Pat Cummins was on fire, claiming a stunning five-wicket haul in each innings to secure Australia a thrilling 79-run victory over Pakistan in the second Test, sealing the series win. The visitors, chasing 317, fought hard but succumbed for 237, their last five wickets tumbling for a mere 18 runs.
Cummins emerged as the primary tormentor, notching figures of 5-49, adding to his earlier 5-48 in the first innings, marking only the second instance of a 10-wicket haul in his Test career. In a tense finale, just when the match seemed poised for a dramatic finish on the final day, Cummins snared Mohammad Rizwan for his 250th Test wicket.
Backing Cummins’ brilliance, Mitchell Starc contributed with 4-55 as the Pakistani tail collapsed following commendable performances by Shan Masood (60), Agha Salman (50), and Babar Azam (41), who gave Pakistan a fighting chance.
The chase was always going to be daunting, with the Melbourne Cricket Ground witnessing England’s highest successful fourth-innings chase of 332-7 back in 1928, an unparalleled feat since then.
The visitors faced early setbacks, losing opener Abdullah Shafique for a mere four runs in a challenging session before lunch. Despite a resilient stand by Iman-ul-Haq, Cummins’ post-break delivery trapped him lbw for 12.
Though Masood survived an lbw scare and showed resilience, Cummins struck again, forcing an edge to dismiss him after an injury scare. Azam, carrying the weight of the team’s hopes, fell for 41 to Hazlewood’s delivery that shattered his off stump.
Rizwan displayed promise with 35 runs before Cummins’ prowess got the better of him, aided by a catch from Alex Carey. Cummins continued his onslaught, claiming Aamer Jamal and Shaheen Shah Afridi in quick succession before Starc wrapped up the innings.
Australia had set a target after being all out for 262 in their second innings, riding on Mitchell Marsh’s attacking 96 and Smith’s gritty 50, recovering from a shaky 16-4 start. Alex Carey’s 53 helped bolster their lead after concerns about his form following his omission from the one-day side.
Carey, supported by Starc initially, fell for nine, while Lyon contributed with a brisk 11 before the innings folded. Mir Hamza’s 4-32 and Afridi’s 4-76 posed significant challenges, but Australia managed to establish a defendable lead.
