That’s it from me
But thanks for joining us for what proved a thrilling finish to this mad, stormy, tempestuous game of Test match cricket. It was a barmy finish befitting a game in which the tourists lost 7-24 in their first innings and then almost chased down 490 in their second. Never change, Pakistan, never change.
We saw many magnificent knocks in this game and of all different kinds; Steve Smith’s pure inventiveness in digs of 130 and 63; Peter Handscomb fulfilling his rich potential in his first innings 105; Sarfraz Ahmed’s undefeated lone hand of 59 as Pakistan crumbled in the first innings; Usman Khawaja’s artful 74 in Australia’s second innings; than Shafiq’s stunning 137 to almost bring his side home, ably assisted by Mohammad Amir (48 from 63), Wahab Riaz (30 from 56) and finally the perma-smiling Yasir Shah (33 from 66), who was magnificent this morning.
Amir also bowled like a dream at various points of the game to claim five wickets all up, as did Wahab. Mitchell Starc ended up with seven wickets and Jackson Bird six, but spinner Nathan Lyon made no new fans in failing to knock off the tail.
On to Melbourne now, where we’ll again be bringing all the live action. Adios!
One final musical dedication
And this one goes out to the reputations of Steve Smith and Nathan Lyon
And now the match report
And I’m glad someone else can step in at this point because I’m almost spent, and I was only watching it. “It was a little too close for my liking,” says Steve Smith of the ending, and I’m with him on that one.
Asad Shafiq is man of the match!
And well deserved too. The Pakistan fans are rapt for him. “I was trying hard,” he says. “They showed a lot of courage,” he says of his late-order partners. “I was not expecting that,” he says of the Mitchell Starc snorter that got him. “He bowled a couple of very good spells.”
Misbah ul-Haq stops by for a word. “I am happy,” he says. “All the batsmen, all the team showed their character.”
“That was a superb knock,” he says of Asad Shafiq. “A lot of positives. I’m happy. I always believe in this team, that’s why we get along so well in the previous six years...I was hopeful... We knew that Yasir Shah could chip in. There was always hope. You never know...42 runs...anything could happen. You need to keep believing.”
“I’ve lost all my fingernails I think,” says Steve Smith. “It was hard work. A lot of credit has got to go towards the way they played.” He says Starc showed “class” to finish it off. “What a game of cricket.” Amen.
It was a record-breaking fifth day, regardless of the result
...and Pakistan didn’t need to prove themselves to anyone after the way they dismantled Australia two years ago in the UAE, but this was particularly special from them in the fourth innings
.@TheRealPCB 4th innings total of 450:
— Fox Sports Lab (@FoxSportsLab) December 19, 2016
- Equal 3rd highest in Test history
- Highest by Pakistan
- Highest in Australia#AUSvPAK
Australia win by 39 runs in a much tighter finish than anticipated
“There’s no such thing as an easy win,” says Peter Handscomb, and he ain’t wrong. “The boys were up and about,” he adds, resorting immediately to footyspeak. But were they? It was a strangely subdued performance in the early stages of the day; conservative fields, anaemic bowling. Handscomb says he’s “very impressed” with Shafiq. “Credit to him and also their tail; they stuck together and did an amazing job.”
“We knew today that if we got one, eventually, we’d get the other,” says Mitchell Starc, who got the vital wicket of Shafiq to all but end Pakistan’s hopes. Starc didn’t get to bed till 2am last night and says he’s looking forward to a few days off. “I think it was a really good wicket for a red ball,” he adds, hopefully outside earshot of the media handlers. “It was all about trying to get that first one today and they (Pakistan) gutsed it out really well.”
Updated
WICKET! Yasir run out (Smith) - Australia win by 39 runs!
Steve Smith runs out Yasir to win it! Oh dear, what an awful way to lose. Yasir has wandered down the track after swinging at the ball wildly, like your drunk uncle taking on a piñata, and Smith pings the ball in from the slips cordon to run him out! It was a brave knock by Yasir and he clearly sensed the need to do it all himself without Shafiq, but he’s come unstuck. Australia hang on to win it by 39 runs!
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WICKET! Shafiq c Warner b Starc 137 (Pakistan 449-9)
Starc gets Shafiq! And what a ball it was; a snorter that reared up off the pitch and squared up Pakistan’s hero, forcing him into evasive action that sends the ball skyward to David Warner at gully. He’s been heroic in this chase but Pakistan’s main man is now gone and with him, you’d think, Pakistan’s chances of a miracle win. Am I underrating Rahat Ali? We shall soon see.
144th over: Pakistan 448-8 (Shafiq 137, Yasir 32) - Pakistan need 42 to win
Gahghgkghjagsjhgsgjghjhjgjhgjhgj!!!!! Shafiq pushes at an on-drive and does so uppishly, almost bringing a diving Matt Renshaw into play but it’s marginally outside his reach in short. There are now 1,800 patrons inside the ground, by the way. It could be a wake for the Australian supporters. Hazlewood goes close to claiming an outside edge when Shafiq is on strike but as per the entire morning, there’s no luck for Australia. Adding insult to injury, Shafiq lathers a late cut through point to pick up four off the final delivery. He’s a genius!
