Melbourne (Australia): Australia continued their momentum from the victory in the first game and posted a total of 187/3 on first day of the second Test against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Tuesday.
Winning the toss, Pakistan opted to bow. The Australian duo of David Warner and Usman Khawaja joined forces to stitch a partnership of 90 runs for the opening wicket. Off-spinner Agha Salman dismissed Warner as the left-handed batter opted for a drive through the covers and the ball took thick outside edge. Khawaja added 18 more runs to the scoreboard along with Marnus Labuschagne before a thick edge from his bat was caught in the second slip.
Steven Smith scored 26 runs but he was dismissed by right-arm medium pacer Aamer Jamal. Labuschagne stayed unbeaten at the crease while scoring 44 runs and Travis Head also survived with a innings of nine runs.
Pakistan's bowling unit displayed a collective effort as three bowlers picked a wicket each. However, they were unable to cause trouble to the opposition and Australia build their innings with ease. The rain spoiled the passage of play and that resulted in only 66 overs of action.