On the third day of the third Test in Sydney, Australia was bowled for 299, behind Pakistan by 14 runs at the end of the first innings on Friday.
Following tea, the hosts crumbled, losing four wickets for ten runs, pacer Aamer Jamal taking 6-69.
With more than two days remaining, the result of the Test match is in doubt due to the dry and crumbling Sydney Cricket Ground ground.
On the third day of the third Test in Sydney on Friday, Mitchell Marsh produced his fourth half-century of the series to push Australia towards a first-innings lead over Pakistan.
Australia went to tea at 289-6, with Marsh unbeaten at 50 and trailing Pakistan by just 24 runs, having lost the wicket of Alex Carey for 38 in the last over.
Following two Tests in which he scored 90, 63 not out, and 96, Marsh maintained his impressive run of form.
Sajid Khan bowled Carey, who was moving forward to the spinner and the ball brushed his sweater, causing the leg bail to come loose.
At Sydney Cricket Ground, the two had put on a stand of 84 runs to salvage the innings after Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, and Travis Head had been dismissed earlier in the day.
After being ruled lbw to Aamer Jamal for ten, Head lost a review and was unable to move forward again.
Head scored 40, 14, 17, and 0 in the first two Tests of the series, which the hosts won. Head was one of the heroes of Australia’s victory over India in the World Cup final this year.
Marsh had a pivotal moment at number seven when Saim Ayub dropped him off Agha Salman’s bowling in a difficult low chance.
When he was on 31, the large all-around player dubbed “the Bison” also made it through an examination for lbw against Hasan Ali.
In the long morning session, Pakistan had taken the crucial wickets of Labuschagne and Smith in the span of six balls to gain the momentum before it was taken away.
Before a breathtaking late double-wicket breakthrough, Smith and Labuschagne, who both average over 70 in Tests at the SCG, appeared to be well placed.
Smith was caught in a well-planned Pakistani trap when three fielders were positioned around a short extra cover off the bowling of medium pacer Mir Hamza.
The following delivery, Smith dutifully made his way down the wicket to attempt an aerial drive, but Babar Azam caught him above his head.
After scoring 38 runs off 86 balls, Australia’s top batsman appeared stunned and stared at a section of the pitch before angrily leaving the field.
Labuschagne was bowled for 60 off 147 balls by off-spinner Salman shortly after him.
It was a just reward for the hard-working Pakistanis, who had already lost the three-match series but had persevered with disciplined bowling and resolute fielding.
Australia won the second Test in Melbourne by a close margin of 79 runs, sealing the series.
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