starts fast, Labuschagne starts faster. A four, a two, and a three, all worked through the off side. The boundary was edgy, but the rest were controlled. 11 runs from Musa’s first over.

3.12am GMT

74th over: Australia 307-1 (Warner 171, Labuschagne 126) Warner started slowly on the second morning in Brisbane. No such approach here, as he gets a gift from Yasir Shah in the form of a short ball, and whacks it to the boundary.

2.30am GMT

Here is the wires report on the action yesterday, if you want the detail.

Related: Labuschagne and Warner turn the screw for Australia against Pakistan

2.24am GMT

Today is David Warner Day. Sorry if you didn’t get the note. That costume looks great though, Keith. And the Toyota badging is a nice touch. We’re all just playing it by ear, trying to work out something new. Which is what David will be doing, too. See, Davey used to have a particular style. Score big, score fast, put his feet up. For a long time his highest score was that 180 he made in about 15 minutes when he pogoed India all around the WACA. He never batted through a Test day until 2016 at the same ground, when he made 250 against New Zealand. But he got out first thing the next morning. Then last week at the Gabba he went through the day again, and got out without adding much the next morning too. Now in Adelaide he’s had his third bat-through day, and his third chance to go on the next day to a truly huge score. Will it help that the next day is starting in the afternoon, not the morning? Maybe he’s a post-prandial guy. We’ll find out. Because it would be interesting to see what D. Warner can do if he really goes on with an innings. Two days of pain, that sort of thing.

Pakistan are sore, sorry, and have once again bowled through a Test day for only the wicket of Joe Burns. Hopefully they rested well and did justice to the breakfast buffet. Australia: 302 for 1 after the first day.

Continue reading...

Australia's Warner and Labuschagne smash centuries against Pakistan – as it happened

Australia 302-1 after winning the toss and batting firstWarner 166, Labuschagne 126

12.38pm GMT

Related: Labuschagne and Warner turn the screw for Australia against Pakistan

12.14pm GMT

Adelaide was inclemently cool and damp for the start of the second Test but despite the change in conditions Australia continued where they left off in Brisbane, hammering Pakistan with an insatiable appetite for runs.

Tim Paine won the toss but Azhar Ali was happy to bowl first in overcast conditions and the visiting skipper’s optimism was rewarded early with the scalp of Joe Burns. But the solitary wicket to fall in the fourth over of the day proved the highpoint for Pakistan as they then had to watch David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne plunder runs, either side of a 90-minute rain delay.

12.05pm GMT

What a day for Australia, and David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne in particular.

Warner and Marnus now have the highest 2nd-wicket partnership at Adelaide, knocking off McDonald and Hassett's 1952-53 partnership of 275 v RSA.

12.04pm GMT

73rd over: Australia 302-1 (Warner 166, Labuschagne 126) Musa is handed the ball for one final over of short stuff after half-an-hour of gentle tweakers. Warner loves it. He rocks out of the way of an opening sighter then slaps a cut for four behind point, jogging down the pitch opening and closing the velcro straps on his gloves like a magician proving there’s nothing hiding under his sleeves after some sleight-of-hand.

11.59am GMT

One more over to go...

11.59am GMT

72nd over: Australia 297-1 (Warner 161, Labuschagne 126) Iftikhar continues what is becoming quite a tidy spell. He has an appeal turned down for LBW against Labuschagne and doesn’t disgrace himself as the end of play draws near.

11.56am GMT

71st over: Australia 294-1 (Warner 159, Labuschagne 125) Yasir completes his 14th over - he’s gone for 87 runs.

This is now the highest second wicket partnership for Australia v Pakistan in Tests #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/UEVLjDXu1f

11.54am GMT

70th over: Australia 290-1 (Warner 157, Labuschagne 123) Iftikhar again finds Warner’s edge but it flies wide of first slip, and probably died short of where a second would have been standing. Meanwhile on TV, the Seven commentary box is having a bout of the Nine’s. Poor Ricky Ponting is doing his best to plough through it all.

11.49am GMT

69th over: Australia 284-1 (Warner 151, Labuschagne 123) Awful running from Labuschagne, calling for a second when the ball was in the point fielder’s hand, but the throw doesn’t just miss the stumps, and the keeper’s gloves, it barely stays in the same camera shot despite the diving batsman being a mile from making his ground. That’s far from the first let-off either. Pakistan’s fielding is bad. Warner makes them pay, helping Yasir down the legside for four then battering him with rubber wrists against the spin through the covers to bring up his 150.

11.44am GMT

68th over: Australia 272-1 (Warner 142, Labuschagne 120) Iftikhar draws a false stroke from Warner, who then smartly rotates the strike the following delivery. Australia seem happy just to glide to the close now, the run-scoring has been taken care of for the day, now it’s all about preserving the partnership and grinding Pakistan into the dust tomorrow.

So impressive how this Australian team have developed this disciplined performance culture, which all comes from their training. Justin Langer has had a huge impact!! #AUSvPAK #Langer

11.41am GMT

67th over: Australia 270-1 (Warner 141, Labuschagne 119) Much better over from Yasir, troubling Warner on a couple of occasions and getting one to grip and spit at Labuschagne.

11.40am GMT

There was a very clear underedge on Warner’s bat, making that a very bad review from Pakistan.

11.40am GMT

With 20 minutes or so until the close Yasir Shah’s back and he causes a few issues to Warner, first almost bowling him around his legs, then appealing heartily for LBW. The offer is declined on-field.

11.37am GMT

66th over: Australia 268-1 (Warner 140, Labuschagne 118) Play will begin half-an-hour earlier than scheduled tomorrow to make up the time lost to rain. Back to today, and Australia almost begrudgingly accept a single from five of Iftikhar’s latest half-dozen throw-downs.

“Stumbling like a drunk foal is an image that won’t be leaving me any time soon,” great to have you on board Robert Wilson. “Sensational openers’ 100s stat there. Warner’s reputation was asterisked by his not-for-all-tastes ‘personality’ well before his thrilling life of crime but, oddly enough, it’s been the libellous view of his talent that’s been the most adhesive. That whole one-day biffer nonsense (they tend not to get 20 opener tons all the same). Maybe when he climbs the top of that list it will abate. In the meantime, may I just say, as we must always say, Gavaskar, what a ****ing legend!”

11.32am GMT

65th over: Australia 263-1 (Warner 138, Labuschagne 115) If Pakistan had a few more like Shaheen on display tonight this might have been a different game, but his wholehearted effort with the ball has gone unrewarded since his second over, almost a full day’s play ago. He’ll bowl worse and take bagfuls.

Two-hundred and fifty runs!

A 250-run partnership between these two now! #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/G4G2PWJgzz

11.27am GMT

64th over: Australia 259-1 (Warner 137, Labuschagne 113) Iftikhar is back for more gentle darts so Australia nurdle some more chanceless runs.

Leading run-scorers in Test cricket in 2019:

779* - Marnus Labuschange (AUS)
778 - Steve Smith (AUS)
754- Mayank Agarwal (IND)
746 - Ben Stokes (ENG)
642 - Ajinkya Rahane (IND) #AUSvPAK

11.25am GMT

63rd over: Australia 257-1 (Warner 136, Labuschagne 112) Australia’s runs against Shaheen, the pick of the attack, are different to their ones against Pakistan’s other bowlers. They’re harder to come by and arrive from well-worked shots. Labuschagne, for example, reprises his Ian Bell mimicry from earlier in his innings with a delicate late dab through the vacant third-man region. An excellent shot in an otherwise tidy over.

“Is this good for the brittle Aussie middle order?” asks Michael Barker. Yes, yes it is Michael. Pakistan are shot. Presumably future attacks will be similarly worn out by what is now, on home soil, a formidable top four.

11.20am GMT

62nd over: Australia 252-1 (Warner 135, Labuschagne 108) Azhar Ali, out of options to break this partnership, turns to himself. In all his sweaters he looks like a net bowler, and Warner treats him like one, pounding him through the covers for one of those trademark sledgehammer fours. Labuschagne gets in on the act too, getting into position so early to hammer a long hop beyond mid-on it seemed for a second he might actually forget to go through with the shot. Australia’s scoring rate is now rendering the overs lost to rain earlier today redundant.

11.16am GMT

61st over: Australia 243-1 (Warner 130, Labuschagne 104) Shaheen is spared the nightmare of fielding by being asked instead to bowl. His spell begins impressively but the edge he induces from Warner does not find a fielder and trickles into the third-man fence.

11.11am GMT

60th over: Australia 236-1 (Warner 123, Labuschagne 104) Yasir has now gone for 66 from his 11 overs. Australia are unrelenting.

11.09am GMT

Nervous 90s for Labuschagne? No chance. The first ball of Yasir’s over is thwacked back over the bowler’s head for four, the second clipped through the leg-side for two. Another feather in the cap for Australia’s emerging superstar.

Labuschagne goes back-to-back as well! #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/lEroUY9H02

11.06am GMT

59th over: Australia 226-1 (Warner 123, Labuschagne 94) Musa’s still digging them in short of a length like a man trying to punish the ball for doing so little in the air or off the seam. It’s having some effect, to Warner especially, because of the variable pace the ball is reaching him at off the pitch.

11.01am GMT

58th over: Australia 221-1 (Warner 121, Labuschagne 91) Yasir’s back, which means runs for Warner. First ball of the spell is driven through the covers for what should be three, but Shaheen, up there with the worst fielders I have ever seen, stumbles like a drunk foal and toe-pokes the ball over the rope. As the kids might say, you hate to see it. Later in the over Labuschagne cuts for four in more orthodox fashion.

Cricket Australia have wasted no time sticking the boot in to Shaheen.

#AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/FKkW2VDDFY

10.56am GMT

10.53am GMT

57th over: Australia 209-1 (Warner 116, Labuschagne 84) This partnership climbs to 200 (at a run-rate of 3.8) as Australia continue their untroubled progress. Musa persists with his bumper-first approach - which is worth a crack considering how poorly the other strategies have been executed - but there’s not enough pace or uneven bounce to trouble batsmen this well set.

10.45am GMT

56th over: Australia 206-1 (Warner 115, Labuschagne 83) Abbas switches ends to replace the ineffective Yasir and he keeps Australia to just two runs from the over.

“Lovely to see the boys doing well,” emails David Kalucy. “But as a bit of hometown pride is on the line, how’s the crowd?” I’m sure numbers will filter through shortly, but it’s modest. No doubt impacted by the weather, but a clear indication that when India and England are not in town crowds nosedive.

10.42am GMT

55th over: Australia 204-1 (Warner 113, Labuschagne 83) Musa is recalled into the attack and he does a superb job of playing Labuschagne back into form. A brace of poundland bouncers both reach the square leg fence at a fair rate of knots while singles are accepted from three of the other four deliveries.

Stop the clocks, we have an email! Bless you Eamonn Maloney. “A few familial points if I may,” you may. “1. My infant son has just grown teeth, presumably in an attempt to (further) demarcate himself from this Pakistani bowling attack. 2. re 42nd over I have 13 aunties and the safer cuddles are given by the lukewarm ones.” Good luck with the teething. Make sure you clean up the drool efficiently, it gave our toddler a sore chin.

10.36am GMT

54th over: Australia 193-1 (Warner 111, Labuschagne 74) Yasir is not bowling very well. He concedes runs from four of his six deliveries this over, including a long-hop slapped through cover by Warner.

Most international 100s for AUS
70 - Ricky Ponting
41 - DAVID WARNER
40 - Matthew Hayden
38 - Mark Waugh
36 - Michael Clarke
35 - Steve Waugh
34 - Steve Smith
33 - Adam Gilchrist
30 - Allan Border
29 - Don Bradman
@CricketAus #AUSvPAK

10.33am GMT

53rd over: Australia 186-1 (Warner 105, Labuschagne 73) First delivery in an age to bite and take a genuine edge still sees Australia earn four streaky runs. It really is their day but Abbas deserved better for squaring up Labuschagne.

Most Test 100s as opener:

33 - Gavaskar
31 - Cook
30 - Hayden
27 - G Smith
23 - WARNER
22 - Boycott/Sehwag#AusvPak

10.29am GMT

52nd over: Australia 177-1 (Warner 101, Labuschagne 69) Now that little milestone has passed, I’d expect this pair to bed in to see the day out. It has been a magnificent partnership.

Fewest innings to reach 5 Test 100s against Pakistan
11 - David Warner
17 - Rahul Dravid
19 - Polly Umrigar/Kumar Sangakkara#AUSvPAK

10.26am GMT

Surely this is Warner’s over. Labuschagne does his job, rotating the strike first ball, driving Yasir to wide mid-off. What will Warner do? Tip and run again! This could be close. He dabs the ball towards gully and tears off to the non-striker’s end. The throw comes in - and misses - Warner continues his gallop, punches the air, leaps a little, removes the helmet - you know the drill. Super knock from Australia’s opener, and there’s no indication it’ll end any time soon.

Another ton for David Warner! #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/SiEP7lXxqF

10.23am GMT

51st over: Australia 173-1 (Warner 99, Labuschagne 67) Pakistan theatrically bring in the field to deny Warner his single. Abbas is just the kind of parsimonious seamer to bowl to a packed offside dragnet, and he does just that, landing six deliveries on a length on or just outside off stump. Warner does his best to tip and run but all he can muster is a maiden. Oh what a feeling - but for now that feeling is frustration.

10.19am GMT

50th over: Australia 173-1 (Warner 99, Labuschagne 67) Warner drives Yasir for two behind point to move to 98, then he misses out on the century by failing to connect with a long-hop that pitches outside leg stump. A single ticks him up to 99 and delays the leap, bat raise and helmet removal for another over.

10.16am GMT

49th over: Australia 170-1 (Warner 96, Labuschagne 67) Time for Mohammad Abbas, and Labuschagne is happy to play out a watchful maiden to an over delivered on a decent line and length in the mid 120s kph. Australia’s No.3 has hit quicksand since dinner. Still, he’s not looked like losing his wicket any time soon despite the runs drying up.

In other sporting news, Unai Emery has just been sacked by Arsenal.

Confirmed: Arsenal have sacked Unai Emery … pic.twitter.com/ksBiOEawtH

10.11am GMT

48th over: Australia 170-1 (Warner 96, Labuschagne 67) Australia continue their busy approach, operating an ODI middle-overs mindset to Yasir, running hard and piercing gaps at will. Warner will ton-up very soon.

10.08am GMT

47th over: Australia 164-1 (Warner 91, Labuschagne 66) Warner has batted excellently today. Solid in defence, decisive in attack, and his running has been well-judged. The latest example of the latter was some canny strike rotation with a bit of tip-and-run. Shaheen’s line from around the wicket to Labuschagne is good though and the Queenslander remains somewhat becalmed.

10.05am GMT

10.03am GMT

46th over: Australia 163-1 (Warner 90, Labuschagne 66) Iftikhar is finally replaced by a full-time bowler in Yasir but Warner greets the leggy’s arrival at the crease with contempt, reverse sweeping for three to move into the 90s. Labuschagne is not so confident and he has the misfortune to receive a ripper from Yasir that spins and bounces prodigiously, just sowing a seed of doubt in the batsman’s mind.

10.01am GMT

45th over: Australia 160-1 (Warner 87, Labuschagne 66) Pakistan have never been known for their fielding but they are not covering themselves in glory tonight. A few misfields have slipped through the net since dinner and the sniff of a run-out disappeared when the throw from cover went to the wrong end. Shaheen, one of the main culprits in the outfield, doesn’t dwell on his teammate’s error and beats Labuschagne’s bat with a rare jaffa. Shaheen is now sending down his left-arm seamers from around the wicket to the right-hander, and he’s just managing to get them to hold their line, somewhat like a mirror-image of Stuart Broad to David Warner during the Ashes.

9.56am GMT

44th over: Australia 159-1 (Warner 86, Labuschagne 66) I’m sure there’s some logic to Iftikhar getting a third over, but I will need someone to explain it to me because it is not obvious. Still, the part-time nude nuts get another run, and Australia continue their serene accumulation. The partnership passes 150, the vista could barely be more picturesque, and the bowling is village.

9.52am GMT

43rd over: Australia 152-1 (Warner 84, Labuschagne 61) Shaheen is a better bowler than fielder and he sends down a decent over to Warner, keeping the batsman pinned to the crease with some deck-hitting deliveries from over the wicket.

9.49am GMT

42nd over: Australia 149-1 (Warner 81, Labuschagne 61) Curiously, Iftikhar shares bowling duties after dinner and he is as unthreatening as a hug from your favourite auntie. Australia don’t cash in too heavily, but Warner does pick up four through the covers after Shaheen fails to pick up the flight of the ball in the deep.

9.45am GMT

41st over: Australia 143-1 (Warner 76, Labuschagne 60) Shaheen takes the first over after dinner and his opening delivery is full and wide so Warner chases it and gets a fat edge that skips to wide third man for four. As the ball bobbles away the camera pans wide to reveal the most extravagant palate in the South Australian sky; predominantly Melbourne Storm purple but there are accents of Sydney Sixers magenta. Magical.

9.41am GMT

Anyway, back to the cricket. Australia well on top, and now they have another two and a half hours or so to ram home their ascendancy. The rain has cleared, the floodlights are on, and Adelaide is hinting at one of those magical sunsets it is famed for.

9.40am GMT

That particular search for a YouTube link brought up this ghastly offering form Roxy Music of which I was previously (blissfully) unaware. Right up there among the worst cover versions of all time.

9.39am GMT

Ok, let’s do this. I’m up all night to get lucky. Well, until at least 11pm, and if I’m lucky someone might bring me a cup of tea.

9.08am GMT

Australia are cruising. Despite the loss of over an hour’s play to rain David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne did not skip a beat in that session. Their proactive partnership is already in excess of 100 and during the last ten overs they’ve been rattling along at more than four rpo.

With the final session likely to extend until 11pm AEDT it is going to be a long night for Pakistan, literally and metaphorically. Their seam attack has lacked both venom and control, and despite conditions supposedly favouring them the pink ball has not misbehaved whatsoever.

9.01am GMT

40th over: Australia 139-1 (Warner 72, Labuschagne 60) Pink ball, floodlights on, rain around, and it’s spin from both ends. That’s a reflection of how the seemingly optimal conditions are failing to generate any lateral movement, and how assertively Australia have batted all day. David Warner reinforces the point in Yasir’s fourth over, driving through mid-off for four with sumptuous timing.

8.59am GMT

39th over: Australia 134-1 (Warner 67, Labuschagne 60) Time for a quick whirl from Iftikhar to improve the over-rate but his gentle straight-spinners do not provide any discomfort to Australia’s batsmen.

70.2 - Only Sir Donald Bradman (103.6) has a better Test batting average at no. 3 than Marnus Labuschagne (70.2) among Australians to have played at least five innings in the position. Dawn.#AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/lFHXqss6hz

8.56am GMT

38th over: Australia 132-1 (Warner 67, Labuschagne 58) Yasir and his close-in fielders are full of oohs and ahhs but Australia continue untroubled, blocking, leaving, and scampering singles.

8.52am GMT

37th over: Australia 130-1 (Warner 66, Labuschagne 57) This has been terrific by Australia in the past half-hour or so. They have really upped the ante and now they’re cashing in. 50 for Labuschagne, his sixth in his past nine innings, and his milestone runs arriving in the mode of Ian Bell during the 2013 Ashes, cutting deftly. He remains a leg-side player though, as he proves later in the over with a rasping pull for four. It is hard to see where the breakthrough is going to come from for Pakistan but they need one desperately.

8.48am GMT

36th over: Australia 122-1 (Warner 66, Labuschagne 49) Warner’s intensity is rubbing off on Labuschagne. The second ball of Yasir’s second over is clipped effortlessly off his toes for four by the right-hander, then ball three is worked to fine-leg for three more. Warner then gets down on one knee and slog sweeps with a pure arc to send the ball over midwicket for four more. Australia are turning the heat on Pakistan.

8.44am GMT

35th over: Australia 111-1 (Warner 62, Labuschagne 42) The previous over brought up the century partnership for this pair, their third in four digs for Australia. Warner is now in assertive mode, moving towards the bowler like a boxer controlling the centre of the ring. He middles a few impressive checked drives before piercing the offside field for a couple. Musa did OK that over with his line and length but there’s nothing happening in the air or off the surface.

8.39am GMT

34th over: Australia 109-1 (Warner 60, Labuschagne 42) Time for spin and the high energy of Yasir Shah. There’s plenty of bounce to the ounce in the leggy’s run-up but the output lacks the same pizzazz. A few land reasonably well and grip a bit but a few more are dragged short and worked behind square on both sides of the wicket.

8.35am GMT

33rd over: Australia 106-1 (Warner 57, Labuschagne 42) What was I saying about Labuschagne outside his off-stump? Musa lands one on a tempting line and length - with a hint of swing - and the Queenslander drills it through extra cover like 2004 Damien Martyn. That is where Pakistan need to be bowling though, get Australia coming forward.

8.30am GMT

32nd over: Australia 100-1 (Warner 56, Labuschagne 37) Labuschagne has mistimed a few deliveries outside his off stump since the restart. On the front foot a few have angled towards the cordon and he’s failed to cash in to a number dropped short. Against Abbas he attempts a cut shot that’s too close to his body and is fortunate not to offer a chance to gully. Hundred up for Australia. Paine, Langer and the rest will be delighted with progress.

8.27am GMT

31st over: Australia 98-1 (Warner 55, Labuschagne 36) Musa replaces Shaheen from the River Torrens end, which means it’s right-arm over from both ends for the time being. It’s not a great over to be honest but Labuschagne can’t put away a couple of short and wide ones and then contorts to almost york himself when the bowler overpitches. Musa will doubtless ignore my criticism and point to the maiden in the scorebook as a handy couple of minutes work.

8.23am GMT

30th over: Australia 98-1 (Warner 55, Labuschagne 36) Pakistan’s dot count extends to 14 before Abbas leaks onto Labuschagne’s pads and Australia jog through for a single. I’m momentarily distracted by how artificially green the rest of the square looks under floodlights. With the pink ball and the fluro-looking grass the scene gives of the air of being mood-boarded by a man with a waxed moustache and fixed-gear bicycle.

8.16am GMT

29th over: Australia 97-1 (Warner 55, Labuschagne 35) Better form Shaheen too now, joining some dots of his own to assert a smidgen of pressure.

8.14am GMT

28th over: Australia 97-1 (Warner 55, Labuschagne 35) Abbas finally keeps Labuschagne honest, if hardly unsettled, with a maiden.

Abbas has bowled 93% of his deliveries on a good length, the highest he's ever recorded in a Test innings, but not a single ball he's bowled would have gone on to hit the stumps. #AusvPak

8.13am GMT

27th over: Australia 97-1 (Warner 55, Labuschagne 35) Considering how awkward the conditions must be to bat in Australia have settled very quickly. Pakistan haven’t helped their cause by erring in line and length, and in Abbas’s case, lacking enough pace to cause either batsman to question their stroke on this surface. The 27th over of the day sees Shaheen spray the ball all around the target, including a long half-volley on two legs that Labuschagne clips away with the precision of a kingfisher extracting a tiny dace from a babbling brook.

Michael Barker has emailed in a picture of Kangaroo Island (not far from Adelaide Oval) looking glorious. Hopefully this means the weather is set fair for the remainder of the night.

