Pakistan lose Azhar Ali in rain-truncated start to Day 3

After the opening session was completely washed out due to persistent drizzle, it was always going to be Australia's advantage of bowling in dank conditions on Thursday (January 5). When Younis Khan and Azhar Ali finally strode out to bat on the third day of the third and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, the fears would have been imminent of playing the moving ball well. By Tea on Day 3, Younis Khan would have been tempted to pat himself on the back for his own progress, to hang around and score the runs too. Pakistan ended the 23-over session with 51 runs from it, to reach 177 for 3.

With 54 overs scheduled to be played in the day, Mitchell Starc started off the proceedings with a widish, moving delivery that the 39-year-old veteran went chasing, and squirted it out through gully for four. Josh Hazlewood took the ball from the other end and hit the straps quite immediately. Just as the third over was about to begin, Matthew Wade, Australia's wicketkeeper, decided to go off the field, complaining of illness, later confirmed to be a stomach bug. Peter Handscomb took up the keeping duties in his absence.

Hazlewood looked like picking up a wicket almost every over and he came quite close to it in the 45th, when he struck Azhar on the pads with a sharp in-dipper. S Ravi, the umpire, turned down the appeal before Australia opted for a review which showed the that ball was clipping only the outside half of the leg stump, meaning umpire's call. An over later, the right-armer induced an edge off Younis's bat, as the ball went through a vacant second slip region. The odd ball kept going past the bat but without any luck for Hazlewood.

After enjoying David Warner's hospitality on the second day, where he missed two run-out chances, Azhar Ali finally ran out of luck when Younis called him for a quick single in the 54th over. Azhar was late to get out of the blocks and by the time he picked up pace halfway down the wicket, Starc's throw found him well short of his crease, and sent him back for a well-made 71. His exit ended a defiant 146-run stand.

Misbah came into this game, with reports of retirement around him, and he looked very gingerly with his foot movement in his brief period of play before Tea. Steve O'Keefe and Nathan Lyon bowled a few overs in tandem, asking a question or two, but nothing potent enough to take one of the batsmen out. Younis has blocked with authority and didn't shy away from scoring whenever there was an opportunity.

Earlier in the day, persistent drizzle dampened the proceedings and spirits as the first session was washed out. With rain forecast on all days of the Test, the first two days did well to pass off without any weather intervention. However, it started to rain very early on the third day, ensuring that the players and the fans remained indoors. There were spurts of optimism when it stopped drizzling but the covers came back every time the umpires scheduled a pitch inspection. Soon enough, the showers became persistent and refused to relent, forcing the umpires to call for an early Lunch. When play resumed after recess, Pakistan began on 126 for 2, trailing by 412 runs.

Brief Scores: Australia 538/8 decl. (Matt Renshaw 184, David Warner 113, Peter Handscomb 110; Wahab Riaz 3-89) lead Pakistan 177/3 (Younis Khan 84*, Azhar Ali 71; Josh Hazlewood 2-43) by 361 runs.