Pakistan fast bowlers fight back in third Test against Australia

Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah pick up two wickets each as Khawaja's 91 takes Aussies to 232-5

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  Pakistan's Naseem Shah took two wickets on the first day of the third Test against Australia at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Monday, March 21, 2022. AFP

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  Australia's Usman Khawaja, right, celebrates after completing his fifty on the first day of the third Test in Lahore. AP

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  Australia's Usman Khawaja plays a shot past Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam in Lahore. AP

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  Steve Smith scored a fifty on the first day of the third Test against Pakistan. AFP

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  Australia supporters at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore AP

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  Pakistan's Naseem Shah celebrates after taking the wicket of Steve Smith. AFP

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  Shaheen Afridi, centre, after taking the wicket of Australia's Marnus Labuschagne. EPA

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  Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi, left, took two early wickets. AP

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  Supporters at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. AP

Pakistan fast bowlers brought the hosts back into the contest after an intense opening day of the third Test against Australia in Lahore on Monday.

Left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi rocked Australia's batsmen early by dismissing opener David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne with the scoreboard on just eight. Thereafter, opener Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith hit fighting half-centuries to help the Aussies recover in the second session.

However, young quick Naseem Shah took the scalps of Smith and Travis Head as Australia battled their way to 232-5 by stumps.

Left-arm pacer Afridi had Australia in trouble in the third over of the innings at the Gaddafi Stadium when he trapped Warner lbw for seven and then had Labuschagne caught behind to wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan for a duck two balls later.

But Pakistan-born Khawaja continued his great form that has seen him score 97, 160 and 44 not out so far in the series.

Khawaja completed his half century off 105 balls in three hours when he square cut off-spinner Sajid Khan for his sixth boundary.

Smith raised his 36th Test fifty off 154 balls by driving off-spinner Khan to mid-wicket for two runs as Australia added a further 75 runs in the second session without losing a wicket. Smith, who survived a confident leg-before appeal off Afridi's first ball, also saw spinner Ali fail to hold a hard caught-and-bowled chance when he was on 19.

However, the match changed course in the final session. Smith was first trapped lbw by a reverse swinging ball from young pacer Shah for 59 before spinner Khan had the well-set Khawaja caught smartly at slip nine short of a century.

Pakistan made further inroads as Shah had left-hand batsman Head caught behind for 26. The Aussies had lost half their side with the score on 206 in the 81st over, and were firmly on the backfoot.

Pakistan pacer spearhead Afridi said the wickets so far this series have not been conducive to fast bowling, which meant discipline was the key.

"I always try to take early wickets with the new ball. The wicket is pretty good for batting, my plan was to bowl in the right areas," Afridi said after close of play.

"The pacers didn't get a lot of help in the last two Tests, so we thought about being consistent, bowl wicket-to-wicket. We wanted to execute our plans and think we did so."

The match marked the return of Test cricket to Lahore for the first time since the 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lanka team bus. It was a significant day for Pakistan players for another reason. Azhar Ali is the most senior cricketer in the Pakistan XI, having played 93 Tests, but was featuring in his first Test in his home town.