8.04am GMT

26th over: Australia 90-1 (Warner 54, Labuschagne 29) The right-left combination undoes Abbas this over. First Warner nudges the single then Abbas fails to adjust his line, allowing Labuschagne to work a leg-stump half-volley through midwicket for four.

8.01am GMT

25th over: Australia 84-1 (Warner 53, Labuschagne 24) Shaheen continues his work to Labuschagne. Again he’s slanting across the right-hander from over the wicket but perhaps a touch short to draw the false stroke. The overcorrection arrives as the over draws to a close, the batsman one on his toes safely down the ground for two.

Incidentally, this is Warner’s first 50 in day-night Tests. It’s reasonably clear where Pakistan have got things wrong so far.

Warner has only scored one run in the V between mid-on and mid-off. #AusvPak pic.twitter.com/lyDteNp6JF

7.56am GMT

24th over: Australia 82-1 (Warner 53, Labuschagne 22) Abbas shares duties from the Cathedral end and for the bulk of the over he places his deceptively tricky 130kph seamers wide enough of Warner’s off stump for the batsman to leave often and slowly adjust to the gloom and floodlights. However, the over is bookended by runs. Ball one is pushed off Warner’s hip for a couple, and ball six is inside-edged perilously close to his leg-stump, only for a wild throw from the deep to beat all Pakistan’s backer-upperers and through for a total of six overthrows. That’s another 50 for David Warner.

A fricken drought. The driest state in the driest continent. And yet it bloody rains when there’s a test match. #AUSvPAK

7.50am GMT

23rd over: Australia 74-1 (Warner 45, Labuschagne 22) Shaheen has the Stabilo Boss highlighter pink ball in his left hand after the lengthy rain delay and he opens with three deliveries on a line and length angling across the right-handed Labuschagne, the second of which was a genuine play and miss. Ball four finds a squirty edge that bounces short of gully so Shaheen continues to plough that furrow, finding another thick edge before the over ends, but this time it scuttles all the way to the third-man fence. Not easy batting conditions out there.

7.46am GMT

Please keep me company and help me avoid falling asleep at the wheel, either on Twitter - @JPHowcroft- or by email -Jonathan.howcroft.casual@theguardian.com.

7.45am GMT

Play will resume imminently! The session will last around 75 minutes. Dinner will be taken at 8pm AEDT and then more play after that until the witching hours, 11pm I think, by which point I may well have turned into a pumpkin.

7.42am GMT

Back to the modern day, the covers have been on and off at Adelaide Oval more frequently than the director’s cut of Confessions of a Window Cleaner. The good news for us is the most precious 22 yards of rolled South Australian soil will soon be open to the elements and primed for the resumption of play.

7.40am GMT

Thank you very much Mr Lemon, my favourite Australian Geoffrey at Adelaide Oval since Geoff Dymock debuted for Australia back in 1974. That Test series against New Zealand features in this beautiful vignette from the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.

7.25am GMT

Anyways, it’s handover time, as the gators optmistically sweep the field with their rope again, and the ground staff do the covers-off half of the dance. I’ll bid you farewell, and here comes Jonathan Pugilist Howcroft.

7.24am GMT

“I realise nobody cares about over rates (apart from every person who watches test matches but isn’t involved in running the game), but did we just get 22(!) overs in a full session?”

Quite so, Gavin Starchis. It was entirely bowled by quicks, so across 90 overs they would make up some time when the spinner settles in at one end for a long stint.

7.22am GMT

Here’s Ian Forth. “I’m a test cricket aficionado, but is there much point in this contest? We all know who’s going to win. Think I’m right in saying that of the 12 Test matches between the two countries this century, Australia have won all 12. All very well to say the opposition need to raise their game, but there’s nothing more likely to kill the format of a game off than meaningless competition. Something’s wrong somewhere.”

Hmm. A few things here. You must mean matches in Australia, because Pakistan has routinely towelled up Australia in the UAE. So should Australia never tour there either? Or never tour India, where they always lose? Most Test matches are mismatches, but they give teams the chance to defy that disadvantage. India had never won in Australia until last summer, but then they did. If we had decided beforehand that it could never happen, they wouldn’t have had the chance.

7.18am GMT

“Just an innocent question on over rates.” Alright, David Markham. The court grants you leave to proceed. “Why do they actually need a drinks break after 12 overs when it’s 17 degrees?”

A good question on its surface, when you consider the heat in which cricket is often played. But while it can look like a casual game, batting or bowling for an hour is very taxing work. Whatever the conditio.ns. So a break each hour seems fair enough when players go all day.

7.15am GMT

“Our neighbour almost threw this 1950s cricket book out!” writes Kathy Phillips. “One person’s trash is another’s treasure. Totally enjoying the breaks between overs while I slowly read about all the Ashes tests leading up to 1950, the stats, the grounds, players...Christmas has come early.”

I’m not smart enough to have rotated the image, sorry. You get the idea.

7.10am GMT

David Kalucy writes in. “Morning Mr Lemon. Well, this is exciting. It’s dawn in Spain, the cricket is on and my favourite time waster is upon us ready to spoil the screen time equality concept with my daughter. Even better that for the convenience of all us OS people they’ve moved the test to day/night, very considerate really. Nice to see Abbas back to the fray. Mixed feelings about the rain though - all things considered.”

My feelings about the rain are quite straightforward.

6.57am GMT

And now we’re back to full covers, because the drizzle is back. There was a forecast of 3 millimetres for today, but those drops seem to be arriving one at a time.

6.49am GMT

We’re back down to the hessian strip over the pitch. This is exciting.

6.45am GMT

But no, we got delayed by another shower, and now we’re trying the clean-up operation again.

6.23am GMT

We’re back to the one small central cover, and the Pakistan players are out warming up. It’s 16:53 Adelaide time.

6.10am GMT

The umpires are wandering out to chat to the ground staff now. The ropes are out, but the main cover is still on the square. Looks like it might have stopped raining right now, but that may not be long term.

6.01am GMT

This rain has set in fairly heavily. The radar suggests it will take some time to pass, although it will pass.

5.44am GMT

Ah, it’s raining again in Adelaide. Boo. We’ll be delayed for the restart.

5.29am GMT

An excellent session from David Warner. That was no Gabba flat track, there has been some seam and swing on a helpful surface in gloomy light. But Warner has come through those challenges, batted within himself, and taken his chances to score when they have presented themselves. Musa has been overwhelmed on debut, Abbas has not been at this best, and Yasir Shah has not been sighted. Pakistan had some early joy with the wicket of Burns but need plenty more.

5.26am GMT

22nd over: Australia 70-1 (Warner 45, Labuschagne 18) Three balls on a good length from Abbas, but he slips up with the fourth. Too full, and Warner gets a full stride forward and drives it through the covers for four. Top shot. In control. And the final score before the tea break.

5.23am GMT

21st over: Australia 66-1 (Warner 41, Labuschagne 18) Shaheen Afridi comes back for Musa, who will have a break to clear his head. The standard of the bowling lifts immediately, Shaheen testing out the area near the edge of Warner’s bat. Eventually the opener gets another drop-and-run single.

5.18am GMT

20th over: Australia 64-1 (Warner 40, Labuschagne 17) Only one run from the Abbas over, but it wasn’t a good one. The last five balls are all too wide of off stump, and Warner is happy to leave them alone. At least they weren’t short and wide.

5.12am GMT

19th over: Australia 63-1 (Warner 40, Labuschagne 16) Musa to Labuschagne, short again, pulled in the air but landing well short of the man at deep square leg. Musa comes around the wicket to Warner and too short again, cut away once more for four. This is has been a really poor display so far, the kid on debut needs to get his game working. He doesn’t though: short and guided to third man by Warner for a single, then short and straight and pulled for four by Labuschagne. A fifty partnership for this pair. And another no-ball for Musa, just to round out a miserable few minutes for him.

5.07am GMT

18th over: Australia 50-1 (Warner 35, Labuschagne 10) Wrong way around, Pakistan. Rather than Musa copying Abbas for length, Abbas copies Musa. Short, wide, and Warner crashes it for four. Warner has an average of 57 and three hundreds at the Adelaide Oval. Likes this surface.

5.02am GMT

17th over: Australia 45-1 (Warner 31, Labuschagne 9) Musa’s line is now on the body, but too short still. Warner pulls, not timing it but getting a run trickling out to midwicket. Labuschagne plays his pull better, getting the ball out towards the rope, but there’s a sweeper there for it.

5.00am GMT

16th over: Australia 43-1 (Warner 30, Labuschagne 8) Another maiden for Abbas, with Labuschagne walking across and trying to play him to the leg side consistently. Labuschagne showed his long-innings temperament in Brisbane, but batting here today might feel a bit more like England.

4.59am GMT

15th over: Australia 43-1 (Warner 30, Labuschagne 8) Warner keeps going after Musa, who keeps giving him too much width and bowling too short. Warner is using his cut shot now, first for a couple of runs, then smashing one for four.

4.49am GMT

14th over: Australia 37-1 (Warner 24, Labuschagne 8) Not much of a break for Abbas, who now comes back to replace Shaheen and change ends. Operating from the Cathedral End now, and bowling to Labuschagne. He misses a couple, once on the pads, once outside off, but when he does connect with another bad ball on leg stump he connects cleanly. Four through square leg.

4.46am GMT

13th over: Australia 33-1 (Warner 24, Labuschagne 4) There goes Warner! Decides he’s seen enough of the young Musa, and crashes a drive through cover before leaning back to uppercut a short ball over the cordon. Eight from the over.

4.37am GMT

12th over: Australia 25-1 (Warner 16, Labuschagne 4) Shaheen won’t get a rest yet. Drops short, and Warner swings hard with a pull shot but doesn’t time properly, gets three limping runs through midwicket. The bowler tries a couple of sharper short balls against Labuschagne, and the second nearly cleans him up. The batsman survives until drinks.

4.31am GMT

11th over: Australia 22-1 (Warner 13, Labuschagne 4) The bowling change comes now, with Muhammad Musa. A single to Warner, then he nearly bowls Labuschagne, who leaves a ball that seams back in at off stump. It’s also a no-ball, so Pakistan might actually be thankful that it didn’t hit the stumps, because if they had another debut bowler’s first wicket taken back for overstepping, as happened to Naseem Shah in Brisbane, it would really have dispirited them.

4.27am GMT

10th over: Australia 20-1 (Warner 12, Labuschagne 4) The opening bowlers still operating, with Shaheen again trying to draw Marnus outside off stump. The batsman won’t be tempted, defending so compactly and leaving when possible.

4.22am GMT

9th over: Australia 20-1 (Warner 12, Labuschagne 4) Mohammad Abbas is trying to make Warner play by pitching up, but overdoes it and Warner drives him for four! Just. The ball slows up markedly near the rope, but finally nudges it before the pursuing fielders can arrive. Leg-side next ball, through midwicket for two. Abbas gets back on target for the rest of the over.

4.18am GMT

8th over: Australia 14-1 (Warner 6, Labuschagne 4) Warner has found his method now: tip and run. This time he drops Shaheen into the off side and starts his sprint. Shaheen keeps Labuschagne in place with the next five balls.

4.11am GMT

7th over: Australia 13-1 (Warner 5, Labuschagne 4) After two more leaves, Warner finally escapes the examination from Abbas by dropping the ball towards midwicket and sprinting for a single. Marnus Labuschagne immediately is able to score where Warner couldn’t, as the bowler has to change to over the wicket to the right-hander. Abbas bowls on his pads and Labuschagne clips a boundary through midwicket. Tries to repeat the does to a leg-stump line, and gets a leading edge into the covers that falls safe.

4.06am GMT

6th over: Australia 8-1 (Warner 4, Labuschagne 0) These days Labuschagne isn’t just playing the Steve Smith lightsabre leave, he’s playing almost a mock pull shot when he leaves balls outside the off stump. Shaheen is bowling quickly and testing him out around off stump, then drops in a sharp bouncer that makes the batsman hop. This is good partnership bowling.

4.04am GMT

5th over: Australia 8-1 (Warner 4, Labuschagne 0) Abbas remains accurate, and Warner is quite happy to see off the bowler’s early overs and take plenty of time. Another maiden.

3.59am GMT

4th over: Australia 8-1 (Warner 4, Labuschagne 0) Nearly another wicket the ball after Burns goes, with Shaheen just beating the outside edge of Marnus Labuschagne. His bat clips the ground, and there’s a huge appeal in unison from the Pakistan team, but the umpire calls correctly and the Pakistanis don’t review.

3.56am GMT

An early wicket for Pakistan, after bowling at this opening partnership for so long up at the Gabba. Burns opens his account against Shaheen by striding forward into a cover drive for four, so Shaheen shortens his length a touch, gets a perfect line just on off stump, and Burns is drawn into a little open-faced push. The ball kisses near the shoulder of the bat and takes the edge.

3.52am GMT

3rd over: Australia 4-0 (Warner 4, Burns 0) Swing and seam for Abbas, but he starts the ball so wide of off stump that it nearly lands off the pitch. He gets his line right after that and draws a thick outside edge from Warner, steered through the cordon for four. Back into the pads comes Abbas, inswing this time! Warner gets enough on it, but this is a very encouraging start for the bowler.

3.49am GMT

2nd over: Australia 0-0 (Warner 0, Burns 0) Shaheen Afridi, the tall, left-armer, to start from the Cathedral End. He’s a bit too wide across Burns, who leaves five balls and reaches for the last to steer it to gully, nicely timed and could have flown for four but it finds the field.

3.43am GMT

1st over: Australia 0-0 (Warner 0, Burns 0) During that delay, Warner and Burns were sitting outside the rooms in their pressed clean whites, playing rock-paper-scissors. Was that to see who would face the first ball? Warner ends up taking it, Abbas with the ball. Accurate immediately, from around the wicket to the left-hander and just moving away. Left, then he bowls closer to off stump and draws a couple of defensive shots. A maiden to start.

3.36am GMT

Brian Withington writes in. “Storm clouds over Hamilton have forced the players off and English OBOers scurrying for succour elsewhere. What could be better than the mighty Lemon covering a pink ball Test at Adelaide? Bring it on, maestro.” Well, I blush. All the attention is coming over here? The pressure.

3.34am GMT

There’s a slight delay, not for rain itself but to tidy up after the bit that fell earlier. The gators are dragging the rope around.

3.28am GMT

“G’day Geoff, do you think Pakistan have more a fighting chance with the pink ball then they did in Brisbane?” asks Michael Hargreaves. “And with four quicks under 20 who can get north of 140 mark, do you think Pakistan should move their “Home” games at the UAE to our much maligned secondary grounds? Think Hobart, Canberra, Darwin and soon to be Brisbane would welcome a bashful speed brigade. Surly they’d get better crowds than three security guards and the WAGs.”

It’s not the worst idea, the latter. I guess it’s a longer flight from Pakistan to Australia. And Mohammad Amir rather put his foot in it when it comes to Pakistan being invited to host games in other Test countries, with his no-ball at Lord’s. And yes, hopefully they do have a chance with a combination of the pink ball, humidity, some life in this pitch, and Abbas.

3.22am GMT

Karl Winda Telfer leads an extensive opening ceremony of Indigenous dance, then the Qantas choir do their advertising bit, and now the teams come out for the anthems. The ground staff have covered the pitch with one small tarp, which is curious. It doesn’t look like it’s raining, but there is some very light drizzle I think. A few umbrellas (ellas, ellas) up.

3.11am GMT

The home team unchanged, while Pakistan have three expected changes: Imam in to open the batting with Azhar moving down the order and Haris Sohail dropped; one teenager fast bowler in Muhammad Musa to replace another in Naseem Shah (and make his debut as Naseem did last week); and most importantly, the seam genius Mohammad Abbas in for Imran Khan, to see if Abbas can replicate something like the brilliant form he displayed against Australia in the UAE a year ago.

Australia
David Warner
Joe Burns
Marnus Labuschagne
Steve Smith
Travis Head
Matthew Wade
Tim Paine
Pat Cummins
Mitchell Starc
Nathan Lyon
Josh Hazlewood

3.07am GMT

The first question is whether Australia’s top three can back up their big work from Brisbane. The second is whether Steve Smith will have to wait three days for a bat. The third is how he will bounce back from the first time he has ever made the outright lowest score in a full Australian innings.

3.06am GMT

There we are, convention holds sway. There’s a yellowish light through the thick cloud, so it might be hard to see the ball. A tricky session for the batsmen is coming up.

2.47am GMT

I also just realised I’m early. Forgot to change my watch to Adelaide time on arrival. Actually it was a deliberate decision, because I thought the extra half hour might help me be on time for things. It worked.

This is a Test match, so I’d love to see your correspondence. Emails come in to geoff.lemon@theguardian.com, otherwise you can tweet me at @GeoffLemonSport.

2.45am GMT

If you’re wondering, it’s not day five. It’s day one. We’ll sort out that technical mishap in the next little while. It will be very interesting to see what happens with the toss, with the cloud and the humidity. Though I can’t imagine Tim Paine bowling first after being bitten at the Oval.

2.33am GMT

Hello from the Adelaide Oval. The grand old girl has got her festive skirts on and is ready for another day-night Test. We had a traditional day game here last year at India’s request, but Adelaide is the new home of the pink ball and will revert to type here. What’s happening in Adelaide? Well, it rained a little bit in the last hour, but that has cleared up. It’s fairly warm and a little bit humid today so it won’t be uncomfortable for a crowd as long the sky juice doesn’t return. Both teams are out in the middlw arming up now, the Pakistanis with big rubber bands doing stretches and the Australians throwing their preferred flavour of football around. Smith has the rugby ball and Little Davey Warner, the walking contradiction, has the Sherrin.

Now the teams have got into their respective circles. Pakistan need to regroup after a thrashing. Australia need to maintain the charge. What’s going on in the Australian group? Applause over there, as though it were a cap presentation. Surely not a blindside Michael Neser debut? We can dream.

Continue reading...

Australia v Pakistan: first Test, day four – Australia win by an innings and five runs

Australia wrap up comprehensive victory inside four daysBabar Azam’s 105 not enough to save Pakistan

6.40am GMT

A highly convincing victory for Australia, which was set on its course when Pakistan were held to a mere 240 in their first innings. That total was put into context by Australia’s response, a mammoth 580 that effectively rendered this match over inside three days. David Warner cashed in on his homecoming, scoring a first Test century for almost two years and going some way to exorcising the demons of his Ashes failure. But the talking point of this first Test was not Warner, nor Australia’s 13th straight Gabba Test win over Pakistan and not even the no-ball controversy surrounding Mohammad Rizwan’s dismissal on Thursday that will likely grow legs in the coming days. The story of this match was Marnus Labuschagne, whose maiden Test century answered any lingering questions about the composition of Australia’s top order. His 185 was the knock of a man who will be scoring runs for his country long into the future. Pakistan battled gamely to almost make Australia bat again for victory - in Babar Azam and Rizwan there is plenty for Australia to work on - so they will at least head to Adelaide with optimism their best might be good enough. But, as these four days at the Gabba illustrated, a session or two here and there simply won’t do. Pakistan will need to be at the top of their game from start to finish if they are to level this two-match series. Thanks for your company. Let’s do it all again in Adelaide.

6.22am GMT

After guiding Australia to their 13th consecutive Test victory over Pakistan at the Gabba, here’s what captain Tim Paine has to offer:

“To score 580, that’s exactly what you want out of your Test batters on a very good wicket. It’s fantastic to see Davey (Warner) back, he obviously had his struggles in England. We knew that when Davey got back to Australia, he’s a different proposition. He played superbly. Everyone in the team was really happy for Marnus (Labuschagne). This was his first Test hundred. He works as hard as anyone, he loves the game of cricket and gives us some real energy. His Ashes in tough conditions was awesome and he looks like he’s getting better and better.”

“I thought they were pretty good. We hold them to a really high standard, so we would have liked to clean up a little bit quicker today but the two guys in the middle batted really well. We know we’ve got an excellent all-round attack, they’ve taken 20 wickets which they continually do and we’re very lucky to have them.”

6.09am GMT

Josh Hazlewood took six wickets for the match, including four wickets in the second dig. Here’s what he has to say:

“It’s always good fun coming back to the Gabba. Getting that extra bounce. I got a few rewards at the end there, and Mitchell Starc too, so all good.”

“They’re both really good players and scored quite a few runs. So we’ll take a look at them and try to figure them out.”

6.03am GMT

Some pockets of resistance from Pakistan today - most notably a couple of great knocks from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan - but Australia wrap up a convincing win to take a 1-0 series lead.

6.01am GMT

Imran goes out with all guns blazing, driving Starc for four before trying the same again but picking out Wade in the deep. Australia win by an innings and five runs.

5.58am GMT

84th over: Pakistan 331-9 (Imran Khan 1, Naseem Shah 0) Shaheen keeps on swinging but the middle is hard to find and he gets nowhere near this pull shot, directing a leading edge to Cummins at extra cover. That’s four for Hazlewood now. Just one wicket to go.

5.53am GMT

83rd over: Pakistan 331-8 (Shaheen Afridi 10, Imran Khan 1) Starc to Shaheen, with a short leg in place. The way Shaheen is swinging, Labuschagne will be grateful for the invention of helmets. And swing he does, past the close-in fielder for one to deep midwicket. Imran then sees Starc off, not with conviction but he does it all the same. Pakistan trail by 9 runs.

5.45am GMT

82nd over: Pakistan 330-8 (Shaheen Afridi 9, Imran Khan 1)

Yasir tries to work Hazlewood though midwicket but succeeds only in sending a leading edge to Wade at extra cover. The end is surely nigh, with the only question being can Pakistan make Australia bat again. Shaheen is certainly doing everything he can to ensure that happens, swinging very hard and sending Hazlewood flying over the slips for four.

5.42am GMT

81st over: Pakistan 324-7 (Yasir Shah 42, Shaheen Afridi 4) The new ball is taken, not by Cummins but by Starc. Shaheen swings hard and gets off the mark with a boundary through midwicket. Four leg-byes, then four byes off a ball that gained an enormous amount of bounce, follow and Pakistan now trail by 16 runs.

5.37am GMT

80th over: Pakistan 312-7 (Yasir Shah 42, Shaheen Afridi 0) Hazlewood on for one to blow out the cobwebs before the new ball is due. And his first ball is a loosener but it still gets the wicket, Rizwan helping a wide one over backward point and into the hands of Lyon in the deep. No century for Rizwan but that was still a fine knock in just his second Test. His 95 is the highest score by a visiting keeper in Tests at the Gabba. Yasir lives dangerously later in the over, sending a leading edge over the slip cordon and it’s Paine, like Rizwan in Australia’s innings, who chases the ball and saves a boundary. Yasir then flat bats Hazlewood down the ground for four. An eventful over, you could say. New ball now due.

5.30am GMT

79th over: Pakistan 305-6 (Rizwan 95, Yasir Shah 36) Gem of a ball from Cummins to beat Yasir with sheer pace and seam movement, which is no mean feat on this deck with a ball 78 overs old. Cummins’ next over will be with the new cherry. He’ll be nice and loose for that.

5.27am GMT

78th over: Pakistan 303-6 (Rizwan 94, Yasir Shah 35) Yasir leans back, plays nicer and late to send Lyon down to fine leg for two. Rizwan then muffs a paddle sweep, with Labuschagne claiming the catch, diving from short leg. The sift signal is out but the third umpire intervenes and rules that the ball did hit the ground. Not Out! After Rizwan’s no-ball misfortune in the first dig, he deserves this.

