ISLAMABAD – Australia went one up in their two-Test series against Pakistanwhen they won the first Test by an innings and five runs at the Gabba inBrisbane on Sunday.
Australian skipper Tim Paine said he would prefer all home Test series tobegin at the Gabba after his team won the opening match at the Brisbanefortress by an innings and five runs late on the fourth day for their 29thconsecutive Test victory at the venue dating back to 1988.
“We like playing here and we’ve done well here for a long time, so we’dlike to start here against anyone,” Paine said when asked whether Indiashould open next year’s Test tour in Brisbane, the traditional start to anAustralian summer.
On India’s last tour of Australia, the first Test was moved to Adelaidewhere the tourists won by 31 runs.
Pakistan were left chasing the match once they were bowled out for 240 intheir first innings having won the toss and elected to bat.
Australia replied with 580 on the back of big centuries by man-of-the matchMarnus Labuschagne and opener David Warner.
Australia’s top three of Joe Burns (97), Warner (154) and Labuschagne (185)scored 436 runs, with Paine saying the team now had the benefit ofstability at the top of the order.
“We’ve known Burnsie’s a top-quality opening bat for a long time and it’sgreat having him back in the side opening with Davey (Warner),” Paine said.
“It’s been hard to have stability because we haven’t been performing aswe’d like […] but I think we’ve got a pretty good group at the moment andcan still get a lot better as well.”
After beginning their second innings 340 runs behind Australia and thenlosing three cheap wickets in the afternoon session on Saturday, thePakistanis put up stern resistance Sunday before finally succumbing late inthe final session.
Babar Azam scored a magnificent century and Mohammad Rizwan fell five runsshort of his first as Pakistan were dismissed for 335 late on the fourthday.
Leg-spinner Yasir Shah also made his highest Test score with a fighting 42to allow the Pakistanis to head to the second Test in Adelaide with somemomentum despite the loss.
But there was to be no denying an Australian attack on Sunday which probedand struck at vital moments, whenever Pakistan seemed to be getting theupper hand.
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Josh Hazlewood was the pick of the Australian bowlers with 4-63, whileMitchell Starc took 3-73, Pat Cummins 2-69 and Nathan Lyon 1-74.
Pakistan captain Azhar Ali said his team had been on the back foot earlyand not been able to recover.
“When we won the toss, we wanted to score big in the first innings, but Ithink on the first day we won two sessions but we lost one very badly,” hesaid.
“I think if you lose one session very badly in Test matches it is alwaysvery hard to come back from that, especially in Australia.”
But he said he was proud of the way they had fought back.
“I’d have to say the way we batted in the second innings, particularly theway Babar and Rizwan batted, they really showed great fight,” he said.
Earlier, Azam reached his second Test century — and his first in Australia— with an impressive knock.
The elegant right-hander had been in excellent form in the lead-up games,but was out to a disappointing shot in the first innings for just one.
He was a different player in the second innings, however, and never lookedin trouble until he edged Nathan Lyon to wicketkeeper Tim Paine to fall for104.
The second Test begins in Adelaide on November 29. – APP / AFP
