TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2016 SPORTS Run out ends thriller as Australia beat Pakistan

BRISBANE: After a tense and lengthy innings that was shaping as one of the great- est chases in test , Pakistan’s bold bid to beat Australia in the series-opening day- night Test was wrapped up in five balls yes- terday. Asad Shafiq marshalled the Pakistan tail- enders from 173-5 to 449-8 in pursuit of the improbable target of 490, scoring 137 from 207 balls before he was caught at gully, fend- ing off a Mitchell Starc short ball. Four balls and one run later, skipper Steve Smith threw down the stumps from second slip to run out Yasir Shah for 33. That ensured Smith’s young lineup held off Pakistan by 39 runs, maintained Australia’s unbeaten at the Gabba since 1988 and avoided the embar- rassment of losing the unlosable. After frustrating Australia on an extended, rain-interrupted fourth day, Pakistan started day five needing 108 to win while Australia needed two . Fewer than 1,000 peo- ple were in the crowd when play started under overcast skies, including a small but vocal group of expats cheering every run and chanting “Pakistan Zindabad” - or long live Pakistan. Shafiq and Shah kept the pressure on Australia in a 71-run partnership that went close to giving Pakistan an unlikely world- record victory. After Shafiq’s departure, the responsibility moved to Shah, who earlier CHENNAI: England’s Jos Buttler (R) greets India’s Karun Nair (C) after scoring had an lbw decision overturned on review. a triple- (300 runs) during the fourth day of the fifth and final He dug out a yorker from Starc, steering it BRISBANE: Pakistan’s Asad Shafiq plays a shot during play on the final day of the first cricket match between India and England. —AFP toward the slips, but moved out of his crease Test between Australia and Pakistan in Brisbane, Australia, yesterday. — AP and Smith swooped. The Australian captain had dropped two catches at second slip, Nair triple ton puts India including Shafiq on 72, and admitted he was SCOREBOARD relieved he got to end the game. in command against England BRISBANE, Australia: Scoreboard after the final day of the day-night first Test between Australia and Pakistan at the Gabba yesterday. CHENNAI: Karun Nair’s scintillating triple Monday-during his marathon knock. MORE RUTHLESS New Zealand’s 451 chasing 550 against Australia first innings 429 (S. Smith 130, P. Handscomb M. Amir c Wade b Bird 48 century yesterday put India in command of “After I crossed 250, the team manage- 105; W. Riaz 4-89, M. Amir 4-97) W. Riaz c Smith b Bird 30 the final Test as England faced the uphill ment had certain plans of going after the England in Christchurch in 2002 remains the record for the highest fourth innings total to Pakistan first innings 142 (S. Ahmed 59 ; J. Y. Shah run out (Smith) 33 task of surviving on a fifth day in and declaring,” said Nair, who Hazlewood 3-22, J. Bird 3-23, M. Starc 3-63) R. Ali not out 1 Chennai. Right-handed Nair, who finished became India’s second triple centurion lose a test, but this was a closer call. Australia second innings 202 for 5 declared (U. Extras (lb5, w2) 7 on 303 not out, reached the landmark with after great , who “The pleasing thing for me, first of all, is Khawaja 74, S. Smith 63; Rahat Ali 2-40) Total (all out, 145 overs) 450 a boundary before India declared their first has hit two. “So I think within the space of we got across the line and won the game,” Pakistan second innings (382 for 8 overnight) Fall of wickets: 1-31 (Aslam), 2-54 (Azam), 3-145 (Azhar), innings on 759-7, their highest ever Test five overs I got to 280-285, that’s when I Smith said. “I’m very pleased with that. But I S. Aslam c Renshaw b Starc 15 4-165 (Misbah), 5-173 (Younis), 6-220 (Ahmed), 7-312 score. started thinking and Jaddu (Ravindra guess last night, sort of showed we’re still A. Ali c Wade b Starc 71 (Amir), 8-378 (Wahab), 9-449 (Shafiq), 10-450 (Yasir) India amassed a lead of 282 runs while Jadeja) kept egging me on to not throw it not the finished product. B. Azam c