5.20am GMT

77th over: Pakistan 299-6 (Rizwan 91, Yasir Shah 34) Cummins into the attack now. Interesting Cummins will want two overs with the old ball. Usually one ball is enough. He might be thinking otherwise now after Yasir clips him behind square for four. An uppish jab to the on side then lands safely, just in front of mid on.

5.15am GMT

76th over: Pakistan 293-6 (Rizwan 90, Yasir Shah 29) Lyon beats Rizwan’s outside edge before the batsman picks up two wide of point and then moves into the 90s with a single.

5.12am GMT

75th over: Pakistan 289-6 (Rizwan 87, Yasir Shah 28) Labuschagne pitches the ball up, trying to draw the drive from Rizwan, and he does get a thick edge. But with just one slip and no gully in place, the threat is non-existent.

5.08am GMT

74th over: Pakistan 284-6 (Rizwan 83, Yasir Shah 27) Now Yasir gets in on the act, driving Lyon down the ground and carting him over midwicket for two more boundaries. While the ball is old and soft, why the heck not? At this rate, they’ll be in front when the new ball is due. Pakistan trail by 56 runs.

5.05am GMT

73rd over: Pakistan 276-6 (Rizwan 83, Yasir Shah 19) And we’re back for the final session of day four. Labuschagne to continue with his leggies. Think we’ll see Paine getting to over No.80 as quickly as he can. From Australia’s point of view, the new ball is the promised land. Rizwan gets a full toss but picks out the man in the deep and earns just the one. Last ball, however, he finds the gap at fine-leg and moves into the 80s with a boundary.

4.55am GMT

Cricket’s a funny game, we know that, and StickSports Fan can see the incumbent batsmen carrying on the good work for Pakistan:

Take it away, SSF: “Yasir Shah scored a fancy half-century in one of the practice matches, with enough technique and temperament which I was unaware he possessed with the willow in hand. Now that Babar is dismissed, one might be tempted to believe that Pakistan will wrap up their innings soon enough. But with Rizwan more than capable to occupy one end, Yasir needs to hold on at the other. Doing so might seem futile for an external viewer, but it isn’t - it will be a moral victory for the team, and a huge boost going into the second Test. So stick out there, guys, we know you can!”

4.50am GMT

A good session for Pakistan, no doubt about that. A total of 124 runs for the loss of one wicket is a good return by anyone’s standards. That wicket, however, belonged to century-maker Babar Azam, and Pakistan are all the more vulnerable now for his absence. That said, Mohammad Rizwan is batting quite beautifully and the visitors will be confident they can continue their war of resistance in the evening session. But the new ball is due in eight overs. How Pakistan handle that, and how Australia use it, will ultimately shape the destiny of this match.

4.43am GMT

72nd over: Pakistan 268-6 (Rizwan 77, Yasir Shah 17) Last over of the session. Lyon to bowl. Yasir attempts an extravagant sweep but plays so early that the ball actually hits the end of the bat, flush. You don’t see that too often. You do see tea, however, and that is the juncture of day four at which we have arrived.

4.40am GMT

71st over: Pakistan 268-6 (Rizwan 77, Yasir Shah 17) Labuschagne on now. His first ball, a rank long hop, is sent to the fence by Yasir and Rizwan helps himself to the same later in the over. Thirteen runs from the over. I know Labuschagne is a part-timer, but I counted four looseners there.

4.37am GMT

70th over: Pakistan 255-6 (Rizwan 72, Yasir Shah 9) Lyon back in the attack now but it’s Rizwan who roars, moving his feet and driving through extra cover for four. Great response from the spinner, who next ball gets one to turn out of a foot mark and takes the inside edge. No wicket but that’ll get the batsman thinking.

4.33am GMT

69th over: Pakistan 247-6 (Rizwan 66, Yasir Shah 7) Just the single off Hazlewood’s latest offering. Apologies I can’t give you more than that.

4.29am GMT

68th over: Pakistan 246-6 (Rizwan 65, Yasir Shah 7) Yasir takes one for the team, trying to defend a short one with an angled bat but instead wearing it in the abdomen. Starc then affords Rizwan a little too much width and is punched through the covers for two. A short one is then pulled comfortably for one more before Starc’s radar goes AWOL, and not even Paine can stop this one running away for four byes. Pakistan trail by 94 runs.

4.24am GMT

67th over: Pakistan 238-6 (Rizwan 62, Yasir Shah 6) Hazlewood on now for Cummins, who looked a bit off in that spell. Just a fraction. First ball, Yasir is trapped on his crease and the question of leg before is asked. But there looks to be an inside edge in play and the appeal is turned down. Yasir then gets a bit of width and drives square for four.

4.20am GMT

66th over: Pakistan 233-6 (Rizwan 62, Yasir Shah 1) Like an AFL player who kicks a goal and is immediately removed from play, Lyon grabs a wicket and is rewarded with a rest. Starc on now, around the wicket to new batsman Yasir, who gets off the mark with a single. The batsmen then go for a very cheeky single and Yasir is lucky to survive as Wade’s shy at the stumps narrowly misses with the batsman short of his ground.

4.15am GMT

65th over: Pakistan 230-6 (Rizwan 61, Yasir Shah 0) Cummins again from around the wicket to Rizwan, and again he’s very short. But Rizwan is equal to it, finishing the over with a boundary through backward point.

You might recall Abhijato Sensarma writing in yesterday saying Babar Azam stood between Australia and an innings victory. With, Babar now gone, Abhijato has filed again: “Just before the close of play yesterday, I sent in an email where I proposed two thoughts - Babar Azam was what stood between Australia and an innings victory; also, if there was any team in the world which would be able to make the opposition bat again after being in the position they were, it was Pakistan. You rightly responded by saying that I must possess a cricket romantic’s imagination. Alas, Pakistan are any cricket romantic’s sweetheart! The pitch has helped them, but there’s still been the need to show resolve, which these two have shown quite effectively. The occurrence of a fourth innings is surely an unlikely likelihood now ...”

OUT! A wonderful innings from Babar Azam comes to an end, and the gets the breakthrough #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/F9FprKiO9b

4.09am GMT

64th over: Pakistan 226-6 (Rizwan 57) Babar’s excellent century comes to and end. Lyon draws the cut shot and either Babr misjudges it or there is a touch of extra bounce. Either way, the edge finds a home in Paine’s gloves and Australia have the breakthrough. That sixth-wicket stand was worth 132 and Pakistan trail by 114 runs.

4.03am GMT

63rd over: Pakistan 224-5 (Babar Azam 103, Rizwan 56) Cummins continues with customary gusto and bluster, but there looks to be less in it for the quicks on this fourth-day deck. It’s definitely flattening out. He changes to around the wicket to Rizwan, who swoops on a mid-pitcher and collects two.

4.00am GMT

62nd over: Pakistan 221-5 (Babar Azam 102, Rizwan 54) Paine is chirping away behind the stumps. Something about one of the batsman not changing his gloves. Or something about wet gloves. Honestly, I’m not sure. But he almost had a reason to get genuinely excited on the last ball of Lyon’s over, with Rizwan cutting and missing. That was close to the edge.

3.56am GMT

61st over: Pakistan 220-5 (Babar Azam 101, Rizwan 54) Cummins persists with the short stuff, with short leg in place, but in most cases they’ve been too high to draw a shot. Now fuller in length, his line deserts him and Rizwan drives for two. A better short ball to end the over takes Rizwan’s interest, but he manages to keep the bat away.

What a way to bring it up!

Bravo, Babar Azam! #AUSvPAK | https://t.co/oHjjQibN4b pic.twitter.com/hreTdxPBOl

3.51am GMT

60th over: Pakistan 217-5 (Babar Azam 100, Rizwan 52) Lyon resumes after drinks. First ball, Rizwan goes the sweep shot and as laboured as it is, he still gets enough of it to cross the rope and register his maiden Test fifty. Well played. These two have now put on 123 together, the same number as Pakistan’s deficit - 123.

3.47am GMT

Gratitude and platitudes, Jonathan. And indeed to Mr Lemon before you. Love your work. Well this is better from Pakistan. Though their backs remain against the wall, there’s no reason Pakistan shouldn’t be scoring runs: fourth day on a pancake-good batting deck, shine well and truly off the ball, overhead conditions divine. And, particularly in that first session, perhaps Australia’s field settings might have been a tad more attacking. But when you see Pakistan playing well, as Babar Azam is doing so elegantly, it just makes you look at the flip side (and there’s been plenty of that in this match) and scratch your head. Anyway, let’s see if Pakistan can continue to show some fight and at least make Australia bat again. You know the drill, email me or tweet if you’d like to get involved. Let’s do this thing.

3.44am GMT

Ok, that’s drinks. When play resumes Scott Heinrich will be on the keys. Thanks for your company.

3.44am GMT

59th over: Pakistan 213-5 (Babar Azam 100, Rizwan 48) Lyon’s brief and unsuccessful spell is ended by the return of Cummins. Babar is nonplussed, spanking an opening bouncer well in front of square for four. That takes him within one shot of a second Test century, and it arrives just three balls later with a classic cover drive! 25-years-old and just at that precious moment in his career when it all comes together at the highest level.

3.38am GMT

58th over: Pakistan 205-5 (Babar Azam 92, Rizwan 48) That Rizwan v Starc battle just received another highlight. Short and fast from the bowler, aggressive from the batsman, throwing his hands at the ball and watching it fly high and safely to the third-man boundary. Starc responds with more pace just back of a length, forcing Rizwan first to defend smartly but he’s then flashing outside off and almost offering a chance to Paine.

3.34am GMT

57th over: Pakistan 201-5 (Babar Azam 92, Rizwan 44) Better from Lyon, finding his length from around the wicket to Babar; until he doesn’t. Four probing deliveries are undone by a fifth that’s too short, allowing Babar to pierce the offside field and collect a boundary.

3.31am GMT

56th over: Pakistan 197-5 (Babar Azam 88, Rizwan 44) Century partnership for the seventh wicket and both batsmen are looking set for handy scores. Rizwan clips Starc off his legs for three then Babar drills the big left-hander through the covers for three more. Starc responds with some extra pace and bounce but for all the oohs and ahs it elicits in the cordon it is not a wicket-taking delivery.

3.27am GMT

55th over: Pakistan 190-5 (Babar Azam 84, Rizwan 41) Pakistan are refusing to allow Lyon any chance to settle. Both batsmen are using their feet, both looking to score on either side of the wicket, and the outcome is Lyon losing control of his length and adjusting his line from over, to around, then back over the wicket. The highlight of the battle was a crunching four though the covers from Rizwan, pressing forward then rocking back, Ponting-like, before whipcracking the cut shot.

3.24am GMT

54th over: Pakistan 185-5 (Babar Azam 83, Rizwan 37) Double change for Australia with Starc coming on for his first spell since lunch. It doesn’t change Pakistan’s mindset though with Babar and Rizwan both finding gaps to run singles. The latter then almost comes a cropper midway through the over when he throws his hands at a short and wide delivery that he fails to get on top of, breathing a sigh of relief when it lands just short of the diving point fielder. Rizwan escapes again when he misses a pull shot that skims agonisingly close to his underedge. Starc v Rizwan; one to keep an eye on as this session progresses.

3.17am GMT

53rd over: Pakistan 183-5 (Babar Azam 82, Rizwan 36) A good time to introduce spin into the afternoon session but Lyon doesn’t settle quickly and both batsmen find singles to keep the scoreboard moving.

3.16am GMT

52nd over: Pakistan 180-5 (Babar Azam 81, Rizwan 34) Singles apiece take this partnership into the 80s but that’s only the prelude for a Babar slap through the covers that makes the kind of precise sound you imagine might herald the arrival of a unicorn. Glorious timing. It’s just starting to get frustrating for Australia. Hazlewood in particular is stomping around like a man forced to tally untruths in the UK general election campaign. He always seems to be a fielder short somewhere, and his skipper is getting an earful.

3.11am GMT

3.09am GMT

51st over: Pakistan 173-5 (Babar Azam 76, Rizwan 32) The first maiden since lunch. Line and length from Cummins; watchful from Babar.

3.04am GMT

50th over: Pakistan 173-5 (Babar Azam 76, Rizwan 32) Following that narrow escape Babar gets off strike, allowing Rizwan to maintain his brisk strike-rate since lunch, squirting a boundary behind square on the off-side then pushing with hard hands away from his body to squeeze another couple through gully.

3.02am GMT

Oooh, that was very very close. The appeal looked very good until DRS showed the ball hitting the bails within the margin of error for umpire’s call. That could easily have bene given live but as soon as it goes to review the extra bounce of Australian pitches comes into effect.

2.59am GMT

Hazlewood hammers Babar in front with a beauty that nips back from outside off stump but the appeal is declined on-field.

2.59am GMT

49th over: Pakistan 166-5 (Babar Azam 75, Rizwan 26) This is turning into a handy little counterattack from Pakistan since lunch. Babar exudes class with a drive en pointe through point for three before Rizwan hooks with fast hands for a boundary down to fine-leg. Singles are exchanged and then Cummins slings down a bouncer so short and loose it flies away for five wides.

2.53am GMT

48th over: Pakistan 152-5 (Babar Azam 71, Rizwan 21) Rizwan continues to keep the scorers busy, but it al feels a bit sketchy. His latest runs come off the top third of his blade after a length delivery from Hazlewood gets bit big on him, the ball scuttling down to third-man. Trigger warning for Pepe Reina: a beach ball has made its way onto the outfield.

2.48am GMT

47th over: Pakistan 150-5 (Babar Azam 71, Rizwan 19) Cummins shares duties with Hazlewood after lunch. His first delivery is a touch full which allows Rizwan to rotate strike, allowing Babar to cash in on a rare long-hop a few balls later. The Pakistan batsman thrashed one that was short and wide to the cover boundary like a man in complete control of his game.

2.43am GMT

46th over: Pakistan 145-5 (Babar Azam 67, Rizwan 18) Back underway after lunch with Hazlewood and he’s into his work from the off, getting one to nip back off a length and rap Rizwan in the vicinity of his personal pipe. It makes the right-hander a little skittish and he drives on the up a couple of deliveries later, skewing the ball without control towards the covers, a stroke for which he earns a single.

2.30am GMT

Meanwhile in the WBBL the Strikers required a super over to see off the Thunder. The win sees them move level on points with Heat at the top of the ladder. Sophie Devine was once again the star of the show.

2.24am GMT

Want some more live cricket to keep you sated during the lunch interval? How about New Zealand making England’s life a misery in the first Test at Bay Oval? Records are tumbling like a Simone Biles highlights package.

Related: New Zealand v England: first Test, day four – live!

2.20am GMT

Hello everybody, and thanks Geoff. I’ll be around through the lunch break and the first hour or so of the afternoon session.

It’ll be fun watching Babar bat for a bit longer. We knew before the series he was going to be the key man for Pakistan and he’s shown why this morning at the Gabba.

2.07am GMT

2.03am GMT

A couple more wickets fell in that session, and it looked like Pakistan might subside, but this has been a really good partnership between Babar and Rizwan. Resolute and skilled to see off the premier fast bowlers, and now they’ll have a chance to rest and rest. Shan Masood was good through the first hour too, sticking it out for a while, and Cummins and Hazlewood bowled beautifully.

Still Australia’s match to win today, but it’ll be interesting to see if this partnership can push on. Once it gets broken, there’s not much batting to come.

2.00am GMT

45th over: Pakistan 144-5 (Babar Azam 67, Rizwan 17) Labuschagne to Babar, who drives a run to cover, then Rizwan, who sweeps hard and airborne for a couple of runs to midwicket. Thinks about the third but Babar declines. You just wonder whether Rizwan might run out of patience and play a daft shot at some point. In the meantime, BJ Watling over in New Zealand has been batting for the duration of our lives and still isn’t finished. Rizwan goes back to circumspection with a couple of blocks and a single, and that over takes long enough that we have reached lunch.

1.57am GMT

44th over: Pakistan 140-5 (Babar Azam 66, Rizwan 14) Lyon twirls through another over, a couple of singles. He’ll probably get one more chance before the break with spin at the other end.

1.56am GMT

43rd over: Pakistan 138-5 (Babar Azam 65, Rizwan 13) Experiment time, as Marnus Labuschagne comes on to bowl his leg-breaks before the internal. Beats the outside edge early with a ball that zips through, but having gauged the bowling, Babar produces a lovely cover drive for four. Shorter goes Labuschagne, and longer goes Babar! Nearly six, pulled away and it bounces just inside the rope. Well, you can bowl your part-timer, says Babar, and I will feast. That was authoritative.

1.52am GMT

42nd over: Pakistan 130-5 (Babar Azam 57, Rizwan 13) A very subcontinent shot there, as Babar gets width from Lyon and squats to slap it away down the ground. The sort of shot that he and Kohli both love playing outside off stump against spin. Three runs for Babar this time, as lunch approaches.

1.48am GMT

41st over: Pakistan 127-5 (Babar Azam 54, Rizwan 13) Fifty for Babar! Lovely shot to bring it up. His first fifty in Australia, his 11th overall. He’d love to turn it into his second century. He made 99 against Australia last year in Abu Dhabi. Starc gives him a nice short length, and Babar with the angle slays the cut shot for four. He waves briefly to acknowledge the applause, then resumes to pull a single. Short again to Rizwan, and he carves away a couple of runs behind point. Short for a fourth time, and another boundary, this time for Rizwan. Pulled away with authority, and Starc’s over goes for 11.

1.44am GMT

40th over: Pakistan 116-5 (Babar Azam 49, Rizwan 7) Three singles from the Lyon over. Tim Paine gave a roasting to Joe Burns in that over, who threw in from the boundary. You can hear Paine very clearly on the ABC broadcast via the stump mics. “Horrible throw,” you heard Paine say, then call out to Burns with a degree of satire, “Great arm, Burnsy. Rocket arm.” Enjoying themselves out there.

1.42am GMT

39th over: Pakistan 113-5 (Babar Azam 47, Rizwan 6) Starc down leg side again, outside off again, back to leg stump. Gets away with the first one, Babar punches two runs from the second, then a single from the third. Babar continues to awaken from his long morning sleep.

1.40am GMT

1.36am GMT

38th over: Pakistan 110-5 (Babar Azam 44, Rizwan 6) Lyon to Rizwan, a maiden as the Pakistani keeper-batsman is happy to just drop the ball at his feet and have a good long look.

1.33am GMT

37th over: Pakistan 110-5 (Babar Azam 44, Rizwan 6) Brilliant from Wade. That should be a boundary for Rizwan as he drives, but Wade dives across and deflects it to mid-on where Cummins is. Keeps it to one run. Babar is able to find scoring chances from Starc more easily than Cummins or Hazlewood, reaching and guiding a ball through gully for a couple of runs.

1.29am GMT

36th over: Pakistan 107-5 (Babar Azam 42, Rizwan 5) Talk about looking more comfortable against spin. Babar gets a do-over against Lyon’s short ball. The first one he cuts straight to the field, the second one he cuts wider and through for four. A deep breath of relief for the batsman with that boundary. He’s survived the tough pace examination well.

1.24am GMT

35th over: Pakistan 103-5 (Babar Azam 38, Rizwan 5) Starc to Rizwan, two action players, should be a good contest. Width to the right-hander to start, angled across him from over the wicket, left alone. Pitches up, Rizwan drives through cover and will belt back for three. That’s his go, love this. Babar has to defend from back of a length, then defend a yorker. You have to be on your toes, because Starc will be on them otherwise. Then the bouncer for the full set, Babar swaying away, before taking a leg bye from the last ball.

1.20am GMT

34th over: Pakistan 99-5 (Babar Azam 38, Rizwan 2) Double change, with Lyon on for Hazlewood. Babar looks happier immediately, dropping back in his crease to make room to work two runs through square leg. Except his scoring rate to tick up.

1.17am GMT

33rd over: Pakistan 97-5 (Babar Azam 36, Rizwan 2) A bowling change, Mitchell Starc is on. Immediately there’s an uptick in deliveries on leg stump. But one of them nearly produces a wicket, Rizwan gloving on the bounce through to Paine. There’s also inswing and pace and a variety of lengths. The full Starc mixed bag, and no runs scored.

1.14am GMT

32nd over: Pakistan 97-5 (Babar Azam 36, Rizwan 2) If you want to get a sense of the bowling accuracy this morning, look at how few runs have been scored to fine leg. Babar gets one here from Hazlewood, and it’s a rare gift for him to get off strike. Rizwan is a little more proactive, punching into a gap at cover for a run.

1.10am GMT

31st over: Pakistan 95-5 (Babar Azam 35, Rizwan 1) Cummins again, and Rizwan is happy to treat him with respect. A series of leaves, blocks, and a duck for the bouncer. Another maiden for Cummins, five in his dozen overs now. Two wickets for 24 for him.

1.05am GMT

30th over: Pakistan 95-5 (Babar Azam 35, Rizwan 1) Babar takes a single, Hazlewood takes a wicket. Easy as that. Rizwan comes to the middle along with the drinks trolley. A nice way to start your innings. Not much left in this match now for Pakistan except for these two to make a statement. Rizwan played really well in the first innings and was unlucky to be given out off what should have been called a no-ball. Babar played a shocker of a shot in the first dig and would love to make up for it. So they’ll have the second hour of this morning session in Brisbane in the first instance. Hazlewood finishes the over after the break, and Rizwan almost ends his resistance very early by chopping onto the stumps. He’s off the mark. Pakistan trail by 236.

12.58am GMT

That didn’t last long. A decent delivery from Hazlewood but nothing more than that. On off stump, moving away a touch, and it draws the pointless push and the edge behind. Now we’ll get the entertainment of Mohammad Rizwan, after drinks.

12.55am GMT

29th over: Pakistan 93-4 (Babar Azam 34, Iftikhar 0) The new batsman is Iftikhar Ahmed, the all-rounder who bowls some off-spin for Pakistan. A short leg comes in so that Cummins can keep bouncing. Iftikhar sees it out, and it’s a wicket maiden.

12.52am GMT

The pull shot eventually proves his undoing! A bit of a nothing delivery, the short ball is heading down leg side and Masood just wants to help it on its way. The right choice of shot but he just doesn’t execute, a bit late and instead of knocking it to ground he just nudges it through to the wicketkeeper. Cummins a bit fortunate with that particular ball, but it’s been a fine spell leading up to it.

12.49am GMT

28th over: Pakistan 93-3 (Shan Masood 42, Babar Azam 34) Masood keeps playing the pull shot well, almost every time the bowlers have gone short. Such a useful shot when it can help you rotate strike against aggressive deliveries. Babar is becalmed for the last four balls again, but he’s also almost castled by one of them, cutting into him and keeping low. That variable bounce again.

12.43am GMT

27th over: Pakistan 92-3 (Shan Masood 41, Babar Azam 34) Cummins to Masood again, and again bowls a beauty that sizzles past the outside edge again. This is some display of fast bowling, but Masood has survived so far. Leaves the next ball, ducks a bouncer, then find another run to the leg side. Nudge, run.

12.41am GMT

26th over: Pakistan 91-3 (Shan Masood 40, Babar Azam 34) Hazlewood continues, Masood in his sights, but again the batsman escapes early. He’s been managing this innings well, keeping his score moving. Babar has found it harder to work the ball around. Leaves or blocks for the most part.

