Second Test, day two, Adelaide Oval
First innings: Australia 1/314
Warner 172, Labuschagne 132, off 74 overs
Australia resumed day two of the second day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval in blistering form after centuries from David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne, and bringing up their 300-run partnership.
On day one, Australia amassed 1-302 with Warner unbeaten on 166 not out and 126 not out, making the pair’s unbroken 294 run partnership a second-wicket record for Australia against Pakistan.
While rain interrupted play during the Friday night session, former Test cricket champion Ricky Ponting said Pakistan’s effort was “terrible” and “way off the mark”.
Ponting told cricket.com.au he thought captain Azhar Ali was inexperienced.
“He just looks like he’s a long way off the mark, Azhar Ali.
“He’s only captained 16 first-class games in his life, so he’s a young captain in charge of a young bowling team and they look like they just need a bit more experience at the helm.
“It’s obviously not the most skilled bowling attack of all time. But that’s where you need the captain to be able to help out and set certain fields for you, and tell you exactly what he wants you to do as a bowler. It doesn’t look like they’ve had that direction out on the field,” he told cricket.com.au
Warner said they were able to keep pressure on their bowling attack late in the day.
“You never want to say that you have broke them,” Warner said.
“But the key to batting is to keep trying to bring their fast bowlers back. And if you can bring them back for their third and fourth spells towards the end of the day, it holds you in a good position.
“And we were able to do that.”
Warner’s knock follows his 154 in Australia’s win in the first Test; Labuschagne’s ton follows his 185 in the same game.
Their repeat century feats came against a pink ball that was supposed to hoop around in the day-night Test – but it didn’t.
“The ball didn’t really swing at all, a fraction bit of seam,” Warner said.
“But I felt, talking to Marnus out there, they probably bowled a fraction too short.
“(They) didn’t make us actually try and play straight … myself and Marnus hardly hit the ball straight down the ground.
But Warner cautioned against believing the day one heroics meant another Test win, and a 2-0 series sweep, was inevitable.
“We have got to move on and look forward and try and replicate that,” he said.
“If we can try and bat into that dusk time, it will be fantastic, to try and come out here with a new ball under lights, because it’s quite challenging.”
-with AAP
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