Smith b Lyon 14 Bowling: Starc 38-10-119-4 (1w), Hazlewood 42-11-99-0, Y. Khan c Smith b Lyon 65 Bird 33-6-110-3 (1w), Lyon 29-3-108-2, Maddinson 3-0-9-0. England ended the day on 12 without loss, away and get to 300 easily,” he added. We’ve got to continue to work hard, and M. ul-Haq c Wade b Bird 5 Result: Australia won by 39 runs with skipper Alastair Cook (three) and His 181-run sixth-wicket partnership keep the foot on the throat when we’ve got A. Shafiq c Warner b Starc 137 Series: Australia 1-0 Keaton Jennings (nine) at the crease. with Ravichandran Ashwin stood out as them in that position. We’ve got to be a little S. Ahmed b Starc 24 Man of the match: Asad Shafiq (PAK) “We are 3-0 up (in the five-match series), India registered their highest-ever innings more ruthless and get the job done.” so I think they are, you know, already out of score of 759, surpassing their 726 against Smith praised Pakistan’s pluck, with Azhar the game,” an ecstatic Nair told reporters Sri Lanka in December 2009. the classiest innings I have seen. In the con- Australia since 1995 and has never won a Ali (71) and Younis Khan (65) contributing at text of the game, the way he handled the test at the Gabba, where Australia is unbeat- after his epic knock. “It (pitch) is slowly the top of the order before Shafiq took deteriorating. And there are footmarks BAYLISS ‘CONFIDENT’ pressure playing with (the) tail, he made a en since 1988, but Misbah said they’d travel charge to ensure no repeat of the collapse in match out of nothing.” to Melbourne full of confidence ahead of the there so I think we just have to bowl well The visitors have three sessions to sur- the first innings, when the visitors lost 7-24 and get the wickets. Good bowling does vive and secure a draw. “It’s never easy Pakistan has lost 10 consecutive tests in second Test starting Dec 26. — AP and were all out for 142 in reply to Australia’s get you wickets on any surface,” said Nair. when it happens, you got to give credit to Nair, 25, was playing in just the third Test the Indian team and their batters. They 429. “Things got a little bit close for my lik- match of his career. He recorded his maid- played extremely well. We just weren’t in ing,” said Smith, admitting he was nervous en century in the morning session before the game today,” said England coach Trevor when Pakistan got within 60. “It was an Kumara takes three expertly converting it into a double and Bayliss. amazing game of cricket. Credit to Pakistan, then a triple in the evening. However Bayliss said he was confident they scored 450 in the last innings of a pink He became only the third batsman to that his batsmen would stand up to the ball test match - no doubt pink ball test crick- wickets for Sri Lanka covert a maiden Test hundred into a triple challenge on the final day on a good bat- et is here to stay.” century, joining the elite company of West ting wicket. “As confident as I can be. They Australia ended a five-test losing streak POTCHEFSTROOM: Teenage fast bowler because the Sri Lankans were able to use Indies’ Garry Sobers (365 not out) and are in a pretty good place. We have been in last month with a win over South Africa in a Lahiru Kumara took three wickets as Sri all 15 members of their touring squad. Du Australia’s (311). a tough position in the seven Tests (includ- day-night test in Adelaide, narrowing the los- Lanka looked set to take a first innings lead Plooy eventually fell to Kumara, who Nair’s knock came off 381 balls and was ing two in Bangladesh) and have come out ing margin to 2-1 in that series. Smith then on the second day of a three-day match earned his first two Test caps in a recent laced with 32 fours and four sixes. He and played well the next day. led Australia to a 3-0 sweep of New Zealand against a South African Invitation XI at series in Zimbabwe. reached the feat with a cut shot off Adil “We were out there to win this-the last in a limited-overs series, before the opening Senwes Park yesterday. Captain Angelo Mathews and off-spin- Rashid and raised his helmet to a