12.34am GMT

25th over: Pakistan 90-3 (Shan Masood 39, Babar Azam 34) Cummins nearly gets his man! Past the edge of Masood, that one bounces a lot from a fullish length and zings past the batsman chest-high. Variable bounce is the last thing Pakistan need. But I guess it is day four. Masood manages to get off strike with a midwicket single. Relief for him, annoyance for Cummins. The quarry has escape. Babar sees out the rest of the over.

12.31am GMT

24th over: Pakistan 89-3 (Shan Masood 38, Babar Azam 34) Hazlewood continues his working over of Babar. Off stump, off stump, leaving him, holding the line. From the fourth ball Babar pushes through cover and might have got a boundary, but Wade sprints back to support his bowler and keeps it to two. Then JH drops short and Babar pulls him, in the air but evading the midwicket catcher by enough. Just enough. Four runs.

12.26am GMT

23rd over: Pakistan 83-3 (Shan Masood 38, Babar Azam 28) Four for Shan Masood! A bit streaky, driving at Cummins who is bowling around the wicket to the left-hander, driven through backward point. Could easily have gone wrong, but it comes off this time. He plays the pull shot well a couple of balls later though. A bit of height around Shan, and he got over the ball.

12.20am GMT

22nd over: Pakistan 77-3 (Shan Masood 32, Babar Azam 28) Now Hazlewood gets his chance, with Lyon dragged after that expensive over. Time to turn the screws, Paine decides. Babar is determinedly defending. It’s swinging a bit for the Hoff as he pitches up. Flirts with the outside edge of Babar a couple of times, once along the ground, twice beating the bat entirely. Top over.

12.17am GMT

21st over: Pakistan 77-3 (Shan Masood 32, Babar Azam 28) Another close one for Shan, who pushes at Cummins and edges him into the cordon. Went at it softly and so the edge didn’t carry. Another maiden for Cummins.

12.12am GMT

20th over: Pakistan 77-3 (Shan Masood 32, Babar Azam 28) Shan Masood is nearly caught! Premeditates a wipe against Lyon, down the ground but not to the pitch, and hits it airborne. Burns dives across at mid-off and fingertips it away, mid air. Shan takes three, Babar comes on strike. Two runs for him square of the wicket, then goes back to cut a boundary through point, and returns to the leg side for two more. The over costs 11. Confidence booster, despite the near miss.

12.08am GMT

19th over: Pakistan 66-3 (Shan Masood 29, Babar Azam 20) Pat Cummins to start from the other end, outside Babar’s off stump and left alone. Gets one that seems to jump at him, that might be a factor as the day wears on. He’s not looking composed outside off, following up with an inside edge into the pads. A maiden for Cummins.

12.03am GMT

18th over: Pakistan 66-3 (Shan Masood 29, Babar Azam 20) Nathan Lyon starts the day, probably to allow Josh Hazlewood to swing around to the other end to where he was bowling last night, is the theory from Jason Gillespie on ABC Grandstand. Shan Masood starts with a cut shot for a couple of runs. Lots of chatter from the Australians coming through the stump mics, with Warner prominent as always. Everything is above board though for now.

10.58pm GMT

Remember you can email me at geoff.lemon@theguardian.com, or find me on Twitter using @GeoffLemonSport.

10.57pm GMT

Here is our twin OBO of England’s ongoing Test over in New Zealand, where Watling is still batting. Also India are playing a day-night Test against Bangladesh, where Virat Kohli last night made his 70th international ton. As you do.

Related: New Zealand v England: first Test, day four – live!

10.56pm GMT

Here is the wires report of the day from yesterday if you want more details.

Related: Marnus Labuschagne hits maiden Test ton as Australia turn screws on Pakistan

10.55pm GMT

Here we are again, for what should surely be the last day of this Test match, even if it’s only the fourth. Pakistan are already three wickets down and a million runs behind (276 if you’re counting), and Australia’s bowlers had a good night’s sleep after a brief frolic yesterday evening following two days with their feet up.

Pakistan haven’t been in this match since lunch on the first day, when their stubborn opening stand turned into a collapse of top-order wickets. Five went down without much addition to the score, and only a substantial rearguard from Asad Shafiq got them to 240. That could have been competitive had they bowled well, but they missed the control of Mohammad Abbas and weren’t consistent enough to build pressure on Australia’s top three, all of whom made big scores.

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Australia v Pakistan: first Test, day three – as it happened

Marnus Labuschagne hits 185 in Australia’s first-innings 580Mitchell Starc strikes twice as Pakistan reduced to 64-3

8.13am GMT

And here is the day-three report.

Related: Marnus Labuschagne hits maiden Test ton as Australia turn screws on Pakistan

Related: Imperious Watling frustrates England as first Test swings in New Zealand's favour

7.38am GMT

Another day with Australia’s name written all over it. The hosts amassed 580 in their first innings, even with Steve Smith contributing a team-low four runs, before tightening their hold on Pakistan with three wickets late in the day. The visiting side, with two days to play, are at the foot of a mountain, trailing by 276 runs with seven wickets still in hand. The star of the show on Saturday was Marnus Labuschagne, who struck not only his maiden Test century but also his highest first-class score. It was the innings of a young man who promises to be scoring runs for Australia for years to come. Pakistan have pulled big batting performances out of the bag before, even here in Australia, but they’ll do well to avoid anything other than an innings defeat. Thanks for your company and good cheer. See you tomorrow.

7.29am GMT

17th over: Pakistan 64-3 (Shan Masood 27, Babar Azam 20) Last over of the day. Hazlewood to bowl. Babar plays at one he should probably have left, but his thick edge splits gully and third slip before racing to the third-man fence. Babar sees off the remaining deliveries and that is stumps. Pakistan trail by 276 runs with seven second-innings wickets in hand.

7.25am GMT

16th over: Pakistan 60-3 (Shan Masood 27, Babar Azam 16) Too wide from Lyon and Shan makes him pay with a boundary through the covers. Lyon then beats the bat with a huge turner and follows up with another, this time beating Paine also but not Smith, who claims the ‘catch’ at first slip. Confusion abounds, nobody is sure if Shan hit it or if it carried, but Australia decide to review the not-out decision. The evidence is not conclusive enough to overturn it and Shan is not out.

7.20am GMT

15th over: Pakistan 56-3 (Shan Masood 23, Babar Azam 16) A slower one from Hazlewood but he overpitches at the same time, allowing Babar to drive through the covers for three. Around the wicket now to the left-handed Shan. No breakthrough but the thought was there.

7.15am GMT

14th over: Pakistan 52-3 (Shan Masood 22, Babar Azam 13) Shadows lengthening, Lyon comes on for a bowl. And, men around the bat, he’s instantly good. A maiden to start. Three overs left in the day.

7.13am GMT

13th over: Pakistan 52-3 (Shan Masood 22, Babar Azam 13) Three more for Babar, square driving Hazlewood behind point. Pretty to watch.

Abhijato Sensarma writes in with this to say: “Babar Azam stands between Australia and an innings victory. If he and Pakistan somehow make the opposition bat again, it’s going to be a victory in itself for the demoralised team. Question is - how realistic is that possibility? The lesser it is, the more likely Pakistan are to pull it off.”

7.07am GMT

12th over: Pakistan 47-3 (Shan Masood 21, Babar Azam 10) Starc back in the attack, from the opposite end to his damaging opening spell. He goes shot to Babar, conceding a no-ball with the third of the over above shoulder height.

Tim Paine has produced the most dismissals (34) of any wicketkeeper in men's Test cricket in 2019, eight more than the next best (Quinton de Kock).#AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/GRkLCRkEha

7.01am GMT

11th over: Pakistan 42-3 (Shan Masood 20, Babar Azam 7) Close! Again! Shan steps into a straight drive but mistimes it badly and inside edges just past his stumps, picking up a single down to fine leg. Babar then helps himself to a juicy half volley from Cummins, driving to the fence in what is the shot of the innings to this point. Two balls later he drives again, this time through the covers for three. Pakistan trail by 298 runs.

6.56am GMT

10th over: Pakistan 32-3 (Shan Masood 19, Babar Azam 0) Close! Not sure what he was thinking, but Shan goes after a rising short ball from Hazlewood, gets very little of it, and fortuitously clears the man at mid-on. Could easily have been on his way. Hazlewood then does Babar for pace and misses the top of middle stump by millimetres. Outstanding fast bowling.

6.51am GMT

9th over: Pakistan 29-3 (Shan Masood 16, Babar Azam 0) Shan gets a fair chuck of this pull shot, taking Cummins for three, before Babar shows admirable restraint to keep the Aussie quick at arm’s length.

6.48am GMT

8th over: Pakistan 26-3 (Shan Masood 13, Babar Azam 0) Shan get a thick outside edge off Hazlewood but it lands just in front of the man at fourth slip. One run from the over.

6.42am GMT

7th over: Pakistan 25-3 (Shan Masood 12, Babar Azam 0) Cummins switches ends, replacing the wicket taker. Not sure how Starc might feel about that. Tail up, got the taste, now off to fine-leg you go! Cummins beats Asad’s inside edge with a nice off cutter before getting his man next ball thanks to a thick outside edge that finds its way to Smith at third slip. In all seriousness, unless the ball is heading towards the stumps, I’d advise Pakistan to keep bat away from ball tonight. Done for bounce, Asad on his way for a risible duck. Not that there are any good ones, I guess.

6.36am GMT

6th over: Pakistan 25-2 (Shan Masood 12, Asad Shafiq 0) Hazlewood on for Cummins. Hate to state the bleeding obvious, but Pakistan are in all shades of strife here. Starc has now done the double on Haris this match. Hazlewood opens with a maiden.

6.32am GMT

5th over: Pakistan 25-2 (Shan Masood 12, Asad Shafiq 0) Haris sits and waits on the back foot to Starc, opening the face for a nice boundary but then it all goes to pot next ball as he wafts at one outside off stump and is caught behind. The batsman stays at the crease for some time, no doubt cursing his own profligacy.

6.26am GMT

4th over: Pakistan 18-1 (Shan Masood 9, Haris Sohail 4) Haris picks up three off Cummins before ducking under a bouncer last ball. Good bowling from Starc in the previous over: dish up a shocker, lull the batsman into a false sense of security and then trap him with a fast, straight one.

Super Starc gets an early one!#AUSvPAK | @SpecsaversAU pic.twitter.com/CgN61jrsRr

6.21am GMT

3rd over: Pakistan 14-1 (Shan Masood 8, Haris Sohail 1) Starc overpitches, and is wide to boot, leaving Azhar with no option but to pummel him through the covers for four. But the next ball is straighter, much straighter, trapping the Pakistan captain in front of his stumps. The appeal goes up for leg before and he is out. A review follows, but the ball is legitimate, is pitching in line and goes down as umpire’s call for height, meaning Pakistan don’t lose a review for the failure.

6.15am GMT

2nd over: Pakistan 9-0 (Shan Masood 8, Azhar Ali 1) Cummins at the other end for Australia, and as a fully paid-up member of the Pat Cummins fan club you won’t hear any disagreement from me. Azhar picks up a single before the paceman tries to tempt the left-handed Shan from over the wicket, but nothing doing.

Kev M tweets in with this: “How often do you see Steve Smith with the lowest score in the innings?” That’s a good question, Kev. Would be a rarity. Anyone got the answer without delving deep, deep into the books?

6.09am GMT

1st over: Pakistan 8-0 (Shan Masood 8, Azhar Ali 0) Starc opens for Australia with three slips, a gully and a point. His first ball cannons into Shan’s hip, just above the thigh pad. Leather on bone. His pain is palpable but mind soon beats matter as he turns Starc through midwicket, and then past square, for successive boundaries. Pakistan trail by 332 runs.

6.01am GMT

So Pakistan will have 17 over to face this evening. Plenty of time for plenty to happen. Ripper of a tweet here from Messy Jez. Yep, MJ, just how good is cricket.

@scott_heinrich
Interesting to note that ALL of the top 8 Test batsmen have been at the crease in a Test match in the last 48 hours. How good is it to have 3 simultaneous Tests?
Smith
Kohli
Williamson
Pujara
Rahane
Nicholls
Root
Latham

5.57am GMT

And that is the end. Hazlewood is given out leg before, after which he launches an unsuccessful review, leaving Australia with a 340-run first-innings lead. And they’ll have a good chuck of time to get at Pakistan’s top order before stumps. Yasir ends up with figures of 4-205 from 48.4 overs. He’ll sleep soundly tonight.

5.51am GMT

157th over: Australia 575-9 (Lyon 8, Hazlewood 5) Not sure what Australia have to gain by adding a few extra runs onto what is already a huge pile, but continuing they are. Just a single from Imran’s over. C’mon, Tim, please declare. These are fertile times for wicket taking.

5.46am GMT

156th over: Australia 574-9 (Lyon 7, Hazlewood 5) A Yasir misfield off his own bowling hands Lyon a single and Hazlewood keeps the leggie at bay before opening the shoulders last ball and driving him past mid-on for four. That’s a double century of sorts for Yasir: 3-200 from 48 overs. Australia’s lead is 334 runs.

5.42am GMT

155th over: Australia 569-9 (Lyon 6, Hazlewood 1) Cummins flashes his blade outside off, nicking Imran into the safe gloves of Rizwan. But no declaration is coming. Hazlewood is on his way to the middle.

5.37am GMT

154th over: Australia 567-8 (Cummins 7, Lyon 5) Lyon cuts late and hard, sending Yasir to the fence. With the last ball of his 47th over, the leggie gains prodigious turn - no doubt to the lip-licking excitement of Lyon. He’ll be let loose on this deck sometime soon.

5.34am GMT

153rd over: Australia 563-8 (Cummins 7, Lyon 1) Lyon gets off the mark with (not) the GOAT single you’ve ever seen, and Cummins follows up with two more through the covers. When will the declaration come? Must be soon, methinks.

The DRS can't save Starc there.#AUSvPAK | @SpecsaversAU pic.twitter.com/zZF6ESAjA1

5.30am GMT

152nd over: Australia 559-8 (Cummins 4) Yasir continues, and frankly we wouldn’t have it any other way. Starc gets off the mark with a cut past point for three and Cummins follows up with three more through the covers. Four byes and a leg glance for two follow, and a highly eventful over comes to an end with Starc missing a defensive prof and being trapped leg before. Starc asks for a review but the decision stands. That’s now three wickets for the tireless Yasir.

5.23am GMT

151st over: Australia 546-7 (Cummins 0, Starc 0) Labuschagne plays a loose, tired-looking shot at a wide one from Shaheen, opening the face and picking out Babar at gully. Labuschagne holds his ground, possibly waiting for a no-ball call, but the delivery is legit and he’s on his way. Labuschagne falls just short of his double century. A wonderful, breakthrough dig from the young man.

5.18am GMT

150th over: Australia 546-6 (Labuschagne 185, Cummins 0) Just a single off the 150th over of the innings, with Yasir’s return now standing at 2-182 from 45 overs - and just one maiden.

5.15am GMT

149th over: Australia 545-6 (Labuschagne 184, Cummins 0) Labuschagne drives on the up to Shaheen, doesn’t get all of it, but clears mid on and collects two runs for his troubles. And now that’s his highest first-class score. But the story’s not so good for Paine, who plays a half-hearted pull shot but bottom edges onto his own legs and into the hands of second slip.

5.08am GMT

148th over: Australia 542-5 (Labuschagne 181, Paine 13) Yasir begins his 44th over, the poor bloke. He’ll be ripping leggies in his sleep tonight. It’s a tidy over but the batsmen are in no way threatened. One run from it.

5.05am GMT

147th over: Australia 541-5 (Labuschagne 180, Paine 13) Welcome back. Allan Border has just said he would like 50 minutes at Pakistan this evening. Obviously not literally, but if he were captain. It’s AB, so that’s good enough for me. Out in the middle, Labuschagne greets Shaheen with a couple of glorious boundaries through midwicket, the first of which was picked up from near off. He’s seeing them like beach balls. Australia’s lead is 301 runs.

4.48am GMT

A very eventful session and a big one for Australia. They might have lost a couple of wickets, but wickets aren’t an issue when your lead is this big. The hosts racked up 137 runs in the afternoon, with Labuschagne going on his merry way. A double looks his for the taking. Catch you in a few moments.

4.42am GMT

146th over: Australia 532-5 (Labuschagne 171, Paine 13) Haris positively races through a maiden over and there is nothing more to be said than it’s time for tea.

4.41am GMT

145th over: Australia 532-5 (Labuschagne 171, Paine 13) Paine gets down on one knee but plays all around his attempted sweep and is struck on the thigh. Iftikhar, and Rizwan in particular, are highly animated in their appeal for leg before, but the answer is no and no review is forthcoming. Missing leg it seems.

4.38am GMT

144th over: Australia 530-5 (Labuschagne 170, Paine 12) I wonder if Paine’s words to Labuschagne were along the lines of, ‘Step on it, son, happy for you to get your double ton but I’m thinking of declaring sometime soon’. If so, Labuschagne has picked up the clue phone, hitting Haris for successive fours. Paine then joins his partner in the boundary club, making it 14 runs from the over.

4.34am GMT

143rd over: Australia 516-5 (Labuschagne 161, Paine 7) Iftikhar returns to the attack. Paine picks up his first boundary of the Australian Test summer, putting away a loose one through extra cover. Lovely shot from the skipper.

4.32am GMT

142nd over: Australia 511-5 (Labuschagne 161, Paine 2) Haris continues his tidy spell and is worked around for a couple of singles. Australia’s lead is 271 runs.

4.28am GMT

141st over: Australia 508-5 (Labuschagne 160, Paine 0) Labuschagne is interviewed on air as Paine walks out to the middle - how very T20! - and is asked what the plan might be from here. The skipper’s on his way, says Labuschagne, so I’ll find out shortly. Or words to that effect. Labuschagne pulls Imran for a couple, the only runs in the over.

4.24am GMT

140th over: Australia 506-5 (Labuschagne 158, Paine 0) Head’s cameo knock comes to an end, caught behind of a thin edge trying to work Haris down to fine leg off his pads. A bit of a nothing dismissal but excellent keeping from Rizwan.

4.19am GMT

139th over: Australia 505-4 (Labuschagne 157, Head 24) Imran returns to the attack as Yasir is spelled. Labuschagne opens the shoulders and really middles one past point, but the stopper is out there and a very good shot brings just the one run. It’s a similar story for Head later in the over. Pakistan look as interested now in stemming the flow of runs as they do in taking wickets.

4.13am GMT

138th over: Australia 502-4 (Labuschagne 155, Head 23) And that’s the 500 up for Australia, for the loss of only four wickets and with Steve Smith a non-contributor. Quite incredible when you think about it. Haris is worked around for a two and a single.

4.11am GMT

137th over: Australia 499-4 (Labuschagne 152, Head 23) Yasir wraps one up for Head, puts a bow on it, and gets what he deserves for what is a really bad ball - driven through extra cover for another boundary. These two have already put on 31 in only five overs.

4.08am GMT

136th over: Australia 491-4 (Labuschagne 150, Head 17) Labuschagne’s ripping innings reaches another milestone as he steers Haris past point for one. Huge plaudits also for Rizwan, who earlier in the over (pads and all) chased a thick outside edge all the way to the fence and saved a run. Well played!

4.04am GMT

135th over: Australia 486-4 (Labuschagne 149, Head 13) More runs for Head and this time it’s more convincing as he rocks back and cuts Yasir past point for four.

Rizwan has done well to hold on to that! #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/MLM6hNdvoz

4.01am GMT

134th over: Australia 479-4 (Labuschagne 149, Head 6) Head looks intent on picking up where Wade left off, attacking from the outset and picking up his first boundary with an attempted cover drive that ends up being a thick edge that races to the third-man fence.

3.58am GMT

133rd over: Australia 473-4 (Labuschagne 148, Head 1) Labuschagne goes after Yasir but gets very little of his lofted off drive, and for a brief moment he looks like he might be in strife, but the ball lands safely. Five from the over.

3.56am GMT

132nd over: Australia 468-4 (Labuschagne 144) Haris over the wicket to Wade, who opens the face and tries to finesse the ball to third man but manages only a fine edge to the keeper - who gloves it off his own leg. Something of a soft way to go but that was still an innings for the moment from Wade. Score briskly, support Labuschagne, give his skipper options.

3.50am GMT

131st over: Australia 466-3 (Labuschagne 143, Wade 59) Shaheen continues, and he’s been pretty good today. A single marks the over, as well as a stinger on the hand for Wade from a throw at the stumps after said single.

3.46am GMT

Much appreciated, Geoff. Splendid calling. In golf the third day of play is known as moving day. The same can be said about this Test match, insomuch as Australia are moving further and further out of Pakistan’s sight. As Tim Rogers once asked, how much is enough? In all likelihood, too much won’t be enough. From here Australia could probably bat as long as they please, but the impression is festering they might like a few overs at Pakistan this evening. Either way, the home side will be planning on not having to bat again until Adelaide. Looking forward to your company today. By all means, drop me an email or a tweet

3.44am GMT

130th over: Australia 465-3 (Labuschagne 143, Wade 58) It’s time for the reverse sweeps and laps now. Wade tries a couple of them, twice getting the top edge, once just evading Shaheen at backward point and going for four, the other time hitting the keeper on the full and bouncing away. You do you, I guess? That’s drinks, Australia lead by 225.

I’m out of here, and Scott Heinrich will take over.

3.38am GMT

129th over: Australia 459-3 (Labuschagne 142, Wade 53) Marnus happy to take on the short ball again from Shaheen, pulling two more runs to midwicket. He gets drawn into a big wide drive though and beaten by a slower ball, throwing his head back in consternation as that goes past his edge. Reverts to his compact self to guide a run behind point.

3.35am GMT

128th over: Australia 455-3 (Labuschagne 139, Wade 52) Yasir Shah is back after a break that began just before lunch. He’s bowled a lot of overs already. Wade stretches towards a low full toss to paddle it fine for one. Labuschagne drives three through midwicket. The run tally keeps mounting. More so when Marnus opens the face to glide past slip for four!

3.29am GMT

127th over: Australia 446-3 (Labuschagne 132, Wade 50) You can’t keep Wade quiet for too long. Shaheen bowls full enough for Wade to drive, which he duly does to the point boundary for four. Then knocks the straighter ball to leg for a single to raise his milestone, his fifth Test fifty. Impressive from Wade after two Ashes tons.

3.26am GMT

126th over: Australia 441-3 (Labuschagne 132, Wade 45) It’s easier to make up those runs against Haris Sohail. Marnus works him both sides of the wicket, opening up his stance to late-cut with finesse, then twice working into the leg side, picking up two runs for each of those strokes.

3.25am GMT

125th over: Australia 435-3 (Labuschagne 126, Wade 45) Shaheen is able to keep the scoring down, making Wade play when he pitches up, then making Wade duck when he pitches short.

3.17am GMT

124th over: Australia 434-3 (Labuschagne 125, Wade 45) Shouts for a catch at leg slip as Wade gets an inside edge from Iftikhar onto the thigh pad, but it lands safe. Marnus tries a cross-bat swat over cover against the spinner but finds one of two men there, so he goes the sweep instead next ball and draws another misfield from Shaheen, this time allowing a third run. Wade sweeps again, top edge, bouncing and spinning but saved in the deep. Definitely trying to press the pedal down now. He believes he can deduce which is the velocitator and which the deceleratrix.

