NEW DELHI:
Australia
captain
Pat Cummins
sure well knows how to lead from the front. One of the best fast bowlers in the world,
Cummins
has already led the Aussies to the World Test Championship title, the ODI World Cup title and an Ashes triumph against old foes England.
The second day of Australia's
Boxing Day Test
against
Pakistan
at the
Melbourne Cricket Ground
was no different when Cummins took two wickets in two overs to reduce Pakistan to 131/3 in their first innings on Wednesday.
On the last ball of the 35th over, Cummins took an excellent return catch to dismiss
Abdullah Shafique
for 62.
Cummins bowled a full length delivery, Shafique went forward to drive and ended up hitting straighter. Cummins showed great reflexes in his follow-through, diving to his left, held onto the ball with his left hand, tumbled but ensured that the ball didn't pop out.
On the third ball of his next over, Cummins dismissed former Pakistan captain
Babar Azam
(1) with a beauty of a delivery. Cummins bowled on a good length and it came back in off the seam.
Babar Azam pressed forward to block but the ball moved in enough to go through the bat-pad gap and hit the top of off-stump, much to the delight of the Australian players and the
MCG
crowd.
Earlier,
Marnus Labuschagne
scored a patient 63 as Australia were bowled out for 318 at lunch on the second day.
Australia won the first Test in Perth last week by 360 runs.
The third Test in the three-match series is scheduled to begin January 3 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where Pakistan won their last Test in Australia nearly 30 years ago.
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