Oz dominate Pakistan with bat and ball, sniff victory in Brisbane Test

Australia are sniffing an innings victory against a stuttering Pakistan in the first of the three-Test series after a strong all-round performance in Brisbane on Saturday.

After centuries by Marnus Labuschagne (185) and David Warner (154) propelled Australia to a huge total of 580 in reply to Pakistan’s paltry score of 240 in the first innings, bowlers did a wonderful job in the second innings to push visitors on the brink of an innings defeat.

Pakistan were 64 for the loss three wickets, which means they still 276 runs more with seven wickets remaining to avoid an innings defeat.

Shan Masood was not out 27 and Babar Azam was 20 at the close.

Earlier, Pakistan bowling coach Waqar Younis said later that with such an inexperienced attack at their disposal, it was only natural that there would be tough times.

“Naseem (Shah) is only 16 remember and even Shaheen (Afridi) is only 19, so of course they are going to learn a lot from this tour,” he said.

“We’ve got to give them time and hope they learn, and in a year or so they’ll be a force.” Mitchell Starc did the early damage when Pakistan began their second innings, trapping captain Azhar Ali leg before for five.

He then enticed Haris Sohail to waft at a ball well outside off stump, only to get a thick edge to Australian wicketkeeper Tim Paine.

Asad Shafiq was next to fall, edging Pat Cummins to second slip where Steve Smith took a comfortable catch.

Labuschagne had earlier scored a magnificent maiden Test century in front of his home crowd at the Gabba.

The 25-year-old scored four 50s in the recent Ashes series but had been unable to convert any of those until his near chanceless innings on Saturday.

“(On 97) I was thinking ‘stay patient, stay calm’ but I thought if the ball was up I’d have a crack,” he said of the thick edge that flew through a vacant third slip area for a boundary.

“You always think as a kid how you are going to celebrate a hundred -- that was nothing like I thought. “My emotions took over, it was very exciting - a dream come true.” Earlier, teenage pace sensation Naseem claimed his first Test wicket when he had Warner caught behind for 154.

Warner only added three runs to his overnight score of 151 when he became the 16-year-old’s first scalp.

Naseem, whose pace has been impressive during this Test, eventually claimed Warner when the nuggety opener was unable to avoid a short pitched ball and edged it to wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, to leave the Australians 351 for two.

But that was the last hurrah from Naseem, who appeared to be injured and only bowled four overs in the day, with Waqar conceding he had been rested Saturday to protect his young body.

The Pakistanis’ hearts must have sunk when they saw Smith striding to the crease to replace Warner.

But after hitting a boundary off Yasir Shah, the leg-spinner then clean bowled Smith, the seventh time in six Test matches that Yasir has dismissed the Australian number four.

Labuschagne and Matthew Wade shared in a 110-run partnership before Wade was well caught by Rizwan for 60 off Sohail.

Sohail and Rizwan then combined to have Travis Head caught down the leg side for 24.

Agencies