3.12am GMT

123rd over: Australia 428-3 (Labuschagne 121, Wade 43) Marnus is not going to give this innings away. Wants a proper score, not a small ton. He resolutely defends Imran on the front foot until the bowler gets too short, then flips his pull shot away behind square for four. Creates the overpitched ball, and creams it straight past the bowler for another. High elbow, on the up, full Kookaburra sticker down the lens. Then defends the final ball. Lovely batting.

3.08am GMT

122nd over: Australia 420-3 (Labuschagne 113, Wade 43) If you can’t get them off the seamer, get them off the spinner! Down the wicket comes Wade and lifts Iftikhar for six. Long and straight, after a three-step shuffle towards the bowler, waiting for the looped delivery to drop. Adds a brace to long-on. Runs and Wade have gone together for the last couple of years. The score is 420. Blaze one up, brrrrrrap!

3.05am GMT

121st over: Australia 411-3 (Labuschagne 112, Wade 35) Imran is starting to frustrate Wade. The Australian keeps getting that angle across him and not wanting to play, so eventually he takes a couple of steps across his stumps in an effort to nudge the ball into the leg side. Couldn’t get far enough across to get any purchase. Finally Wade does get across and get a couple of runs, but the other four balls he has to leave alone.

3.01am GMT

120th over: Australia 409-3 (Labuschagne 112, Wade 33) Iftikhar to continue, leg-stumpish and Marnus is quickly down on the sweep and zinging it towards deep backward square. Shaheen has a fair distance to cover but can’t get enough purchase on the ball as he dives across, and it follows him into the rope. Wade almost bookends the over with another boundary but Shan Masood puts in a great sprint and slide and tap-back to keep the cut shot to three runs.

2.58am GMT

119th over: Australia 401-3 (Labuschagne 107, Wade 30) Overpitched from Imran, whipped for one off the ankle by Labuschagne. Wade is watchful against the steep angle across him as a left-hander, shouldering arms four times in succession. Recognising the threat to him and neutralising it.

2.53am GMT

118th over: Australia 400-3 (Labuschagne 106, Wade 30) So that over from Haris might have been to allow Iftikhar to change ends. The off-spinner ties down Marnus, who can only manage the single to raise Australia’s 400. Get set for another three hours of Australian batting, I reckon.

2.50am GMT

117th over: Australia 399-3 (Labuschagne 105, Wade 30) Imran Khan the seam option from the other end after lunch. As is his wont, quite wide on the crease and angling in at the right-hander, across the left. They work a few singles without trouble.

Australia’s lead is 159.

2.45am GMT

116th over: Australia 396-3 (Labuschagne 103, Wade 29) Haris Sohail continuing after lunch rather than one of the quicks. Interesting choice. Marnus takes a single. Wade tries a reverse lap, misses, gets the ball into his pad and it rolls past his leg stump. Classic first over after lunch stuff.

2.06am GMT

A much better session for Pakistan, bowling well and picking up the big wickets of Smith and Warner. But they’re still miles behind in the match, and still shipped 87 runs in the two hours. Wade made sure that kept moving at the end, while Labuschagne provided all the momentum at the start. He has slowed since nearing his hundred, but has passed that milestone for the first time. Massive advantage Australia, and they’re in a good position to bat long. But Pakistan have to at least try to keep taking wickets and deny Australia the right to declare, even if the deficit will be huge either way. We’ll be back after the sandwiches.

2.02am GMT

115th over: Australia 395-3 (Labuschagne 102, Wade 29) Then another spin change, with Iftikhar Ahmed on to bowl off-breaks. This will be the last over before lunch. Again Wade comes across and flicks the sweep shot fine, this time only taking two runs with a sweeper having moved finer. That’s the only score from the over though, and that is lunch.

2.00am GMT

114th over: Australia 393-3 (Labuschagne 102, Wade 27) Yasir needs that lunch break too, by the looks of things. Three singles from the over, then he drops very short and lets Wade plonk him away with a pull shot behind square. Four more.

1.59am GMT

113th over: Australia 386-3 (Labuschagne 101, Wade 21) We’re officially in coasting mode before lunch, as Haris Sohail comes on for an over of part-time left-arm ortho.

1.54am GMT

112th over: Australia 385-3 (Labuschagne 101, Wade 20) Slightly T20 shot there, as Wade moves across to Yasir and flicks a sweep shot fine. Nearly chips a return catch thereafter though, beaten by the dip. Yasir groans as he takes the ball on the half volley.

1.52am GMT

111th over: Australia 380-3 (Labuschagne 101, Wade 15) A much, much better day for Pakistan with the ball. Shaheen Afridi bowls another tight over. The lines have been good, the lengths more consistent. The glaring flaw, still, is how few overs have been bowled by Imran Khan, which clearly concedes that it was a mistake to pick him ahead of Mohammad Abbas, who has an incredible Test record and demolished Australia in the UAE only a year ago.

1.49am GMT

110th over: Australia 379-3 (Labuschagne 101, Wade 14) The game does tend to move along when Wade is at the crease. Yasir gets a bit short, Wade guides it away through backward point. It’s not perfectly timed so it teases two pursuing fieldsmen into the rope, but gets there. Job done, Wade gets off strike.

1.44am GMT

109th over: Australia 374-3 (Labuschagne 101, Wade 9) Labuschagne is trying to reset after his celebration. Facing Shaheen over the wicket, the batsman leaves and blocks most of the over, but then goes for a big drive and edges just short of the cordon. Was that Azhar Ali diving down at third slip? No run, and eventually a maiden for Shaheen.

1.38am GMT

108th over: Australia 374-3 (Labuschagne 101, Wade 9) Ok, I was wrong about Wade playing straight. He has a wander and wallops Yasir Shah over the leg side for four. And why not?

1.37am GMT

107th over: Australia 370-3 (Labuschagne 101, Wade 5) They make him wait for a while, with the stacked cordon and the ring field and Shaheen bowling a tight left-arm line, but eventually Labuschagne can’t wait any longer and aims a big drive. Gets a big edge. Gets four runs, and his first Test century! It’s taken him ten Tests to get there. The accidental find really during the Ashes, demanding his spot by performance when most around him were not. Now he’s got the reward for the hard work that let him play that way.

1.32am GMT

106th over: Australia 366-3 (Labuschagne 97, Wade 5) Yasir tries to unsettle the left-handed Wade, starting with a googly to confuse him, then back to the leg-break. But it comes unravelled when the bowler slips too full, and Wade carves a cover drive for four.

1.27am GMT

105th over: Australia 361-3 (Labuschagne 96, Wade 1) Was Smith thinking about fast runs for a declaration? It seems a bit premature, but Australia have sent Wade out at five rather than Travis Head, and that seems like an attacking move as well. Perhaps wanting to rattle up the score quickly. Wade doesn’t start with a bang though. Just a single from his first five balls.

1.23am GMT

104th over: Australia 358-3 (Labuschagne 94, Wade 0) Well, what a busy over. It started with a different wicket, but that was overturned on review! Yasir Shah has been building the pressure on Labuschagne over the last few overs, drying up his scoring, drawing some streaky shots. Finally he got a ball to zip through and hit the pad in front of off stump. Richard Illingworth gave it out, but Marnus naturally reviewed on 93, and the replay showed he got an inside edge just before it had the pad. If Yasir was disappointed, that vanished a few balls later when he ran through the greatest batsman of the era for couch change.

1.21am GMT

He’s got Smith! The biggest wicket of them all! And for nothing, for only four runs. Goodness me, what a turn-up. Smith must have been left off balance by having to wait so long to bat. He comes out much more aggressively than normal, skipping down to loft Yasir over the leg side for four. But he tries to repeat the shot next ball, to a fuller ball without advancing, and simply misses it as it nearly yorks him and takes out his stumps. Yasir Shah!

1.16am GMT

103rd over: Australia 353-2 (Labuschagne 93, Smith 0) Naseem tries the short-pitched attack again, but Marnus pulls him for a single and Smith just gets out of the way. Bowling short to Smith early in his innings has been mooted as a plan. There aren’t many plans to Smith though.

1.12am GMT

102nd over: Australia 352-2 (Labuschagne 92, Smith 0) Things settle into calm after the wicket over, with the new pair defending against Yasir.

1.07am GMT

101st over: Australia 351-2 (Labuschagne 91, Smith 0) And at equally long last, Steve Smith gets a chance to have a bat. His first on home turf since his sandpaper ban. He’s back, on the third day of a match when he would have hoped to have been batting on the first morning. He counts the field, counts his boys, checks his kit, taps his pads. Taps his helmet, taps his bat, bobs his knees, bobs his knees. Wafts his backlift, holds it still, steps across, and plays a defensive push back to the bowler. Classic Smith. Prepare to see this 200 more times. That’s the over.

1.05am GMT

At long, long last, Naseem gets his man! Had him caught behind a hundred runs ago but it was off a no-ball. This time the bowler’s foot is behind the line. The fast bowlers have looked much more threatening around the wicket to Warner today. He hasn’t faced much, has barely scored at all. This over, Naseem roasts him on the outside edge twice, seaming the ball away from a full length. Then having created that doubt, delivers a proper short ball: nasty, fast, angled in from wide. Warner is trying to sway out of the way but he isn’t expecting it and he’s just a bit late to react. Can’t drop his gloves enough, turns his head away, and the ball ends up taking the bottom edge of his bat as it hands in limbo land. Rizwan takes the tumbling catch, Naseem shouts in celebration, and the teenager’s first Test wicket will, after a long interregnum, be David Warner after all.

1.01am GMT

100th over: Australia 351-1 (Warner 154, Labuschagne 91) That’s a dubious shot from Labuschagne. They’re talking it up on the commentary but to my eye it looked a bit desperate. Yasir landed one close to the pads, and the batsman swats across the line and is good enough or lucky enough to get good contact on it, out through midwicket for four.

12.56am GMT

99th over: Australia 347-1 (Warner 154, Labuschagne 87) Loves the strike this morning, does Marnus! Faces out five dots from Naseem and then ticks a single from the sixth. Warner is waiting at the other end, and the cameras cut to Smith waiting in the dressing room. Quality line from Kerry O’Keeffe on that shot: “That’s like Dracula waiting outside the Blood Bank.”

12.55am GMT

98th over: Australia 346-1 (Warner 154, Labuschagne 86) A rare error from Labuschagne, getting a thick inside edge into his pads as he tries to drive Yasir. A couple of singles from the over as he moves closer to the unprecedented three figures. This is already his highest Test score.

12.52am GMT

97th over: Australia 344-1 (Warner 153, Labuschagne 85) Three balls in a row to face for Warner from Naseem, who not only takes his second run for the morning, but goes past an interesting mark of 286 balls faced. That makes this his longest ever Test innings, moving past the only other time when he batted a full day, against New Zealand at the WACA in 2015 when he made 253.

12.42am GMT

96th over: Australia 343-1 (Warner 152, Labuschagne 85) Gorgeous from Labuschagne! Yasir Shah on to bowl his leg-breaks. Lands one too full just outside off stump. Marnus had read the flight early, gets his back foot around and well out of the way to open up his body towards the ball, then brings the bat through across his stumps and connects with his cover drive for four. That was such good anticipation, and it beats both the infield and the sweeper. A similar shot to follow brings two more runs. That’s now 30 runs today for Marnus to Warner’s 1. The latter has barely had the strike. A pretty comfortable way to bat.

12.38am GMT

95th over: Australia 337-1 (Warner 152, Labuschagne 79) Shaheen produces a couple of errors, but can’t make either of them terminal. A really good ball outside off zips from back of a length and beats the batsman’s push. Then one going the other way takes the edge into his pads, though the batsman takes a pair of lucky runs.

12.33am GMT

94th over: Australia 334-1 (Warner 152, Labuschagne 76) Goodness. The Schagne Train is reaching runaway levels. Another short ball, this time at Imran’s friendly pace, and the batsman leans back and pounds it over the leg side for four.

Paddy Myer has hit the email. “Morning Geoff, I’m writing about the injustice of bails staying put when the stumps have been hit. There certainly seems to have been a spate of incidents recently. If a batsman can be out on the evidence of snicko when the ball hits the bat, why not the same when the stumps are hit? I have a great uncle called Bails, and he is also very hard to dislodge. It must be related.”

Related: Joe Root’s lucky escape was far from freakish – bails law needs a rethink | Geoff Lemon

12.28am GMT

93rd over: Australia 329-1 (Warner 152, Labuschagne 71) Shaheen, left-arm, bowling over the wicket to Labuschagne. Tries the bouncer, but it’s not short enough and Marnus nails the pull shot, a couple more runs as the deep square sweeper gets around to midwicket. That was well struck. Follows up with a tip-run single to keep the strike. So the first drop batsman has added 16 this morning while the opener has added 1.

12.24am GMT

92nd over: Australia 326-1 (Warner 152, Labuschagne 68) Marnus is doing all of the scoring, Warner all of the running for him. Another three here, clipped off the ankles from Imran out behind square leg.

12.21am GMT

91st over: Australia 323-1 (Warner 152, Labuschagne 65) Marnus evokes the first “Shawwtt!” of the day from around the stands. Shuffling forward, getting his front foot to the pitch, then driving cleanly through the overpitched delivery down the ground for four. Top shot. As if to celebrate, he follows up by driving Shaheen through cover for another quadruple.

12.14am GMT

90th over: Australia 314-1 (Warner 152, Labuschagne 56) A bit of inswing for Imran with the newish ball. Interesting, but it started so wide of Warner’s off stump that it didn’t threaten. Imran, the right-armer, has come around the wicket to the left-hander after spending all of yesterday bowling over the wicket. That’s how Stuart Broad created all the problems he did for Warner. Imran looks a bit better already, as another ball wobbles slightly in the air. Needs to get closer to the stumps though. Warner watched that last ball intently, all the way through to the keeper. Too wide for a third time from Imran. A touch closer for the final delivery, but Warner isn’t tempted. A maiden. Australia’s lead is 74.

12.10am GMT

89th over: Australia 314-1 (Warner 152, Labuschagne 56) Marnus takes the first run of the day, driving to mid-off and and darting through. Warner takes a few balls to look at Shaheen, before digging out a near-yorker and dashing a run to mid-on.

12.06am GMT

88th over: Australia 312-1 (Warner 151, Labuschagne 55) We begin today much as we began yesterday. Warner leaves Imran Khan alone for the most part, watching out a maiden, except at the end he can’t help going for a wide one and nearly chops onto his stumps. He had a couple of close escapes in that fashion yesterday.

11.49pm GMT

Remember you can email me at geoff.lemon@theguardian.com, or tweet me at @GeoffLemonSport.

Brian Withington is first off the rank this Australian morning, as so often.

11.46pm GMT

It was a hard day’s work yesterday for Pakistan. Shaheen Afridi bowled 18 overs, young Naseem Shah bowled 16 of them at pace, and Yasir Shah the spinner bowled 28. They’ll need to somehow find the reserves to go again today. Yasir looked good at times but bowled too many release balls. The two faster bowlers had good spells but couldn’t break through. Imran Khan, who bowled so well in the tour match, was largely ineffective with his wide-of-the-wicket release point. Something has to change dramatically today.

11.27pm GMT

In the meantime, our friends across the Ditch are making a decent fist of resistance against Olde Englande. Niall McVeigh has you covered on the late shift from London if you’d like to keep up to date there. And much later today, the pink-ball Test from Kolkata will resume with Virat Kohli at the crease against Bangladesh. It’s a big Test week.

Related: New Zealand v England: first Test, day three – live!

11.24pm GMT

Here is the wires report from last night to summarise the second day’s play, should you need a refresher.

Related: Centurion David Warner clicks with Joe Burns as Australia take control of first Test

11.24pm GMT

Hello again, and welcome to Day 3. Scene: EXT, the Gabba cricket ground. The day is hot and sunny. The Australian team will continue batting for as long as they feel like it, unless the very tired Pakistani bowlers can conjure nine wickets where yesterday they managed one. The key characters for today’s play each contain a key question. Can WARNER go on to bat really long and make a big score, given this is only the second time he has batted through a full day, and the other time he was out early the next day? Will MARNUS move on from making useful fifties to making a first Test hundred? And will STEVE SMITH explode from having to wait three days to have a bat? All this and more, in today’s episode of Test cricket.

Continue reading...

Australia v Pakistan: first Test, day two – as it happened

David Warner ends day on 151 not out at the GabbaOpening partner Joe Burns falls just short of century

7.54am GMT

And here’s the day two match report:

Related: Centurion David Warner clicks with Joe Burns as Australia take control of first Test

7.46am GMT

And that is it for the day. It’s been all Australia. Warner, dismissed on 56 but reprieved courtesy of Naseem’s no-ball, made Pakistan pay, registering his 22nd Test century and first for almost two years. And there looks more to come on day three. His unbroken stand with Labuschagne stands at 90. Australia will look to pile on the runs tomorrow and hope to bat only once, leading as they are by 72 runs with nine first-innings wickets still in hand. Warner and Burns weren’t chanceless but rode their luck to put on 222 for the first wicket, their second 200-plus stand at the Gabba together, before Burns fell just three short of his hundred. Pakistan will need something close to a miracle, or lashings of rain, to get out of this one. Thanks for your company. Let’s do it again tomorrow.

“Gee whizz getting bowled around the legs by a leggy on 97, it’s a bitter feeling!”@CricketAus opener Joe Burns pleased with his innings, but those pesky three runs will bother him tonight!

Listen to our wrap of day two now, here: https://t.co/gEKbY009Z1 #AUSvPAK #Cricket pic.twitter.com/qd8UPdh2Y2

7.33am GMT

87th over: Australia 312-1 (Warner 151, Labuschagne 55)

Labuschagne registers his sixth Test fifty with a punched boundary off Shaheen. He waited long enough to get out there but has done very well. And that is stumps. Australia lead by 72 runs with nine wickets remaining in their first innings.

7.29am GMT

86th over: Australia 306-1 (Warner 151, Labuschagne 49)

Imran on for Naseem, who remains off the field getting treatment. The paceman struggles to get his line right, as he has done most of the day, with a single to Labuschagne putting Warner on strike for the last ball of the over. And what a last ball it is - Warner leaves one angling back in and the ball actually shaves his off stump. But the bails stay on, confirming that Warner is not human but feline. And he has seven lives left.

7.23am GMT

85th over: Australia 305-1 (Warner 151, Labuschagne 48)

Naseem leaves the field. Injured possibly? Looks to be reaching for his left knee. At the other end, Shaheen draws Warner into a drive but the batsman plays over the top and the inside edge is beaten. Two balls later, Shaheen beats the outside edge. A maiden over. This is better from Pakistan.

7.18am GMT

84th over: Australia 305-1 (Warner 151, Labuschagne 48)

Naseem from the other end. Why wouldn’t you? You’re only young once. The youngster, however, can’t quite get his areas right and Labuschagne plays late, cutting for four to take Australia past 300. Australia’s pacemen were ruthless with the new ball yesterday, not yet their Pakistan counterparts today.

7.14am GMT

83rd over: Australia 298-1 (Warner 150, Labuschagne 42)

Shaheen on now. He begins with the old ball but reaches for the new ball after just one delivery. New ball taken. Shaheen beats Warner’s outside edge before a single takes the opener to 150. Warner has now faced 257 balls and hit 10 boundaries. And to think he was ‘out’ on 56.

Related: Sophie Molineux takes break from WBBL to focus on mental health

Related: How the relentless challenges of cricket can impact players’ mental health | David Schout

7.08am GMT

82nd over: Australia 297-1 (Warner 149, Labuschagne 42)

And now Haris continues with the old ball. The new cherry is there for the taking, but it stays in the umpire’s pouch for now. Shaheen warming up. Three off the over. The partnership now stands at 75.

7.05am GMT

81st over: Australia 294-1 (Warner 147, Labuschagne 41)

Yasir continues, of course, but with the old ball. Pakistan might like to take it now but the over-rate is an issue. Surely you take it. Wickets are needed. Badly. Warner moves his feet, gives himself space and cuts deftly for three.

7.02am GMT

80th over: Australia 291-1 (Warner 144, Labuschagne 41)

Haris speeds through his over at breakneck speed. Just a single off the over. The new ball is due. But who takes it? Surely the teenager from one end with his pace.

7.00am GMT

79th over: Australia 290-1 (Warner 143, Labuschagne 41)

Labuschagne sweeps Yasir for four more. The new ball is due in one over. Australia’s lead extends to 50.

6.58am GMT

78th over: Australia 285-1 (Warner 142, Labuschagne 37)

Warner picks off Haris for ones and twos before Labuschagne late cuts just wide of slip for four. Actually, that wasn’t wide at all. The edge travelled fast to Asad Shafiq but that has to go down as a dropped catch.

6.54am GMT

77th over: Australia 277-1 (Warner 139, Labuschagne 32)

Yasir again. Again! And again he tries to get around the right hander’s legs, but where Burns swept and failed, Labuschagne just sticks his backside out, safe in the knowledge he can’t be given out lbw when it pitches that far outside leg stump.

6.50am GMT

76th over: Australia 274-1 (Warner 138, Labuschagne 30)

Warner swings at a wide one from Haris down leg and misses, but Rizwan is interested and appeals for caught behind. The umpire rules not out but Pakistan send the decision upstairs. Not Out. Pakistan are down to one review. Warner ends the over with a boundary courtesy of a muffed bit of fielding by Naseem in the deep. Go easy on him. He’s only 16.

6.46am GMT

75th over: Australia 267-1 (Warner 133, Labuschagne 28)

Yasir, who’s been bowling all day it seems, is taken for three runs in the over by Labuschagne. These two batsmen are nearing 50 shared runs.

6.42am GMT

74th over: Australia 264-1 (Warner 133, Labuschagne 25)

Warner and Labuschagne help themselves to a few more singles as Australia’s lead extends to 24 runs. And Steve Smith hasn’t batted yet.

6.40am GMT

73rd over: Australia 261-1 (Warner 132, Labuschagne 23)

Yasir, around the wicket again, is getting plenty of turn and asking just as many questions of the batsmen, the right hander in particular. Just a couple of singles to report as we motor towards the new ball.

6.37am GMT

72nd over: Australia 259-1 (Warner 131, Labuschagne 22)

A full toss from Haris is given the treatment it deserves by Labuschagne, who whips the part-timer through mid-wicket for four. A few of you tweeting in asking if I’m “very drunk”. I can assure you, and my paymasters, that I most certainly am not. And I’m glad you liked the Fast Show video clip. I live to give.

6.34am GMT

71st over: Australia 255-1 (Warner 131, Labuschagne 18)

Warner, helmet off and baggy green on, watches from the non-striker’s end as Labuschagne sees off five dot balls before retaining the strike with a single off Yasir’s last ball.

David Warner 22nd hundred:

- First in 18 innings
- 4th at the Gabba - 16th at home - 4th against PAK.#AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/6BYl5TFgm5

6.31am GMT

70th over: Australia 254-1 (Warner 131, Labuschagne 17)

Haris into the attack now with his slow (kind of) turners. With Pakistan’s over-rate issues and the new ball now on the horizon, expect more of the same for the next 10 overs or so. One run off the over.

