Cummins, Starc spark spectacular Pak batting collapse

Lahore: Pakistan was 268 all out against the persistent pace of Australia captain Pat Cummins and impeccable reverse swing of Mitchell Starc to concede a massive 123-run lead on Wednesday in the third and final test.

In a sensational collapse after tea on Day 3, Pakistan lost seven wickets for 41 runs — the last four wickets without adding a run — as Cummins finished with 5-56 and Starc took 4-36. Australia had stretched its lead to 134 runs by reaching 11-0 by stumps with Usman Khawaja not out on 7 and David Warner unbeaten on 4.

With the second new ball only seven overs old, Cummins took a spectacular return catch to dismiss Azhar in his homecoming test match as Pakistan was restricted at 227-3 at tea. Azhar, playing in his 94th test match but for the first time in his hometown of Lahore, became the fifth Pakistani batter to complete 7,000 test runs when he reached 74 by sweeping hard at Lyon to deep square leg for a single.

Starc, who bowled only two overs with the second new ball, returned in the last session and knocked back the off stumps of Fawad Alam (13) and Mohammad Rizwan (1) with Pakistan batters struggling to cope with the reverse swing.

Pakistan’s long tail didn’t last long with captain Babar Azam making a 67 off 131 balls. Cummins hurried the collapse by claiming the wickets of Sajid Khan, Nauman Ali and Hasan Ali within two overs to register his first five-wicket haul against Pakistan in a test match. Starc wrapped up Pakistan’s innings by trapping Babar leg before wicket off a delivery which shaped into the skipper and then clean bowled No. 11 batter, Naseem Shah, off a searing full pitched delivery.

Scores: Australia 391 (Usman Khawaja 91; Naseem Shah 4-58) & 11/0 lead Pakistan 268 (Abdullah Shafi que 81, Azhar Ali 78; Pat Cummins 5-56, Mitchell Starc 4-33) by 134 runs.