standing couple of Test matches-so they (England test against Pakistan - the first-ever day- Kumara had figures of three for 36 as ner Dilruwan Perera both took two wickets. ovation. The triple ton came a day after players) don’t want to get on the plane night test at the Gabba. Pakistan won the the Invitation team reached 285 for eight Du Plooy was the only South African bats- teammate Lokesh Rahul missed 200 by a with a loss,” said Bayliss. The Australian- second ever day-night test - beating the at the close, still 88 runs behind the man to shine, with no other player making single run after getting out to Rashid on born Bayliss also kept himself out of the West Indies in the United Arab Emirates in tourists’ first innings of 373. Left-hander more than 25. 199 in the final moments of play on England captaincy debate, saying the skip- October - but the conditions were vastly dif- Leus du Plooy was responsible for almost Earlier, fast bowler Duanne Olivier took Sunday. Nair though survived two dropped per Alastair Cook “deserves” to make his ferent with more swing in humid, subtropical half the Invitation team’s total, stroking 142 three of the last four wickets as the Sri chances-on 34 on Sunday and 216 on own decision. —AFP Brisbane. off 159 balls with 25 fours. Du Plooy, 21, is Lankans could only add 45 runs to their Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq praised a product of the same Pretoria school that overnight total of 328 for six. Olivier fin- SCOREBOARD his batsmen, particularly Shafiq, who produced South African captains AB de ished with four for 54. It is the only warm- equaled his highest test score with his 10th Villiers and Faf du Plessis. He has made up match for Sri Lanka, who start a three- century. “It set the tone for the series. I can’t three first-class centuries but Monday’s Test series against South Africa in Port CHENNAI, India: Scoreboard at stumps on the fourth day of the fifth and final Test between India and effort will not have first-class status Elizabeth on December 26. — AFP England in Chennai yesterday. explain how happy I am for all the guys, especially Asad,” Misbah said. “That is one of England 1st innings 477 (M. Ali 146, J. Root 88; R. (Ashwin), 7-754 (Jadeja) Jadeja 3-106) Bowling: Broad 27-6-80-2, Ball 23-2-93-0, Ali 41-1- India 1st innings (overnight 391-4; K. Nair 71, M. 190-1, Stokes 20-2-76-1, Rashid 29.4-1-153-1, Vijay 17) Dawson 43-4-129-2, Root 2-0-12-0, Jennings 5-1- Cricket Australia calls off player pay talks until new year L. Rahul c Buttler b Rashid 199 20-0. P. Patel c Buttler b Ali 71 Did not bat: A. Mishra, I. Sharma C. Pujara c Cook b Stokes 16 SYDNEY: Cricket Australia has broken off pay talks with its players, saying ongoing negotiations could V. Kohli c Jennings b Broad 15 England 2nd innings K. Nair not out 303 A. Cook not out 3 be a distraction to players at a busy time of the sea- Smith most relieved after M. Vijay lbw b Dawson 29 K. Jennings not out 9 son. Informal meetings between the governing body R. Ashwin c Buttler b Broad 67 and the ACA were due to take place this week but R. Jadeja c Ball b Dawson 51 Extras 0 Australia’s great escape U. Yadav not out 1 Total (0 wickets; 5 overs) 12 Cricket Australia has called a postponement until the Extras (b2, lb4, w1) 7 Bowling: I. Sharma 1-0-2-0, R. Ashwin 2-0-7-0, R. new year. BRISBANE: The relief was palpable in all of found themselves in such a perilous posi- Total (7 wickets dec; 190.4 overs) 759 Jadeja 2-0-3-0 In a statement on Monday a spokesman said Australia’s players yesterday after they sur- tion on day five in the first place. Fall of wicket: 1-152 (Patel), 2-181 (Pujara), 3-211 To bat: J. Root, M. Ali, J. Bairstow, B. Stokes, J. Cricket Australia “will not take part in a process which vived a huge scare to defeat Pakistan by 39 Pakistan were skittled for 142 early on (Kohli), 4-372 (Rahul), 5-435 (Vijay), 6-616 Buttler, L. Dawson, A. Rashid, S. Broad, J. Ball. seeks to draw its players into a public dispute.” It runs in the first test, but none would have day three, 88 runs short