6.29am GMT

69th over: Australia 253-1 (Warner 131, Labuschagne 16)

Yasir resumes after the break for refreshments. He puts one on the platter for Labuschagne, short and wide, and is punished through mid-wicket for four. Yasir ends the over well, rapping Warner on the pads with a sharp turner. The appeal goes up but it’s not out, pitching so far outside off.

6.21am GMT

68th over: Australia 245-1 (Warner 128, Labuschagne 11)

A trio of singles from Naseem’s latest over. Although Pakistan’s quicks haven’t threatened a great deal today, they are at least tightening up this evening. Fewer four balls is something. Time for drinks.

6.15am GMT

67th over: Australia 242-1 (Warner 126, Labuschagne 10)

Yasir tosses it up to Labuschagne, whose eyes light up but he swings and misses. Or did he? There was a noise or two as the ball passed the bat, but the keeper was beaten also so it’s something of a moot point. Nice, attacking bowling, though. Yasir has really been the only one to change things up and keep Australia guessing. He’s been prepared to buy his wickets and at least he has one.

6.11am GMT

66th over: Australia 241-1 (Warner 125, Labuschagne 10)

Naseem continues. The teen’s head hasn’t dropped since the dismissal that wasn’t, his pace high and consistent all day. He just needs that breakthrough, a first Test wicket. But it isn’t coming, rather Warner cuts to backward point to fire Australia into the lead.

6.06am GMT

65th over: Australia 238-1 (Warner 123, Labuschagne 9)

A lazy shot from Warner, who tries to cut a fairly straight one and loses his balance. A rare play and a miss from the leftie.

6.04am GMT

64th over: Australia 237-1 (Warner 122, Labuschagne 9)

Naseem returns to the attack, sending Imran out to pasture. Labuschagne pulls the young quick from outside off stump for an all-run four. Nice shot.

5.57am GMT

63rd over: Australia 232-1 (Warner 121, Labuschagne 5)

Labuschagne makes his first meaningful impression in the middle with a nicely struck three runs through the covers off Yasir. The spinner, with some bounce in his step after that breakthrough, then gets some bounce from somewhere to beat Warner ... and prove too much for the keeper, also.

5.53am GMT

62nd over: Australia 227-1 (Warner 119, Labuschagne 2)

Shaheen makes way for Imran. Warner cuts him past point for two before mistiming a pull shot to end the over but still collecting a single.

1st wicket for Pakistan! #AUSvPAK

pic.twitter.com/GaMiJ3KD7k

5.48am GMT

61st over: Australia 224-1 (Warner 116, Labuschagne 2)

Burns moves to within a boundary of his century but falls for the sucker punch as Yasir, bowling around the wicket, zeroes in at the pads and draws the sweep shot, which Burns fluffs and gloves onto the stumps. So close, yet so far, for Burns. Nevertheless, a fine return to the Test team. Good bowling. The plan came off.

5.41am GMT

60th over: Australia 219-0 (Warner 115, Burns 95)

Nice square cut from Burns but he sends it straight to Naseem at third man, reducing a shot that deserved four to just one run. Great hustle from Warner earns another single to mid on. Running between wickets has been a hallmark of this huge first-wicket stand. They’ve hurt Pakistan with their strokeplay but they’ve also done it with their intent between the sticks.

5.37am GMT

59th over: Australia 217-0 (Warner 114, Burns 94)

Yasir races through his over and, as well as wickets, Pakistan need him to do just that. Not even 60 overs to this point of the day is poor. Two from the over. Plenty of talk about no-balls after Warner’s dismissal that wasn’t. There are estimates doing the rounds that upwards of 20 no-balls HAVEN’T been called today by the umpires. That’s 20 runs that should be Australia’s and 20 warnings to Pakistan bowlers to watch their front feet that haven’t been forthcoming.

5.32am GMT

58th over: Australia 215-0 (Warner 113, Burns 93)

Burns is watchful to Shaheen, within sniffing distance of his century as he is. Shaheen is probing that off stump and Burns can’t get him away. Maiden over.

The Celebration is Back #Warner Back to the form

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️#AUSvPAK #INDvsBAN #PinkBallTest pic.twitter.com/mJTPHdXgxR

5.28am GMT

57th over: Australia 215-0 (Warner 113, Burns 93)

Three singles come from Yasir’s first five deliveries but the over comes to life at the end, Warner driving quite uppishly just wide of mid off for four.

5.25am GMT

56th over: Australia 208-0 (Warner 108, Burns 91)

Warner takes two off Shaheen’s latest offering. He does look set in for the long haul. And why wouldn’t he be? His century breaks a 23-month drought and it’s been a watchful one, slow by Warner’s standards and containing just the seven boundaries. You could call this knock one of steely resolve.

5.20am GMT

55th over: Australia 206-0 (Warner 106, Burns 91)

Warner cuts Yasir past point for another boundary, adding four runs to the total and a degree of belief that he’s not content with a century alone.

5.18am GMT

54th over: Australia 201-0 (Warner 101, Burns 91)

A neat over from Shaheen but a misfield on the last ball hands Burns two runs - taking him into the 90s and Australia past 200. It’s the second time these two have put on a double ton for the opening wicket at the Gabba.

D Warner, 101* #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/7mBtCPxP0w

5.12am GMT

53rd over: Australia 197-0 (Warner 100, Burns 89)

Yasir from the other end as Pakistan opt for a pace-and-turn combo. A Burns single puts Warner on strike, and he waits until the last ball of the over to squeeze a single and clock his 22nd Test century. It’s been a long time coming and though his Ashes debacle will forever remain in the books, the pain is somewhat lessened now. Good to see the leap back, too!

5.07am GMT

52nd over: Australia 195-0 (Warner 99, Burns 88)

Shaheen resumes the offensive for Pakistan following the tea break. Warner needs just a single to break into triple figures. The result? A maiden over, of course.

4.48am GMT

Another dominant session from the home side. Both of these openers have given chances - most notably Warner, who if not for Naseem’s no-ball would be cooling his jets in the dressing room rather than enjoying tea just one run short of his 22nd Test century. In two sessions, Warner has already outscored his aggregate offering in the Ashes. Home, sweet home. See you in a few moments.

4.43am GMT

51st over: Australia 195-0 (Warner 99, Burns 88)

Naseem puts one right in the slot for Burns, who cover drives for three. This puts Warner on strike with two balls left before tea. The first ball brings nothing and the second one brings ... a single that Burns wants to turn into two, but Warner is having none of it. So her goes to tea on 99, and will face the first ball of the evening session.

4.38am GMT

50th over: Australia 189-0 (Warner 97, Burns 85)

Iftikhar back for more with his gentle off-breaks. Just the single off the over. Warner now has one over before tea to register another ton.

4.34am GMT

49th over: Australia 189-0 (Warner 96, Burns 85)

Naseem continues, full again, and Burns unfurls one of the shots of the day, a glorious straight drive that races to the fence. Good response from the teen later in the over, dropping one in short and fast that Burns has little idea about but manages to fend to safety.

4.31am GMT

Here’s that direct hit.

Brilliant fielding by Yasir Shah but David Warner is home, just!#AUSvPAK | https://t.co/oHjjQibN4b pic.twitter.com/t235fIyz5Y

4.29am GMT

48th over: Australia 181-0 (Warner 93, Burns 80)

Iftikhar around the wicket. Burns clips one through mid-wicket and the batsmen step on the gas trying to turn an easy single into a manic two. Warner speeds towards the danger end and slides his bat - just as well, as Yasir crashes the stumps with a direct hit from distance. The third umpire deliberates for some time before declaring Warner safely home. But there was only centimetres in it. Not out.

4.23am GMT

47th over: Australia 178-0 (Warner 93, Burns 77)

Imran off, Naseem on. I’m a big fan of teenagers, used to be one myself, and I really hope Naseem gets his first Test wicket sooner rather than later. Dare I say it, the game could do with it. This is getting ugly. The youngster bowls with nice pace but there’s no breakthrough to report. Warner is watchful for a change. He wants that century. Two runs from the over.

4.18am GMT

46th over: Australia 176-0 (Warner 92, Burns 76)

Yasir off, Iftikhar on. Warner creeps deeper into the 90s. But there doesn’t appear a nerve in sight from him or Burns, the latter dancing down the pitch and lofting high and wide over mid-off for four. He then trades power for guile, sweeping to the fence to make it 11 for the over. Ouch.

4.14am GMT

45th over: Australia 165-0 (Warner 90, Burns 67)

Imran continues from over the wicket and he’s full to both batsmen, clearly trying to get the openers playing their shots. A couple of full-blooded drives from Burns highlight the over, but both pick out fielders and neither earns a run. One run from the over.

Naseem Shah's no ball could prove very costly as David Warner nears century#AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/86YuvZ2v5g

4.08am GMT

44th over: Australia 164-0 (Warner 89, Burns 67)

A half reason for Pakistan to get excited, with Burns clearly not convinced but going through with the shot anyway, a cut to a fairly straight one from Yasir that he can only prod into the turf. Warner is decidedly more forthright later in the over, smearing the spinner to the fine-leg fence.

4.03am GMT

43rd over: Australia 156-0 (Warner 84, Burns 64)

Warner stares down the pitch at Imran, with the crazy eyes of a man who’s been given a second shot at life, and pulls him for two through mid-wicket before driving through the covers for four. That latter shot was right out of the screws. Say what you like about Warner on the road, and plenty do, but at home he’s imperious.

3.58am GMT

42nd over: Australia 149-0 (Warner 78, Burns 63)

Yasir draws the defensive prod from Warner, and maybe, just maybe, he got an edge. Regardless, the ball lands just in front of short-leg via his pads. Just the single off that rather brisk over.

The difficulties of radio! @iramizraja copped one around the ears from his own headphones.

And yes @QuentinHull, we're always watching!

ABC Radio / Grandstand digital / ABC Listen app — https://t.co/gEKbY009Z1 #AUSvPAK #Cricket #Radio pic.twitter.com/8H4CGl3Agz

3.54am GMT

41st over: Australia 148-0 (Warner 78, Burns 62)

Shaheen off, Imran on. That was a very tidy spell from Shaheen but Pakistan need so much more than that right now. Over the wicket to Warner, Imran angles one across the left-hander and draws the shot, beating the outside edge. Nice movement off the seam. Could Imran be the one to make a difference this session, a la Cummins at this time yesterday? You could argue Naseem has already done that, but no-balls are called such for a reason. Two runs off the over.

3.49am GMT

40th over: Australia 146-0 (Warner 76, Burns 62)

Play resumes after drinks, Australia trailing by precisely 100 runs. Yasir continues and he’s tossing it up to Burns, whose strapped left elbow looks less troublesome after those painkillers. Burns goes after the spinner last ball, not getting all of his heave over mid-on but enough to earn a boundary. Good to see this man making a decent fist of it for Australia at the top of the order.

3.44am GMT

Thanks very much, Geoff. Pleasure to again be knocking down what you’re setting up. I guess that makes me Lillee and you Thommo. Or am I Devito and you Schwarzenegger? I’m digressing before I’ve even started, which isn’t the best way to kick start affairs - unlike today’s riposte by Warner and Burns. With the benefit of context, it’s safe to say this is an agreeable batting deck. It’s also safe to Pakistan have an awful lot of work ahead if they’re to get back into this Test match. Fewer no-balls on wicket deliveries would help. Please join me for what’s left of day two (and there’s a fair bit of it) by sending me an email or getting in touch via Twitter - @scott_heinrich. Or, if you’re partial to a splash of Brut cologne, feel free to participate on the inside.

3.42am GMT

39th over: Australia 140-0 (Warner 75, Burns 57) Shaheen, left-arm around the wicket at Burns, and the batsmen are taking sharp singles now with drinks due in a moment. A couple of tip-and-run types, including one that requires a big dive from Burns. He makes it in though, and these openers have batted half the day. That’s drinks, and that’s me done. Scott Heinrich will be your company from here.

3.40am GMT

38th over: Australia 129-0 (Warner 72, Burns 56) Warner in his pomp now, down the wicket and driving through cover for four! Warner likes leg-spin. He demolished Imran Tahir’s Test career before it really began, he’s taken plenty of runs off Yasir before in their respective careers, and he’s taking a few today. Three singles as well from the over.

3.38am GMT

37th over: Australia 129-0 (Warner 66, Burns 55) Another chop from Warner against Shaheen, into the ground past his stumps. That ball was much fuller and bounced much lower, just missing the woodwork. The luck is with Warner today.

3.33am GMT

36th over: Australia 127-0 (Warner 65, Burns 54) Yasir has got through nine overs now for 26 runs. So his economy has been good, but those runs have some steadily enough for Australia to feel comfortable. Another three singles in this over, and with each of them the left-right combination swaps and the field has to change. Hard to build consistency for Pakistan.

3.30am GMT

35th over: Australia 124-0 (Warner 64, Burns 52) A maiden over for Shaheen, including an unsure moment for Warner as he tries to pull, edges hard into the ground, and has the ball bounce high into the air and threaten his stumps. Warner runs back to guard them as Shaheen bears down.

3.23am GMT

34th over: Australia 124-0 (Warner 64, Burns 52) Yasir to Warner, and the runs keep coming... single... brace... single... without too much difficulty. This pair made some huge runs in that aforementioned New Zealand Test at the Gabba. They’re well in the frame for the same now.

3.19am GMT

33rd over: Australia 120-0 (Warner 61, Burns 51) A bowling change with Shaheen Afridi into the attack, but he doesn’t get it right in his first over. Not expensive, but too wide of off stump to force many shots or create any danger. Pakistan just drifting now. They need someone to take command of the match, like Cummins did for Australia yesterday. Shaheen could and probably should be that bowler.

3.14am GMT

32nd over: Australia 114-0 (Warner 61, Burns 50) First a cut shot from Yasir’s poor delivery that’s far too short, then a drive from a full ball. A milestone for the Queenslander on his home ground for state cricket, where he also made his first Test century against New Zealand in 2015. After four years of ins and outs, he’s finally back in the side for what should be a proper shot at the job.

3.10am GMT

31st over: Australia 114-0 (Warner 60, Burns 46) Naseem is trying to carry on the short-ball attack against both batsmen, but when he finally gets a shot at Burns he bowls his bouncer too wide. Easily evaded.

3.04am GMT

30th over: Australia 112-0 (Warner 59, Burns 45) Yasir to Burns, and the bowler just has to hit the right length six times out of six. He does it through the first half of the over, right on the off stump. A bit too full for the fourth and Burns drives, but can’t beat Azhar diving at cover. Burns looks a bit uncomfortable, it seems? How bruised is his arm? He drives square, again to the field, drawing excited chat from Rizwan behind the stumps. Then a final drive to mid-off. At last a maiden for Yasir, even if a bit lucky.

3.01am GMT

29th over: Australia 112-0 (Warner 59, Burns 45) Naseem cranking up towards 147 kilometres an hour after lunch, testing Warner around the off stump. That’s a decent comeback over, after the disappointment of the previous set.

2.56am GMT

28th over: Australia 109-0 (Warner 57, Burns 44) The field is fairly well spread for Yasir now, an in-out type with a slip and a short leg, but men in the deep on the off side for Burns. Three singles from the over as the Australians hit the gaps.

2.53am GMT

27th over: Australia 106-0 (Warner 56, Burns 42) Naseem Shah at the other end, bowling to Burns, who he hit on the arm just before the break. Burns is perhaps expecting the shorter ball, because his balance isn’t there as he pushes at a beauty, a ball that moves away off the seam. Burns escapes from strike with a nudge off the pads, and with the last ball of the over Naseem has Warner caught behind! Wide and full, Warner down on one knee slashing, gets a fat bottom edge that carries through to Rizwan behind the stumps. Warner walks off shaking his head... then gets called back. It’s a no-ball. A big overstep on the replay as Naseem was striving for pace. What a disappointment. The young man’s first Test wicket granted, then taken away.

2.46am GMT

26th over: Australia 103-0 (Warner 55, Burns 41) We’re back after lunch, and it’s Yasir Shah bowling to David Warner. A good start from the leg-spinner, landing on the stumps to the left-hander and starting to find a bit of turn. But after five good balls, Yasir bowls a bit too short and Warner cuts him for three. Story of Pakistan’s day.

2.08am GMT

There we have it. Both teams batted through the morning session of a day without loss, but Australia’s openers have doubled the runs that Pakistan’s put on yesterday. Australia’s bowlers looked closer to a breakthrough. They were able to come back after the break, adjust to a fuller length, use their bouncers more effectively, and rattle through five wickets before tea. Pakistan will need a similarly dramatic turnaround to remain in this match. Another session like this one and they’ll be in real trouble. We’ll be back in half an hour or so.

2.05am GMT

25th over: Australia 100-0 (Warner 52, Burns 41) Last over before lunch, and here comes the century stand! Well, Australia’s opening partnerships didn’t make a hundred runs in total during five Ashes Tests. Warner didn’t make a hundred runs on his own. But batting conditions are a bit easier here, and the new-old pairing of Burns and Warner hits triple figures. They celebrate, then Burns returns to the batting crease in time to get hit by Naseem! In the elbow. It sounded like bat, because that hit flush on the bone as Burns shaped to duck, turned his head away, then learned that the ball wasn’t going to get up. He’ll want some ice on that in the break, as lunch arrives.

2.00am GMT

24th over: Australia 98-0 (Warner 52, Burns 39) Yasir races through an over with just two singles to give Naseem one more shot before the spring rolls are served.

1.56am GMT

23rd over: Australia 96-0 (Warner 51, Burns 38) He gets the milestone at the first chance with a push for one run, his 31st Test fifty. Naseem Shah is the bowler, replacing Imran. Some short balls, some pace, three singles. Lunch is looming, and Pakistan need it.

1.51am GMT

22nd over: Australia 93-0 (Warner 49, Burns 37) Yasir to Warner, twice in a row on the pads. Warner pressing forward to defend. But it’s the third ball that lets Yasir down. Overthrown, too full and a bit of width as he tries a googly, where building consistent pressure might have been better. Warner drives it through cover for four. Then Yasir drags a bit short and Warner is dropped! Impossible for short leg to have seen that ball, it was middled and it hit him in the hand rather than the other way around. Shan Masood has been good in that position, and he was immediately looking for a rebound, hoping the ball would pop up off his thigh after it hit him, but it goes to ground instead. Would have been a pure fluke if that had stuck somewhere. Warner follows up with another run to keep the strike and move within a run of his fifty.

1.47am GMT

21st over: Australia 88-0 (Warner 44, Burns 37) Burns again, climbing into a short ball! He’s not been shy about cross-bat shots this morning. Imran Khan not quick enough to try that length. The rest of the over is a decent length, but you can’t build pressure when you’ve given away that easy four. Warner’s score hasn’t moved for several overs but Burns has been ticking away.

1.43am GMT

20th over: Australia 84-0 (Warner 44, Burns 33) Yasir Shah at last, the leg-spinner who was the fastest bowler to 200 wickets in terms of Tests played, beating a long-standing record by Depression-era Australian leggie Clarrie Grimmett. Yasir’s first ball in this Test is too short, and Burns cuts it easily to get off strike. Yasir to a left-hander now, rarely a leg-spinner’s preference, but from over the wicket he can bowl in line with the stumps and threaten Warner that way. Yasir debuted against Australia in 2014 in the UAE and got a lot of his wickets with the straight ball, sliding on to hit the pads of batsmen expecting turn. Decent length to Warner, dragging him forward but not bowling too full.

1.40am GMT

19th over: Australia 83-0 (Warner 44, Burns 32) The Imran Khan line of attack to Warner is curious. It looks like he’s just trying to bowl dry, keep Warner quiet. He’s right-arm over, but naturally bowls quite wide of the stumps. That means there’s a steep angle across Warner, no chance of leg before wicket, and the only mode of dismissal is an edge into the cordon. But Warner isn’t offering much in the way of loose shots. He’s happy to defend the balls close to him, and leave the ones wider if the length isn’t full enough or short enough to target. Imran bowls a maiden. The omission of Mohammad Abbas starts to look worse and worse. What a bowler he is, and might have been here.

1.37am GMT

18th over: Australia 83-0 (Warner 44, Burns 32) Another trip to the dancefloor for Burns. He’s starting to catch up to Warner’s score, with another lofted off-drive against the Pakistani off-spinner. The visitors look short of ideas at this stage.

1.31am GMT

17th over: Australia 78-0 (Warner 43, Burns 28) Too short again from Imran, and now Burns is pulling, but only for one run thanks to the deep square leg. Just a couple of singles from the over, but no threat in it. Still no sign of Yasir Shah...

1.27am GMT

16th over: Australia 76-0 (Warner 42, Burns 27) Dancing time for Burns! He’s taken on more deliveries than Warner today, refusing to be dictated terms. First ball of Iftikhar’s over, Burns is down the track and lifting him straight for four. Adds a single to keep the strike.

1.26am GMT

15th over: Australia 71-0 (Warner 42, Burns 22) Imran Khan is back replacing Naseem, trying the same length of attack but about 20 clicks slower. Warner responds with his first pull shot of the innings, not entirely nailed, but into the gap between mid-on and midwicket for four.

1.19am GMT

14th over: Australia 67-0 (Warner 38, Burns 22) Spin for the first time today, but it won’t be the leggie Yasir. Iftikhar Ahmed will essay his off-breaks, around the wicket to the lefty Warner. Nothing expansive from Warner, just a third-ball push and he gets a run thanks to a misfield at cover. Nice line from Iftikhar to Burns as the bowler switches over the wicket. A couple of good takes from Shan Masood at short leg, he’s been impressive there today. “Bowling, Iffy!” calls Rizwan. A debatable nickname.

1.15am GMT

13th over: Australia 66-0 (Warner 37, Burns 22) Naseem is cranking up the speed gun as his spell wears on! Up towards 150 kilometres an hour now, and when Burns takes on a bouncer it’s too fast for him to control. A high top edge swirls out to deep backward square, but there’s no man there on the hook. Burns gets four.

1.12am GMT

12th over: Australia 58-0 (Warner 36, Burns 15) Lucky that Warner had a drink. Another four for him, but not a boundary. His cover drive pulls up just inside the rope, but he runs the first couple so hard that he’s able to turn for a fourth as the ball is retrieved. That’s a hard task in the Brisbane heat. It’s not quite 30 degrees today but it’s still Queensland humid.

1.01am GMT

11th over: Australia 51-0 (Warner 30, Burns 14) Naseem Shah bowling with fire! After being nudged off the pads for another couple of runs he decides that he’s had enough, comes around the wicket to Warner and starts the barrage. One decent bouncer, then one absolute beauty! It sizzles past the grille, and Warner plays it well, swaying away. The bowler gives him a glare after each of those short balls, and Warner offers back a broad grin. Even Warner can’t help being a bit friendly towards his young opponent. Naseem loses his line down leg, but Rizwan spares him any extras with a huge diving save. Drinks.

12.58am GMT

10th over: Australia 51-0 (Warner 30, Burns 14) Finally a quiet over for Pakistan, but Shaheen is having trouble with his landing zone, bowling a no-ball and then having a long conversation with the umpire and his captain about his footing. Australia’s fifty is up.

12.49am GMT

9th over: Australia 49-0 (Warner 29, Burns 14) Naseem Shah now, his first bad ball in Test cricket, losing his line across Warner and giving way too much width. Warner middles his cut-carve stroke for four. Naseem, right-arm over, is immediately tight on the stumps again, but even then Warner can just drop and run a single to cover.

