RAWALPINDI: Azhar Ali hit his fourth Test hundred against Australia as Pakistan piled on 476-4 before declaring its first innings on the second day of the first Test on Saturday.
Ali missed out on a double century and got dismissed for 185 with Pakistan declaring under overcast conditions late in the final session.
Australian openers Usman Khawaja (5 not out) and David Warner (0 not out) survived the only over from offspinner Sajid Khan to take Australia to 5-0 before umpires ended the day’s play due to bad light with 15 overs still remaining.
Australia is playing its first Test in Pakistan in 24 years.
Players from both teams wore black armbands in memory of spin wizard Shane Warne. They lined up before the start of play and observed a minute of silence to mark their respect for Warne, who died of a suspected heart attack in Koh Samui, Thailand at the age of 52.
Offspinner Nathan Lyon bowled the bulk of the overs on a slow wicket devoid of grass but finished with 1-161 off his 52 overs. However, Lyon’s only wicket came in the first session on Day 1 when the veteran offspinner had dismissed opening batter Abdullah Shafique for 44 in his 11th over.
Skipper Pat Cummins took 1-62 while part-time legspinner Marnus Labuschagne had Ali dismissed off a top-edged sweep shot in the last session to finish with 1-53.
Ali shared a 208-run second wicket stand with Imam-ul-Haq (157), whose wicket was the only one to fall in the first two sessions on Saturday when the left hander was trapped leg before wicket by Cummins after lunch.
Ali and Imam frustrated Australia with their snail-paced batting by adding 57 runs in the first session after Pakistan resumed at the overnight 245-1 and reached 302-1 without further damage.
Ali, 64 overnight, reached his century off 257 balls when he lofted Lyon over mid-on for his eighth boundary after lunch.
Cummins went for an unsuccessful caught-behind television review soon after Ali had completed his century before Imam, resuming on 132 overnight, played across the line in the same over and was adjudged lbw.
Imam’s marathon innings, also spanning almost nine hours like Ali’s knock, included 16 fours and two sixes and came off 358 balls.
Ali and Babar Azam accelerated the scoring as Pakistan scored 92 runs in the second session for the loss of only Imam’s wicket.
Ali showed aggression against fast bowlers and the spin of Lyon after completing his 100 and reached his 150 off 317 balls with a dozen boundaries and two sixes before he finally top-edged a reverse sweep to Cameron Green at short third man. Ali hit a further three boundaries and a six during his 361-ball knock before attempting an extravagant shot against Labuschagne.
Australia conceded just 23 runs during the 13 overs in the first hour and further 34 in the second hour.
Babar (36) added 101 runs in a partnership dominated by Ali before he was run out while going for a needless run by a direct throw from Labuschagne from midwicket.
Mohammad Rizwan (29 not out) and Iftikhar Ahmed (13 not out) were at the crease when the declaration came.