of avoiding the fol- appeared to be referring to the ACA’s move last week felt it more than captain Steve Smith. low-on, but Smith chose not to enforce it to make public its concerns about a pregnancy clause A bundle of nervous energy at the best and instead opted to bat the tourists out of in contracts offered to female players. of times, Smith grew increasingly fidgety the game. With victory secured, it would Cricket Australia says the ACA misrepresented the as man-of-the-match Asad Shafiq and Yasir be unfair to say the tactic backfired but nature of the clause, which requires players to declare Shah marched quickly toward an improba- Misbah-ul-Haq’s side may take more out of they are not pregnant before they sign a contract. ble victory target of 490 in the first day- the match, having won back belief in their The ACA described the clause as “outdated at best night test at the Gabba. batting and resilience, and restored confi- Well might he have. Smith dropped two dence lost by a 2-0 thrashing in New and rather condescdening.” Cricket Australia chief simple catches in the slips late on day four, Zealand. executive James Sutherland condemned the players’ the second letting Shafiq, Pakistan’s last The final total of 450 was Pakistan’s association stance on the clause, saying the current specialist batsman, off the hook when he highest ever fourth innings tally, the high- negotiation was a chance to develop a policy “that was on 72. Shafiq survived to stumps after est ever in Australia and the equal third keeps the health and safety of women, and their raising an impressive 100 and lifted highest of all time. babies, first and foremost.” Pakistan’s hopes of closing out a famous Australia, however, seemed plagued by In yesterday’s statement Cricket Australia came victory before being dismissed for 137 by a doubt and inertia on the final day at the close to suggesting the ACA was not negotiating in pearl of a short-pitched by pace- Gabba and Smith’s initially conservative good faith. “Cricket Australia is committed to a nego- man Mitchell Starc. field settings were roasted by former cap- tiation that is conducted in good faith between the That Pakistan were able to get so close tains Michael Clarke and Mark Taylor as two parties, but will not take part in a process which to completing a record run chase took the they called the game on television. seeks to draw its players into a public dispute,” the gloss off another outstanding batting “The Australian captain’s tactics this spokesman said. effort by Smith, who top-scored for morning has been nothing short of ridicu- “Players deserve the opportunity to focus on the Australia with 130 in the first innings and lous,” tweeted former England skipper backed it up with 63 in the second. Michael Vaughan. game rather than being distracted by a negotiation He also wrapped up the match in some Smith may undertake extra catching that should be conducted in a professional and confi- style, throwing down the stumps from the practice during training before the Boxing dential manner. slips to run out Yasir after the stocky Day (Dec. 26) test but had no regrets about “In the period that will see tens of thousands of legspinner inexplicably wandered out of not enforcing the follow-on. “I think I CHENNAI: India’s Karun Nair plays a shot during the fourth day of the fifth and final fans enjoy (Big Bash League) matches and the cricket his crease after a mis-hit behind the wick- would go the same plan,” he said. “Our Test cricket match between India and England at The M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in community prepare for another Boxing Day test that et. But those fine efforts may be drowned bowlers had bowled a lot. I’m just happy Chennai yesterday. Karun Nair smashed an unbeaten 303 as India declared their first cannot be assured if discussions continue under cur- out in the debate as to how Australia we got over the line.” — Reuters innings on 759 for seven on day four of the fifth and final Test against England. —AFP rent arrangements with the ACA.” — AP