12.44am GMT

8th over: Australia 44-0 (Warner 24, Burns 14) Yesterday the Pakistani opening pair batted through the session and frustrated Australia, but the bowlers didn’t offer any freebies. The partnership didn’t hurt too much on the scoreboard. This morning Australia’s openers are batting through but they’ve also been given scoring chances in every over. Shaheen nearly gets through a tidy one, but overpitches the sixth ball and Warner can drive again for three.

12.38am GMT

7th over: Australia 40-0 (Warner 21, Burns 13) Here’s a moment: Naseem Shah, on debut, will have his first bowl in Test cricket. Sixteen years of age as he turns out for Pakistan. He’s on the spot with his first ball, just outside Warner’s off stump and blocked away for a dot ball. The second effort squirts past backward point for three runs, but it clocked nearly 148 kilometres an hour. He really arches the back in his delivery stride and then slingshots his bowling arm through, which is where he derives his pace. Burns gets a single to fine leg. Back to bowling at Warner, and Naseem is tight on the stumps. Twice in a row, not far from the sticks but Warner leaves, and the ball swings after it passes him enough to flummox the keeper and go for a couple of byes. Exciting start from Naseem.

12.32am GMT

6th over: Australia 34-0 (Warner 18, Burns 12) The errors keep building. Overpitched, so Warner can drive two runs through cover. On the legs, square for two more. The runs coming too easily, both batsmen have a start. Then overpitched again and Warner drives for four. Nice stride, perfect balance, out through cover. Imran looks for a solution by shifting to around the wicket, right-armer to left-hander, but bowls the same length and Warner can drive through cover again for three. The ball gets saved because third slip has been moved to cover and is able to chase it down. Australia off to a flyer, nearly 6 runs an over. Time for a change.

12.27am GMT

5th over: Australia 23-0 (Warner 7, Burns 12) Shaheen is the one not getting it right now. Just enough width for Warner to steer it away behind point, his most productive shot in Test cricket, for three runs. Then down leg side, and Burns doesn’t hit it with the bat but gets some thigh pad on it, four leg byes.

12.21am GMT

4th over: Australia 14-0 (Warner 3, Burns 11) Imran Khan still isn’t quite right to Burns, straying onto the pads to allow a single to fine leg. But he gets it right to the left-handed Warner thereafter, angling the ball across. Beats Warner with a beauty that has the whole slip cordon up, but the bowler shakes his head. No edge. Warner nails an off-drive, but Azhar Ali at mid-off dives full length to stop it getting straight of him. Good fielding.

“Morning Geoff,” writes Brian Withington. “Lovely to see a return to your usual preambling form. All power to your marrows and assorted cucurbits.”

12.15am GMT

3rd over: Australia 12-0 (Warner 2, Burns 10) Another boundary for Burns, safe enough but not controlled, pushing at Shaheen gently enough that the edge rolls to third man rather than flying through the air. Burns follows up in true opening batsman style by just pressing a run to midwicket. Warner covers his stumps for the rest of the over.

12.13am GMT

2nd over: Australia 6-0 (Warner 1, Burns 5) A busy first over of work for Joe Burns, who isn’t settled. First ball he’s cramped for room against a short ball but flays at it anyway, and under-edges it on the bounce through to Rizwan. Imran Khan is annoyed that the keeper was so far back. Then Burns takes on the next ball with a pull, clobbering it into short leg’s shin pad for a ricochet single. Warner takes his first run with a push to cover, then Burns hits short leg again and is setting off, but a brilliant bit of fielding from Shan Masood under the helmet sees the ball hit him on his right side, then the fielder grabbing the rebound with his left hand as it bounces behind his back. On the spin, Shan backhands at the stumps, and would have run out Burns had he hit. Then Imran bowls Burns a shorter wider one, and Burns carves a boundary. No shortage of shots.

12.05am GMT

1st over: Australia 0-0 (Warner 0, Burns 0) Shaheen Shah Afridi with the ball, and Warner to face the first delivery. More often than not he prefers to start at the non-striker’s end, but he wants an immediate start. Shaheen is tall, left arm, bowls with pace and swing. And he starts with both, on the off stump, throwing in a bumper. Warner plays with circumspection and watches out a maiden.

12.01am GMT

“G’day Geoff. Had a great day at the Gabba yesterday, but am back in the office today, so looking forward to your updates. Will the Australians fare any better than Pakistan did?”

Thanks for the email, Murray Henman. That’s exactly the question. Warner and Burns are walking to the middle. Warner had a shocking Ashes in England, as most of you would know. Burns has finally got another chance after being harshly dealt with before that series. Both have a point to prove and some good bowlers to deal with...

11.59pm GMT

Remember you can email the OBO – geoff.lemon@theguardian.com for the time being – or find me on Twitter using @GeoffLemonSport.

11.27pm GMT

If you want something to read in the meantime, England are still batting, just, over the fence in New Zealand. I’ll yell any messages across if you have any.

Related: New Zealand v England: first Test, day two – live!

11.26pm GMT

If you want a bit more detail, here is the wires summary of the first day’s play.

Related: Australian pacemen keep Pakistan in check on opening day of Gabba Test

11.25pm GMT

What ho, fine friends. Good morrow. Good marrow. Of your bones and in your gardens both. Here’s hoping. Time to sniff the flowers and biff with power. We’ve had one day of Test cricket in the Australian summer and it was a beauty – momentum shifts, danger, sturdy resistance, late drama, and ultimately closure. Pakistan were bowled out on the stroke of stumps. Fought brilliantly through the morning session via Azhar and Shan Masood, collapsed through the middle, then fought again at the end via Shafiq with help from Rizwan and Yasir. They’ve made 240 which will at least give their quicks something to bowl at. Today it’s Australia’s turn: how will the new-old batting line-up fare? Can’t wait.

Continue reading...

Australia v Pakistan: first Test, day one – as it happened

Australian pacemen do damage on opening day at the GabbaMitchell Starc and Pat Cummins the pick of the bowlers

7.55am GMT

And here’s the day one match report:

Related: Australian pacemen keep Pakistan in check on opening day of Gabba Test

7.45am GMT

A topsy-turvy day of Test cricket where both teams looked on top at various stages, but ultimately there can be no argument that the opening exchanges of this first Test belong to Australia. Pakistan’s first-wicket pair battled so bravely, and with great discipline, to put on 75 runs, but after Shan Masood fell midway through the afternoon it created a domino effect. Australia’s pace brigade started pitching the ball up a bit more, and the result was a dizzying period which saw five wickets fall for 19 runs. At 94 for five anything could have happened, but Asad Shafiq’s 76 did much to restore some credit to Pakistan’s total. Mitchell Starc (4-52) and Pat Cummins (3-60) were the pick of the bowlers, with Cummins’ removal of Mohammad Rizwan, despite the appearance of a possible no-ball, the talking point of the day. As ever, the first innings of any Test match can only be put into perspective by the other team’s first dig. But 240 is surely inadequate on what looks good batting deck, relatively placid for Gabba standards. Australia did plenty right today - heck, Tim Paine even got a referral right - and they’ll look forward to facing Pakistan’s fresh-faced attack when play resumes on day two. And I’ll be looking forward to seeing it. Please join me, and my partner in OBO literary criminology, Geoff Lemon, for more of the same tomorrow. Thanks for your company.

7.29am GMT

The end arrives, with Naseem sending a leading edge back to Starc to make it four wickets for the innings. That is stumps. Australia, and they will be thankful for this, won’t be asked to face an over or two before the day’s end.

7.25am GMT

86th over: Pakistan 240-9 (Imran Khan 5, Naseem Shah 7 )

These two tailenders are looking more assured by the minute. Imran has little difficulty keeping Cummins at arm’s length until, last ball of the over, he reaches at a wide one outside off-stump and picks out Labuschagne, only to survive as the the third slip fumbles the sharp chance.

7.19am GMT

85th over: Pakistan 240-9 (Imran Khan 5, Naseem Shah 7 )

Starc has eyes only for the three uprights but Naseem is up to the challenge. The leftie changes tack and drops one in short, so short in fact that it’s called a wide. Naseem then keeps at bay the fastest delivery of the day - upwards of 146kph - before ending the over with a ripper of an on-drive that finds the rope.

7.13am GMT

84th over: Pakistan 233-9 (Imran Khan 5, Naseem Shah 1 )

Naseem tries to get off the mark in Test cricket by hoicking Cummins out of the ground (amazingly, this doesn’t work) but he eventually troubles the scorer with a defensive mis-hit past point. Imran then swings hard and gets enough on it to clear the slip cordon for a boundary.

7.09am GMT

83rd over: Pakistan 228-9 (Imran Khan 1, Naseem Shah 0 )

Starc mixes his length to Imran, who shows greater resolve than technique to keep the fast bowler at bay. No runs, no wicket.

7.07am GMT

82nd over: Pakistan 228-9 (Imran Khan 1, Naseem Shah 0 )

If Australia can take the remaining Pakistan wicket next over, they’ll have about 15 minutes to bat before stumps. Question is: do they really want that?

7.04am GMT

Fast, hostile bowling from Cummins is rewarded as Asad plays around a straight one and is bowled through the gate, ending a very good innings. The end for Pakistan is nigh.

7.01am GMT

Shaheen comes and goes, edging his first ball into Paine’s gloves. The initial decision is not out, but Australia review the decision and Shaheen does indeed feather an edge.

The hat-trick ball, to be faced by none other than the 16-year-old debutant Naseem Shah, is survived by no thanks to what can only be described as comedy footwork by the teenager. What an over!

6.57am GMT

An absolute ripsnorter of a yorker from Starc, whose tracer bullet swings into Yasir and breaks his stump. Not many batsmen would have survived that one.

6.54am GMT

81st over: Pakistan 227-6 (Asad Shafiq 76, Yasir Shah 26)

Starc returns to the attack. The new ball is due but not yet taken. That scenario lasts just one delivery, Starc’s loosener, before the new cherry is taken. Starc’s first effort with the shiny new nut beats Yasir’s outside edge before trapping him in front. The appeal goes up but the ball looks clearly to have pitched outside leg-stump. No review.

6.49am GMT

80th over: Pakistan 226-6 (Asad Shafiq 75, Yasir Shah 26)

Smith is tossed the ball in the last over before the new ball is due. He presents a rank full-toss to Asad, who helps himself a boundary past long-on. Last ball, Smith beats Yasir’s bat with a beauty.

6.46am GMT

79th over: Pakistan 220-6 (Asad Shafiq 70, Yasir Shah 25)

Asad picks up a single courtesy of a solidly struck sweep off Labuschagne, a shot which frankly deserved more than one run, and it’s the same shot, same result for Yasir later in the over. New ball due in an over.

6.43am GMT

78th over: Pakistan 216-6 (Asad Shafiq 68, Yasir Shah 23)

Yasir advances down the pitch and tries to heave Lyon out of the ground, but succeeds only in lofting his mistimed shot to the vacant mid-on area. No such issues for Asad, who next ball connect with his paddle sweep for another boundary.

6.41am GMT

77th over: Pakistan 209-6 (Asad Shafiq 62, Yasir Shah 22)

It’s been all singles since tea but Asad breaks the shackles, punching Labuschagne wide of extra cover for four.

6.38am GMT

76th over: Pakistan 204-6 (Asad Shafiq 57, Yasir Shah 22)

Three singles are scored off Lyon’s latest over, and I believe Australia are yet to bowl a maiden this session.

6.37am GMT

75th over: Pakistan 201-6 (Asad Shafiq 55, Yasir Shah 21)

Pakistan bring up their 200, which an hour or so ago looked unlikely. Labuschagne concedes three runs with his fast leg-breaks, both in terms of speed of delivery and speed of over.

6.34am GMT

74th over: Pakistan 198-6 (Asad Shafiq 52, Yasir Shah 21)

A single off Lyon’s over, which must be a contender for the quickest to be bowled. Ever.

6.31am GMT

73rd over: Pakistan 197-6 (Asad Shafiq 51, Yasir Shah 21)

A couple of nurdled singles off Labuschagne’s over. It seems both batsmen and bowlers are shutting up shop, waiting for the new ball to arrive. Can’t see any pacemen warming up just yet, though.

6.28am GMT

72nd over: Pakistan 195-6 (Asad Shafiq 50, Yasir Shah 20)

Just two singles off Lyon’s over, included one that brought up Asad’s fifty. That is all.

6.26am GMT

Asad registers his fifty, a timely and well constructed knock, off 99 balls. It’s his 24th Test fifty and he won’t have made many more important ones than this.

6.24am GMT

71st over: Pakistan 193-6 (Asad Shafiq 49, Yasir Shah 19)

Labuschagne continues, and may well continue to do so until the new ball is due, but his radar goes AWOL somewhat and Asad drives the wide full-toss past mid-off for two, drawing an extravagant save from Cummins whose knee takes more than a divot or two out of the Gabba turf. And that is the fifty partnership for this seventh wicket.

6.20am GMT

70th over: Pakistan 189-6 (Asad Shafiq 46, Yasir Shah 18)

Two singles off Lyon’s over but an eventful one all the same, with Asad kind of getting hold of a paddle sweep that clears the keeper but only just stays away from Smith, who makes ground from slip but never seriously looks like taking a catch. Time for drinks.

6.16am GMT

69th over: Pakistan 187-6 (Asad Shafiq 45, Yasir Shah 17)

A couple of singles off Labuschagne’s latest over. Not much more to add, I’m afraid.

6.13am GMT

68th over: Pakistan 185-6 (Asad Shafiq 44, Yasir Shah 16)

These two spinners are really ripping through their overs, which is a good thing for Australia’s pedestrian run-rate but not so good for your humble OBO blogger who has to juggle writing duties with the calls of nature. Four runs off Lyon’s latest offering.

6.10am GMT

67th over: Pakistan 181-6 (Asad Shafiq 41, Yasir Shah 15)

Just one run from Labuschagne’s second over. Justin Howden writes in, adding a voice of reason to the no-ball call that decided Rizwan’s wicket. “Not a no-ball,” Justin writes. “Re reading the rule it’s ‘some part behind the line on the ground or in the air’ and as one can’t see the whole white line / rear edge UNDER the rear of the boot, even in ultra magnify, I guess logic says some part of it is behind it albeit in the air?” Hmm, I think you might be onto something.

6.06am GMT

66th over: Pakistan 180-6 (Asad Shafiq 40, Yasir Shah 15)

Lyon continues, with a short-leg and a bat-pad in situ, and Head earns his wages in the former position, wearing a full-blooded sweep from Yasir flush on the grill of his helmet. The glass-half-empty side of me says dropped catch, the half-full side says four runs saved. Well played, and the main thing is Head is just fine after that blow.

6.03am GMT

65th over: Pakistan 179-6 (Asad Shafiq 39, Yasir Shah 15)

Labuschagne in the attack now, replacing Starc, which is probably down in equal parts to: 1. Australia’s poor over-rate; 2. The ball is getting a bit old and tired; and 3. He’s no stranger to a Test wicket.

5.59am GMT

64th over: Pakistan 176-6 (Asad Shafiq 36, Yasir Shah 15)

Nice and tight from Lyon, who concedes just a single in the over.

5.56am GMT

63rd over: Pakistan 175-6 (Asad Shafiq 35, Yasir Shah 15)

Cummins commits a rare misfield at mid-off, gifting Asad an easy two runs that the batsmen turn into a hurriedly run three. That was a bit of a scramble. And probably why they say you should never run off a misfield.

5.54am GMT

62nd over: Pakistan 172-6 (Asad Shafiq 32, Yasir Shah 15)

Paine makes a double change, Hazlewood now making way for the spin of Lyon. Asad’s cut for two behind point highlights the over. This no-ball-that-wasn’t controversy just won’t lie down. Patrick O’Brien writes in to say: “Are you blind??!?!?!? His foot was clearly behind the line during his run up!”

5.50am GMT

61st over: Pakistan 169-6 (Asad Shafiq 29, Yasir Shah 15)

Starc in the attack now for Cummins. Australia’s quicks look to be a bit shorter than they were in the afternoon, by design or otherwise, and a half-pitcher from Starc almost pays dividends with Yasir mistiming his pull shot but, luckily for him, not finding a fielder. No fortune needed next ball as he square-drives the returning left-armer for an exquisite boundary.

5.44am GMT

60th over: Pakistan 163-6 (Asad Shafiq 29, Yasir Shah 9)

Yasir makes a bit of a mess of defending a short ball from Hazlewood, popping a leading edge into the air (and the ball seems to stay there forever and a day) but surviving as it lands just in front of the diving Lyon running in from point. Asad them helps himself to possibly the shot of the day, brutalising Hazlewood through mid-wicket with a cracking pull shot.

5.40am GMT

59th over: Pakistan 158-6 (Asad Shafiq 25, Yasir Shah 8)

Asad has a taste for it now, driving Cummins on the up and beating gully for a welcome boundary. Peter Miller is with me, and the rest of the planet bar the third umpire, on that no-ball call. “Clearly a no-ball! What is the third umpire thinking?” asks Peter.

5.34am GMT

58th over: Pakistan 154-6 (Asad Shafiq 21, Yasir Shah 8)

Asad treats himself to a rare attacking shot and reaps the rewards, pulling Hazlewood through mid-wicket for three. And I’m looking, I really am, but I still can’t see any of that boot behind the crease line.

Definitely a no-ball.

Bad call from the 3rd umpire.#AUSvPAK #AUSvsPAK pic.twitter.com/rV0D9IC96p

5.30am GMT

57th over: Pakistan 151-6 (Asad Shafiq 18, Yasir Shah 8)

Yasir picks up where the restless Rizwan left off, cutting Cummins backward of point for a good-looking boundary. Short and wide, the delivery deserved no less.

5.26am GMT

56th over: Pakistan 147-6 (Asad Shafiq 18, Yasir Shah 4)

Yasir clips Hazlewood through mid-on for three. Now, back to that no-ball call. Check out the replay below and make up your own mind. For the life of me, I can’t see any of Cummin’s foot behind that line.

It doesn't come any closer than that!

This was judged a legal delivery! #closematters@Gillette | #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/Dtl2fCo2if

5.23am GMT

55th over: Pakistan 144-6 (Asad Shafiq 18, Yasir Shah 1)

Nicinfo has tweeted in, questioning the wisdom of the third umpire in that Rizwan dismissal. “No ball surely,” tweets Nicinfo. I agree, sir.

5.19am GMT

Rizwan’s breezy contribution comes to an end as Cummins catches him on the crease with one just short of a length, and Paine completes the job off the resultant edge. But this dismissal is not without its controversy, with doubts over whether any part of Cummins’ front foot was behind the line. Replays were being examined at length, and it looked like Rizwan would be recalled to the centre, but the wicket stands. Not too sure about that decision.

5.14am GMT

54th over: Pakistan 143-5 (Asad Shafiq 18, Mohammad Rizwan 37)

Hazlewood in the attack now. Rizwan maintains his resolve to keep the score ticking over, edging less than convincingly for a boundary.

5.11am GMT

53rd over: Pakistan 138-5 (Asad Shafiq 18, Mohammad Rizwan 32)

One thing you can’t doubt about Rizwan is his intent, or his conviction for that matter. I’m tipping there might have been a Red Bull or two for tea because he’s returned for the evening session with wings, clobbering Cummins for three boundaries (including two off the first two balls) and taking 13 runs off the over. You could say he’s gone mental (Alan would), but in fact they were all thoroughly conventional, thoroughly controlled shots.

5.03am GMT

Wow.

Update: never before in Tests has *any team* lost its first four wickets with the score in the 70s. Previous "worst" - first three wickets.
History made today https://t.co/9CvLCkZJVz

4.52am GMT

Well, that wasn’t what Pakistan had in mind after doing so well to put themselves in a solid position in the morning. The visitors went from 75 without loss to 94-5 in what seemed an instant. Plaudits to Australia’s pacemen on what looks a good batting deck, but Pakistan’s decline was attributed in no small part to some curious strokeplay. Like this from Babar Azam.

Hazlweood threw it wide and Babar took the bait! #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/juwGQ2OF73

4.44am GMT

52nd over: Pakistan 125-5 (Asad Shafiq 18, Mohammad Rizwan 19)

A maiden from Lyon and mostly uneventful stuff apart from the penultimate delivery, which angles across Asad and beats the outside edge. Judging by Paine’s response, that was a coat of lacquer from touching the bat.

4.41am GMT

51st over: Pakistan 125-5 (Asad Shafiq 18, Mohammad Rizwan 19)

Outstanding counter-attacking batting from Rizwan, who takes eight runs off the last two deliveries of Cummins’ over - first a sweetly timed straight drive before a savagely struck hook shot that crashes into the fence past deep square.

4.38am GMT

50th over: Pakistan 116-5 (Asad Shafiq 17, Mohammad Rizwan 11)

Rizwan clearly doesn’t plan to block his way out of this crisis, dancing down the pitch to Lyon and driving him down the ground for an impressive boundary. A lovely shot from a man who also smells rather nice, apparently.

"He smells very nice."

Tim Paine was impressed with Muhammad Rizwan's scent upon his arrival at the crease #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/DMHYDEm2Pl

4.33am GMT

49th over: Pakistan 111-5 (Asad Shafiq 16, Mohammad Rizwan 7)

Cummins now returns to the attack - well, he’s now nice and loose after that mad dash to the boundary. It must be nice for Paine to have so many options. Kid in a lolly shop. Cummins’ radar will likely improve for his first over back, driven by Rizwan through the covers for two before straying down leg and conceding four leg-byes.

4.28am GMT

48th over: Pakistan 105-5 (Asad Shafiq 16, Mohammad Rizwan 5)

A little too short from Lyon and this allows Rizwan time and space to punch the spinner past point. Equally great chasing from Cummins, who slips his big frame into top gear and slides near the rope to restrict the shot to three runs.

4.25am GMT

47th over: Pakistan 101-5 (Asad Shafiq 15, Mohammad Rizwan 2)

Pakistan seemingly don’t know what to do here. A flurry of wickets will do that to a middle-order, but the strategy (or lack thereof) seems to be all or nothing. This time it’s all, with Asad pounding Starc through the covers for a frankly stunning boundary. Rizwan then gets off the mark with a couple nudged through the off-side.

4.22am GMT

46th over: Pakistan 94-5 (Asad Shafiq 10, Mohammad Rizwan 0)

7,696 Test runs - Happy Birthday to @HaydosTweets' opening partner in crime, Justin Langer! pic.twitter.com/82mqMwHH96

4.19am GMT

Lyon returns to the attack and doesn’t have to wait long, in fact not at all, to claim his first wicket of the series as Iftikhar really reaches at standard off-break, edging onto his pads and into the waiting hands of Labuschagne at short-leg. Pakistan’s promising start seems so far away now. In fact, they’ve gone from comfort to disarray in the matter of an hour.

4.15am GMT

45th over: Pakistan 94-4 (Asad Shafiq 10, I ftikhar Ahmed 7)

Asad doesn’t even look like scoring as Starc returns a maiden, his fourth of the innings. This seems like as good an opportunity as ever to wish Justin Langer a happy 50th birthday.

4.10am GMT

44th over: Pakistan 94-4 (Asad Shafiq 10, I ftikhar Ahmed 7)

If there’s a fast bowler who puts his back into a spell more than Pat Cummins, I’d like to meet him. The Australian asks a variety of questions of Iftikhar, mixing line and length but the batsman is not to be outdone as he cover drives for a nice boundary. A decent battle between bat and ball developing here - that four, combined with five dot-balls, says honours are about even.

