Pakistan’s ‘utter c**p’ ploy; why Khawaja has exposed unfair Aussie debate: Talking pts

The first day of the second Test in Karachi was like a day in Melbourne.

One moment it was full of pace, the next it was still and quiet.

Australia raced out of the blocks, scoring at 4.71 runs an over during the first hour.

David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne came and went, but still the runs continued to tick by.

Steve Smith came in and used his feet to meet the ball on the half-volley.

Then Pakistan dug in.

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Before a ball had been bowled in the series, Pat Cummins had urged his side to “bat and bat and bat”.

They did, not always with the bat, but they valued their wickets.

It was exactly what Cummins had said at the toss, when he said he put the “onus” on his top order to set-up the innings.

Eventually, as Australia retreated and sought the sanctuary of stumps, a catch from “out of this world” came, as former England batsman Rob Key described in commentary.

Smith was forced to go, the final shot fired by Pakistan.

They will need to fire a number more on day two to continue to work their way back into the match.

Here are our day one talking points.

Marnus goes for 0 after RAPID run out | 00:53

‘RIDICULOUS’ PAKISTAN TACTICS SLAMMED

Off the back of the highway played on in the first Test grind in Rawalpindi, there was a hope that things would speed up in Karachi.

Pakistan crawled along at just 2.93 runs an over during their 4-476 declared in the first innings of the first Test.

By the second innings, that mark tipped over the three-run mark as the draw finished a painful draw after the hosts made 0-252 and scored at 3.27 an over.

So when Warner and Khawaja flew out of the gates, there was a sense of excitement that the Australians were trying to make a game of it on what appeared to be another “slow” wicket.

Two quick wickets came, but it was not long before Pakistan were on the retreat.

Shortly after Smith reached his half-century, it was full defensive mode.

Pakistan’s spinners aimed the ball outside the leg stump.

It was a method that saw Smith depart for 78 in the first Test, but that was more down to good fortune than good skill.

This time, Pakistan appealed for lbw despite the ball pitching well outside the line of leg stump.

Smith laughed, former skipper Waqar Younis fumed.

“That’s the only entertainment we’re going to get right now because the tactics I’m seeing at the moment is like we’re looking for a draw on the first day,” Younis said in commentary.

“It’s ridiculous.” 

He was by no means the only one to question the tactics.

“Pakistan were very defensive and you don’t mind that if it’s for a 15-20 minute burst just to try and size up the opposition and slow someone down, particularly if they get the momentum, but it was sustained for a long period of time,” former Australian opener Simon Katich said.

“Because Australia were prepared to just ride it out, things stagnated and the scoreboard hasn’t gone anywhere after what was a very good start for Australia.”

Compounding the surprising tactics was Pakistan’s quicks Shaheem Shah Afridi and Hasan Ali were managing to get the ball to reverse swing.

“At least Pakistan are now looking to take wickets,” ex-England batter Key said later in the day. 

“We had a passage of play for about 40 minutes where they didn’t even look to take a wicket, just tried to stop them from scoring and it was an incredibly negative passage of play actually. Australia, they didn’t relent, they just kept kicking the ball away; the game was in a holding pattern and now it’s back on.”

Katich said he could understand that Australia were responding to the situation and were likely trying to set the game up, but encouraged his former team to “take the game on”.

“I think of the team situation, both Khawaja and Smith would have played more aggressively had the tactics been normal,” he said. 

“But I think because of what happened at Rawalpindi, in particular with Steve Smith losing his wicket that way, that would have been in the back of his mind. 

“Australia are in a position now where they know they can dictate terms in this Test match by posting a 400-plus score, so I understand why they played that way but they also do have the option of taking it on and being able to counter it.”

LOCAL BOY MAKES HAY

It is hard to believe that there was any doubt over Australia’s first choice opening pair.

As Marcus Harris struggled to make the most of his starts, Khawaja just peeled off his third century in six innings since returning to the Australian team for the New Year’s Test after a two-year absence.

His 127 not out came off the back of his first Test 97.

Comparing the duo is not quite fair though.

Harris opened up against England on seaming decks, which provided assistance to the bowlers right the way throughout the series.

Khawaja’s twin centuries at the SCG also came in the middle-order.

His successful start to the Pakistan series has come opening the batting, but there’s a world of difference between opening in the subcontinent where the ball doesn’t do much off the deck against the seam and facing the new ball Down Under.

That’s not to downplay Khawaja’s extraordinary return.

The difference between Khawaja and Harris would seem a mental one.

Khawaja is at ease with his cricket and life and in the twilight of his career is seeing every day spent wearing the baggy green as a bonus.

The left-hander was faultless for Australia, timing the ball from the outset and punishing Pakistan’s quicks for straying onto his pads.

Later, Pakistan tested Khawaja’s patience.

Rather than trying to force the issue through reverse-sweeps and shots over the top, Khawaja nurdled the ball around and often found a way to the other end by sweeping.

His start to the series has been a batting masterclass in the subcontinent.

Khawaja gets 100! | 00:56

SMITH’S FRUSTRATIONS CONTINUE

For all but one ball, Steve Smith looked in total control.

Unfortunately in cricket, all it takes is one delivery.

Smith would not have brought up three figures on day one, but he appeared a man on a mission as he dug in for the long haul against Pakistan.

He started quickly out of the blocks, using his feet and taking the game on.

But as Pakistan’s tactics increasingly became negative, he refused to fall into the home side’s games.

Eventually, Smith was forced to go.

Smith falls to outrageous catch | 02:32

“That is absolutely out of this world,” Key said. 

“Late in the day, a low catch, it didn’t look like it was going to carry, he barely looked ready for it and all of a sudden Steve Smith, again, has to go in the seventies.

“I don’t think many saw that coming late in the day. 

“Steve Smith was just playing for the close; never looked like getting out at any stage. All the hard work, he will be devastated.

The stunning catch at second slip by Faheem Ashraf left Smith shocked as his year-long century drought continued.

Smith has not scored a century in his past eight Tests, while he has got to three-figures just once since the 2019 Ashes.

In a numbers game, that statistic will bug Smith and continue to create headlines.

In reality though, the right-hander has got past 50 on four occasions in his past six Tests and continues to strike the ball well.

MARNUS’ RUNOUT WOES A GROWING CONCERN

We don’t often make much of a runout in Test cricket.

A brilliant piece of fielding. Perhaps a moment of madness between the batters.

Either way, it’s rarely a sign of a worrying pattern.

Perhaps for Marnus Labuschagne, however, it is.

Of course, it could be a freak anomaly, but the Australian No.3 has now been runout four times in his 25-Test career.

That may not sound like much — until you look at the rest of the Australian top-order.

Smith has been runout four times in 84 Tests. Warner the same amount from 93.

Khawaja’s rate is similar with two runouts in 48 Tests.

Three of Labuschagne’s runouts have come for 25 runs or less, which could be suggestive of an over-eagerness early on.

Labuschagne is a busy cricketer who likes to pick off quick singles early in the style of Warner.

Based on the numbers, however, he may need to start saying ‘no run’ a little more often.