Pakistan hit back following Khawaja’s 91 on Day 1

Babar & Co recovered from dropped catches to restrict Australia to 232-5 and deny Usman Khawaja a second consecutive century on Day 1 of the third and final test on Monday.

Fast bowler Naseem Shah, the only Pakistan change from the second drawn test at Karachi, picked up 2-36 to lead a fightback in the last session after Australia won the toss and opted to bat on another slow and low-bouncy wicket.

Cameron Green was unbeaten on 20 and Alex Carey was not out on 8 when bad light stopped play two overs before the scheduled close.

Khawaja batted for nearly 5-1/2 hours for his resilient 219-ball knock before he tried to flick off-spinner Sajid Khan (1-65) to mid-wicket. But the ball spun away sharply and took the thick outside edge of the bat.

Left-arm fast bowler Afridi had picked up two wickets in his second over to cut Australia to 8-2 before Khawaja and Smith thwarted Pakistan.

Marnus Labuschagne then got his second duck in the series when he drove recklessly in the same over and got a thin outside edge. David Warner (7) was pinned on his crease by a delivery which seamed back into the left-hander, beat the bat and struck his pads. Warner didn’t go for a television referral.

Pakistan’s fast bowlers bowled in short spells but both Smith and Khawaja negated the reverse swing on a flat wicket with mercury hovering around mid-30 degrees Celsius.