4.05am GMT

43rd over: Pakistan 90-4 (Asad Shafiq 10, I ftikhar Ahmed 3)

Iftikhar gets off the mark, rocking back on the crease and steering Starc to third man for three. Asad then displays some deft hand-eye, barely moving his feet but clipping a straight one off his pads for two forward of square. A promising start to this partnership and don’t Pakistan need it to be a good one.

4.02am GMT

42nd over: Pakistan 85-4 (Asad Shafiq 8, I ftikhar Ahmed 0)

Paine rings the changes with Cummins replacing Hazlewood. Asad welcomes the paceman back into the fray with an exquisite boundary driven hard past the bowler. Cummins has the last word, however, catching the batsman in two minds and drawing a half-hearted prod that dribbles to slip before beating the bat with speed and seam movement to finish the over.

3.59am GMT

41st over: Pakistan 81-4 (Asad Shafiq 4, I ftikhar Ahmed 0)

The watchfulness of the opening session has made way for some expansive, and some outright reckless, stroke play. This time it works as Asad leans into Starc and off-drives for three.

3.55am GMT

40th over: Pakistan 78-4 (Asad Shafiq 1, I ftikhar Ahmed 0)

Thanks very much, Geoff. Sterling work from your good self. Almost as impressive as Australia’s response to that wicketless opening session. Speaking of those circumspect first two hours, I’ve just received word that you’ve been shortlisted for a new Walkley category – ‘Most colourful description of 17 successive dot-balls on day one of a Test match’. Gotta be proud. Anyway, in Australian sporting vernacular, I’m ‘super excited’ to be parking my derriere in the hot seat for the remainder of day one at the Gabba. And I’d be most honoured if you could join me (on the blog, not in the hot seat). You can do so by commenting below, sending me an email or tweeting @scott_heinrich

3.50am GMT

A big wicket for Australia as Hazlewood snares the dangerous Babar, who swings at a wide one (one, mind, that he might have left alone) and succeeds only in finding Burns in slip. Rather mindless from a man clearly less at home in the whites of Test cricket.

3.42am GMT

The drinks break has been called early with the wicket, so that’s my cue to hand over to Scott Heinrich. Until tomorrow...

3.42am GMT

Poor shot! After all the discipline of the opening hours, Haris Sohail worsens the slide with a lack of the same. Starc bangs the ball in outside off stump, a nothing much delivery although it has good pace. It draws the batsman into a push, a nothing shot for a nothing ball, and he gets a touch on it.

3.40am GMT

38th over: Pakistan 77-2 (Haris Sohail 1, Asad Shafiq 1) Hazlewood almost through onto the stumps, but Sohail gets the bat down just in time to keep it out of his pads. Gets off the mark with a single.

3.37am GMT

37th over: Pakistan 76-2 (Haris Sohail 0, Asad Shafiq 1) Another maiden for Cummins, he’s bowled half a dozen of them now. Conceded 13 runs in 11 overs, which is fairly ludicrous. Shafiq is happy to wait him out as Cummins keeps testing him.

3.29am GMT

36th over: Pakistan 76-2 (Haris Sohail 0, Asad Shafiq 1) Hazlewood to the diminutive Shafiq, who batted so well in the warm-up matches. Made important runs last October in the UAE as well. Made a brilliant ton here at the Gabba in 2016. Has the most runs of anyone batting at No6 in Tests except for Steve Waugh, though Shafiq has moved up the order now. Pakistan need him. He gets off the mark with a push to leg.

“Good afternoon Geoff, lovely to have you back on board the OBO,” writes Lee Henderson. Thanks Lee, nice to be here. “The Gabba, three quicks and our GOAT. If this was a normal weather year you’d expect that afternoon buildup and maybe a thumping subtropical storm but it’s not going to happen methinks with the humidity at crispy levels. Could we see that rarest of things, a Gabba pitch turning into a bunsen, drying out in this oppressive heat? Glamorgan’s batting supremo and the GOAT in tandem?Would T-Paine try something from left-field like this?”

3.24am GMT

35th over: Pakistan 75-2 (Haris Sohail 0, Asad Shafiq 0) Right then. Haris Sohail, left-hander, stylish as per the cliche, made a brilliant ton against Australia in Dubai last year. Did some good things during the World Cup as well. Cummins is trying to bounce him out from around the wicket too. Sohail leaves most things well alone.

Nick Jones emails in. “How is the atmosphere at the Gabbatoir? Good to follow you live - from here in San Francisco - where there is ample coverage of impeachment hearings, a new editor at the FT, a new CEO at BHP, a new manager at Spurs, a new head coach of the Wallabies. A season of renewal. A great knock by Mauricio Pochettino.”

3.21am GMT

34th over: Pakistan 75-2 (Haris Sohail 0, Asad Shafiq 0) A wicket maiden for Hazlewood, and suddenly it’s time for Pakistan to start again.

3.18am GMT

After that long first session, and all that waiting, Australia have two wickets without the scoreboard having moved! The perfect channel from Hazlewood. Full enough to draw the shot, short enough to allow some seam movement. Azhar defends, the thick edge flies low, and Burns dives forward for the ball to hit the heels of his hand and stay in the basket, fingers resting on the turf.

3.16am GMT

33rd over: Pakistan 75-1 (Azhar Ali 39) Cummins has 1 for 13 from nine overs, outstanding perseverance for him. Haris Sohail will be next in at first drop.

3.15am GMT

Brilliant bowling from Cummins! He has worked over the opener, over the course of a couple of overs. Shan had played so stubbornly through the first session, but looked a bit rattled once Cummins hit him on the glove and body with that short ball in the previous over. In this over, Cummins has him hopping. One ball just outside off has Shan playing his first indisciplined prod, taking a thick edge through a vacant third slip for four. But Cummins shrugs off that disappointment, angling the final ball of the over in at the body, drawing another hesitant shot, this time in defence. This time it skews straight to second slip for Smith to catch.

3.11am GMT

32nd over: Pakistan 71-0 (Shan Masood 23, Azhar Ali 39) Hazlewood is still working away, quality bowling but can’t get through. One ball beats Azhar’s edge and clips the thigh pad through into Paine’s gloves, prompting an appeal. Another takes a thick edge along the ground behind point, uncontrolled but the batsman gets three.

3.03am GMT

31st over: Pakistan 67-0 (Shan Masood 22, Azhar Ali 36) Shan keeps ducking the bouncers from Cummins, but eventually Cummins lands one that he has to play at. Up at the collarbone, and Shan is hopping and fending, trying to get glove in the way and managing that. The ball pops up near short leg but lands safely, just, and Shan has to get some treatment for his hand where he took the impact. Another Cummins maiden.

2.56am GMT

30th over: Pakistan 67-0 (Shan Masood 22, Azhar Ali 36) Shan wants to get away from Hazlewood, which is fair enough, so he manoeuvres a shortish ball away square for a run. Azhar is tested out in the channel, and rides the bounce to steer a ball through third man for four. A bit of luck, but he played it down deliberately.

What's on the flavoured milk menu for lunch, Geoff? The Cinnamon Donut could become a mainstay in the lineup, so too the Jaffa. But, are the tried and tested Lime or Vanilla Malt channeling Simple Minds and asking for us loyal devotees to not forget about their existence?

2.51am GMT

29th over: Pakistan 62-0 (Shan Masood 21, Azhar Ali 32) Pat Cummins will take up duties from the Vulture Street end. He went for 5 runs from his first 6 overs in the morning session. Three slips and a gully. He’s landing consistently in the channel outside off stump. But eventually he errs, too full, and Azhar chops away an on-drive for four. That wasn’t sweetly timed, there was a clunky sound off the bat, but it was effective. Cummins gets his length right again, and Azhar resumes careful defence.

2.47am GMT

28th over: Pakistan 58-0 (Shan Masood 21, Azhar Ali 28) Josh Hazlewood will start things off after lunch, and immediately he’s bowling full. Hits Azhar on the pad, and decides against a review as the ball slides away for a leg bye. He then gives Shan a very sharp bouncer, zipping through, then a mid-range short ball that Shan tries to pull off his hip, and edges into his thigh pad so that it sits up and interests short leg. The ball doesn’t go to hand.

2.43am GMT

Right, the stat doing the rounds is that no Australian team has ever bowled a wicketless first session to start a Test at the Gabba. Not ever. That’s a fair achievement for Pakistan. Of course, they have a lot more work to do, because that first session could be wasted with a bad half hour.

2.09am GMT

Excellent session for Pakistan. It’s not like they’ve piled on the runs, but they have done exactly what they wanted to do: assess the conditions, see off the new ball, see off the fresh bowlers, and make sure they didn’t lose a wicket in so doing. Azhar and Shan Masood have played with restraint and care, with minimal lapses. They’ve done the tough part, given their team a headstart, and now they have a good chance to spend the rest of the day building on that. More in half an hour.

2.06am GMT

27th over: Pakistan 57-0 (Shan Masood 21, Azhar Ali 28) Starc just starts to stray in the final over of the session: outside off and Shan can steer two runs behind point, then when Starc gets too straight Shan can take another brace through square. Sandwich time!

2.04am GMT

26th over: Pakistan 53-0 (Shan Masood 17, Azhar Ali 28) The Pakistani batsmen aren’t going into their shells near lunch. They’ve batted well and they’re confident, as evinced by Azhar’s square drive against Hazlewood’s overly full ball, for a boundary through point. In full control again.

2.02am GMT

25th over: Pakistan 49-0 (Shan Masood 17, Azhar Ali 24) Shan has kept the strike against Starc, and a good sign for the batsman is that when he has received a ball that he likes, he’s been confident playing shots against it. Full and straight from Starc, and it gets whipped away for four through the leg side by Shan. Starc doesn’t like that much, and his pace starts cranking up as the over wears on.

1.59am GMT

24th over: Pakistan 45-0 (Shan Masood 13, Azhar Ali 24) Hazlewood again, and Shan is still happy to take his time, calmly nudging a single to leg rather than look for anything else. Lunch is around the corner now.

1.48am GMT

23rd over: Pakistan 44-0 (Shan Masood 12, Azhar Ali 24) Starc sails down another maiden at Azhar Ali. Brian Withington, avid reader of the England OBOs, has found our Australian variant. “It’s been far too long since 15th September, only to discover that you are now cross referencing instead of preambling! For shame, sir. Good to see you launching a new Test season though.”

September 15 feels very recent, Brian. That’s why I’m taking steps to avoid repeating myself.

1.42am GMT

22nd over: Pakistan 44-0 (Shan Masood 12, Azhar Ali 24) The slow scoring continues, with Azhar only taking a leg bye from the last ball of Hazlewood’s over.

1.41am GMT

21st over: Pakistan 43-0 (Shan Masood 12, Azhar Ali 24) Paine moves to full attack, wanting a wicket before lunch. Starc is back on to partner Hazlewood. And for a moment he thinks he has that wicket, as Shan spoons a fuller ball away towards square leg where Head is waiting, but it bounces short. The batsman sees out a maiden.

1.33am GMT

20th over: Pakistan 43-0 (Shan Masood 12, Azhar Ali 24) Hazlewood comes back on, to immediate effect! Snorting delivery, it takes off from a length just on the off stump. Past Azhar’s nose as he jerks back out of the way. That’s the bounce Azhar can get. Then Hazlewood yorks him, but Azhar is calm and level enough that he isn’t waiting on the back foot, and keeps the ball out.

Next ball, in between those two, and Azhar drives it for four! Now there is his best-timed shot for the day. A simple straight drive, with a stride forward, and it comfortably beats the chaser into the fence. Top shot against easily Australia’s most dangerous bowler of the morning.

1.28am GMT

19th over: Pakistan 39-0 (Shan Masood 12, Azhar Ali 20) Cummins again, and he does make Azhar reach for a ball outside off. Plays it down into the ground, chopping it with an arc of the bat, but that wasn’t a safe shot. Against fuller balls Azhar blocks, but isn’t getting them in the middle. He hasn’t timed a shot today, really, except maybe that on-drive earlier. But he’s staying in place, and jabs a single across his front pad to end the over and keep strike.

1.25am GMT

18th over: Pakistan 38-0 (Shan Masood 12, Azhar Ali 19) Now Shan wants to get into the waiting game, playing out a maiden against Lyon.

1.22am GMT

17th over: Pakistan 38-0 (Shan Masood 12, Azhar Ali 19) Cummins adds a maiden to his tally, playing the patience game with Azhar around off stump. Azhar loves the patience game. He would not prefer to play Hungry Hungry Hippos.

1.16am GMT

16th over: Pakistan 38-0 (Shan Masood 12, Azhar Ali 19) Lyon to Shan, who waits out the over, mostly defending off the back foot again. Lyon is excited when Shan leaves, counting on turn against a ball that doesn’t get much, and isn’t far away from off stump. But the last ball of the over Lyon drops short, and Shan is alert enough to take advantage, playing a controlled cut shot through backward point for his first boundary.

1.13am GMT

15th over: Pakistan 34-0 (Shan Masood 8, Azhar Ali 19) Cummins from the other end, and nice carry outside the off stump, Azhar shouldering arms. Closer to the woodwork with the next ball, cutting back in but sailing well over the bails. Azhar left the ball on length with confidence. Quite a high backlift in his waiting stance, Azhar, then comes down on the ball. Another maiden for Cummins.

1.08am GMT

14th over: Pakistan 34-0 (Shan Masood 8, Azhar Ali 19) Refreshed, iced, garnished, and salt-rimmed, the players return to their work. Lyon bowling outside off, Azhar reaching across to whip to leg. A single. Lyon gets his first look at the left-hander, and immediately comes around the wicket to him, bringing the slip into play. A short leg as well. On the money, right on off stump. Nice flight from Lyon and some dip. Shan is defending off the back foot, which Lyon won’t mind either. Those pads are right in front of the stumps.

1.02am GMT

13th over: Pakistan 33-0 (Shan Masood 8, Azhar Ali 18) Bouncer from Cummins! A good one, around the wicket to the left-hander. Shan hops and fends it down, and it would have been interesting if short leg were still in position. Instead they’ve got square leg out in case there’s a hook, but we haven’t seen either batsman attempt one yet. Cummins reverts to length, getting some seam movement away from Shan for a couple of balls, then goes the bouncer again but Shan ducks. Pakistan with the control so far. And more, as Cummins bowls fuller and Shan drives him through cover for two. Only once in the first hour, with Azhar’s missed drive, have the batsmen played an excessive shot. Otherwise they have been models of restraint. Drinks.

12.57am GMT

12th over: Pakistan 31-0 (Shan Masood 6, Azhar Ali 18) Nathan Lyon is on to bowl, some off-spin to give the fast bowlers a break. He starts a little straight, and Azhar whips him to leg and runs sharply to get back for a second run. Lyon moves his line wider thereafter, bowling over the wicket, meaning the right-hander has to reach for the ball to try to work it to leg. There’s no further score.

12.53am GMT

11th over: Pakistan 29-0 (Shan Masood 6, Azhar Ali 16) Cummins drops short but Shan is down underneath it immediately. That’s a giveaway as well: no thoughts of taking on the bouncer, both these batsmen are happy to just bat time to begin the match and make sure they give their team a foothold. Shan defends from the crease thereafter. It’s been impressive application from him. A maiden for Cummins.

12.49am GMT

10th over: Pakistan 29-0 (Shan Masood 6, Azhar Ali 16) Back of a length from Hazlewood and edged, but on the bounce into the cordon. Azhar did that deliberately, rode the bounce to keep that ball down even as it surprised him. Skilled play. Hazlewood follows up by striving for some extra pace and oversteps, his long limb telescoping out over the front line. But Azhar is playing really calmly, and waits for a fuller ball that he can get forward to and push through the covers for two. He’s not trying anything too much, but he’s not getting becalmed either.

12.44am GMT

9th over: Pakistan 26-0 (Shan Masood 6, Azhar Ali 14) Pat Cummins is on first change. A lot of talk about whether he should take the new ball, but Starc’s biggest threat in the first 40 overs is with new-ball swing. Cummins doesn’t start right, on Shan’s pads for a single, then overpitched for Azhar to drive two through cover. But he gets the line right across Shan, then in at the body and nearly brings his short-leg catcher into play.

12.39am GMT

8th over: Pakistan 24-0 (Shan Masood 5, Azhar Ali 13) Seam movement in from Hazlewood and again Azhar is hit on the pads. This time Paine comes up to ask about a review, but Hazlewood thinks it was missing leg, and he’s probably right. He slips too full with the next ball, and Azhar has no problem connecting this time, playing a very nice on-drive away for four!

12.37am GMT

7th over: Pakistan 19-0 (Shan Masood 5, Azhar Ali 9) Fourth over on the trot for Starc, and Shan is growing into his innings as well, taking a ball off his pads away for a brace of runs. Then miscues a single. Azhar gets tangled up trying to play to the leg side, missing the ball but it hits him high on the pad and the appeal is turned down.

12.32am GMT

6th over: Pakistan 16-0 (Shan Masood 2, Azhar Ali 9) Off the back foot now for Azhar, just waiting for Hazlewood’s shorter length and steering it away off the open face through gully. Warner puts in a good chase and save on the boundary to keep the scoring to two. Hazlewood draws him into a looser drive afterwards though, and Paine is celebrating, though the umpire says no... does Snicko suggest the tiniest flicker of the graph there as ball passes bat? That would have been interesting had it been reviewed.

12.27am GMT

5th over: Pakistan 13-0 (Shan Masood 1, Azhar Ali 7) Starc keeps pitching up, looking for swing, but Azhar is growing in confidence to take those deliveries on. Not with any big shots, but just presenting the straight bat and punching a couple of drives straight. First he takes two runs, then drives more firmly for three. Low-risk accumulation, smart play from the very experienced opener. Shan Masood then gets off the mark with a nudge off his pads for one.

12.22am GMT

4th over: Pakistan 7-0 (Shan Masood 0, Azhar Ali 2) Hazlewood is right in the channel outside Shan’s off stump, aside from slipping in a bouncer to see how it feels coming out. He has the best bouncer of these three Australian quicks, for my money, when he gives it full effort. But that was a warm-up.

12.20am GMT

3rd over: Pakistan 7-0 (Shan Masood 0, Azhar Ali 2) First runs off the bat for Pakistan, as Starc bowls on the stumps and Azhar is able to blunt the ball into the leg side for a couple of runs, finding a gap square. Starc continues on that straight approach, nearly drawing an edge down the leg side as Azhar misses a glance.

12.15am GMT

2nd over: Pakistan 5-0 (Shan Masood 0, Azhar Ali 0) Josh Hazlewood starts from the other end, and he is right on the money straight away. What a wonderful bowler he is. You can get complacent about Hazlewood because others are flashier, but he proved once again when he came in for the second Ashes Test at Lord’s in August just how good he is. He immediately gets good bounce from a perfect length here at the Gabba, pinning Shan to the crease. Then when he slips the ball fuller, it swings prodigiously and late. One sneaks down the leg side and away from Paine in the air, for four extras. But the next beats the outside edge by a micron.

12.09am GMT

1st over: Pakistan 1-0 (Shan Masood 0, Azhar Ali 0) Mitchell Starc has the new ball and will look for swing. He does so immediately, swinging his first ball away from the left-handed Shan. Nice shape. The second ball loses its line though, drifting onto leg stump and clunking away off the pad for a leg bye. Pakistan get off the mark. Starc very nearly does too next ball – searing delivery! It swings into the right-handed Azhar and nearly cleans him up lbw. But he just gets an inside edge onto it before it clatters into his pad. Starc tries a couple more yorkers, and they’re pretty good as well. Azhar survives, just looking to block.

12.04am GMT

Remember you can email me any time with thoughts or contributions, at geoff.lemon@the guardian.com. You can also find me on Twitter using @GeoffLemonSport.

Terry Hogan has written in. “Love the Flight of the Conchords reference to open. Hopefully the game lasts longer than 2 minutes, or 2 days for that matter.” Two days in heaven is better than one day in heaven.

12.02am GMT

The anthems are done, the teams are out in the middle, and we’re nearly ready to go.

11.39pm GMT

Pakistan have left out Mohammad Abbas? What madness is this? He towelled up Australia in the UAE last year, seaming the ball even on a Dubai road. He could have been wonderful in Brisbane. Mind you, Shaheen Shah Afridi isn’t too bad himself, and Imran Khan (the new version) took a lot of wickets against Australia A.

Pakistan
Shan Masood
Azhar Ali *
Haris Sohail
Babar Azam
Asad Shafiq
Iftikhar Ahmed
Mohammad Rizwan +
Yasir Shah
Shaheen Afridi
Imran Khan
Naseem Shah

11.33pm GMT

The first little advantage for Pakistan. A lot of bowling sides have started with hope at the Gabba and watched it quickly disappear. So if the visitors can avoid any early problems, they can set themselves up for the day. Azhar Ali has no hesitation in making his choice.

11.29pm GMT

Here’s a first look at the Brisbane surface.

Beautiful day for it! #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/6cVsoq5ZhL

11.22pm GMT

It’s cricket, it’s cricket time. You know when I’m wearing my cricket socks, that means it’s cricket time.

Look, I could write you a long and considered preamble about how nice it is that Test match season has rolled around again, and how long it’s been, and what it signifies to those involved, and the relative chances of the teams lining up. But... I already did that, in an article last night. Here you go.

Related: Australia's men look to write new chapter as Test cricket season begins | Geoff Lemon

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Australia's men look to write new chapter as Test cricket season begins | Geoff Lemon

As Australian take on Pakistan at the Gabba for their first engagement, a longer wait has come to an end

When Test match morning rolls around at last, it always feels like the longest wait has come to an end. No matter how many hours of overseas tours you may have watched through the winter, an Australian summer is something distant returning to life. Its matches will join a sequence of seasons running back through the decades, becoming the fabric of summer holidays, populating the retro highlight packages of the future.

Having Test cricket start in November can feel early, arriving before summer and its pleasures have really taken effect. But to eyes that have been watching since the start, this cricket season has been going for a long time already. Four series of white-ball matches involving Australia’s men and women have passed by, along with Sheffield Shield rounds, some thrillers in the one-day cup, and weeks of easily the best Women’s Big Bash season thus far.

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WBBL opportunities and depth of talent pool set Australian women's cricket apart | Geoff Lemon

With a platform to showcase emerging players such Phoebe Litchfield, rivals are struggling to keep pace

There was a buzz this season when Phoebe Litchfield started her Big Bash career. A 16-year-old playing a ramp shot for four over the wicketkeeper’s head a few balls into her batting debut. The way she flayed boundaries from Australian national representatives Ash Gardner and Erin Burns. She made 26 that day, then doubled it next game in a big run chase for the Sydney Thunder.

Martina Hingis was 16 when she won Wimbledon, Sachin Tendulkar was 16 on Test debut, Mohammad Ashraful was 16 for Bangladesh’s first Test century, and 16 was one of the many ages that Shahid Afridi could have been when he made the then-fastest ODI hundred from 37 balls.

Related: Line drawn under tumultuous period with Mel Jones appointed to Cricket Australia board

Some pretty good shots here.

Introducing Phoebe Litchfield. pic.twitter.com/IR1umhErky

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