The job every Australian wants right now:
Fascinating analysis from @ShaneWarne and Mark Taylor taking a look at Nathan Lyon's bowling plan over on the @Windows 10 Analyser #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/5UqBKRaqPS
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) December 18, 2016
143rd over: Pakistan 442-8 (Shafiq 132, Yasir 31) - Pakistan need 48 to win
Our regular reader ‘Disco’ has an alarming prediction if you’re a fan of Australia’s keeper: “I have an awful feeling that the much maligned keeping of Wade will be tested with a gloved catch to the keeper in the final few balls and he’ll grass it.”
Brian Withington is spot-on when it comes to the call in the last over: “Truly shocking lbw “decision”,” he says. “Thank goodness for DRS – or would the umpire have said not out in the absence of Pakistan’s ability to overturn such speculative guesswork?!” It’s also a good thing Pakistan have yet another review left, which seems the least Pakistan thing about today.
Yasir battles away through this Starc over and there’s a clear chance from the final delivery, but Shafiq foregoes it to take strike against Hazlewood. Maiden.
142nd over: Pakistan 442-8 (Shafiq 132, Yasir 31) - Pakistan need 48 to win
Moments before the lbw drama there was more when Yasir belted the returning Hazlewood through point and Nathan Lyon leapt like a salmon to reel in what would have been a screamer, but he could only parry it for three runs. This is just madness at the Gabba. Get near a TV.
Also, I don’t want to be that guy, but this is the point at which we start discussion Steve Smith’s captaincy, right? I mean, they say the vice-captain (David Warner) is only ever “a hamstring away” from the job, but surely there’s a “conceding 490 in the fourth innings to lose a Test” caveat as well?
Not out! Going over the top!
Oh my word! It was given out originally but replays confirm it was flying well over the top. Scenes!
Review! Australia think they have Yasir lbw
And Hazlewood is the bowler.
141st over: Pakistan 437-8 (Shafiq 131, Yasir 27) - Pakistan need 53 to win
Wisely, Steve Smith ditches Lyon from the attack and brings back Mitchell Starc, who probably thought he’d be sunning himself on the Gabba pool deck by this point but groans on through his 36th over and with his team-mates now blatantly shitting bricks. Waqar reckons if these two can bat another half-hour it’s game over. With optimism like that he might not make the Channel Nine roster for Melbourne. Right as I ponder that, Shafiq slashes a square drive beyond the outstretched hand of a diving Steve Smith at gully and picks up four.
Reader Thomas Jenkins is livid. “If Pakistan win this, has there ever been a more unnecessary loss in Test history? And I do mean the whole of Test history.” Probably not, though I was among those agitating for the declaration when it came, so can hardly sit in judgment right now. Blimey. This is utterly mad. And look who is trying unsuccessfully to stifle a broad grin:
140th over: Pakistan 432-8 (Shafiq 127, Yasir 26) - Pakistan need 58 to win
Let the record show that at this precarious moment of a truly gripping Test match, Channel Nine are honouring the memory of Tony Greig by forcing some ‘limited edition’ memorabilia on their viewers, their worst decision since giving Shane Warne his own talk show. Speaking of ill-advised, Jackson Bird’s fruitless spell continues without bearing fruit. Paging Josh Hazlewood.
Reader Ian Forth drops by. “We’re into Edgbaston 05 territory now all right,” he says. “Run by run the target nears. The captain suddenly finds himself a lonely man, his sage advisers curiously mute. Although worth remembering that back then Australia didn’t have a recognised batsman at the crease. Don’t think Shafiq’s going to tread on his leg stump.”
It might be the only way at this rate...
139th over: Pakistan 430-8 (Shafiq 126, Yasir 25) - Pakistan need 60 to win
After a single to Shafiq here’s a huge shout against Yasir here; Smith wants caught behind but keeper Matthew Wade fancies a stumping. Neither eventuates and Australia’s desperation grows.
Highest fourth-innings totals in Test history. None of them in a win. (Yet?) #AusvPak pic.twitter.com/8TDfffI3sQ
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) December 19, 2016
138th over: Pakistan 429-8 (Shafiq 125, Yasir 25) - Pakistan need 61 to win
Jackson Bird is both swinging them in towards the right-handers and also jagging the ball back off the pitch, but so far to no avail. Shafiq clips a single to long on and then Yasir goes three better, flicking the paceman over mid-wicket for a boundary and sending some of the Pakistani cheer squad into fits of laughter. Me? I’m emitting chimp-like squeaks and grunts right now. This is a bit mad.
Updated
137th over: Pakistan 424-8 (Shafiq 124, Yasir 21) - Pakistan need 66 to win
“Niiiiiice Garry,” chirps Matthew Wade as Shafiq drives a single from the first ball of this Lyon over, which is all he can do to stop himself blurting out, “for Pete’s sake man just take a bloody wicket, will you?” Bizarrely, Shafiq strolls out of his crease in the aftermath and Lyon throws down the stumps but the ball had been ruled dead. Lucky. And weird.
Pakistan will get these runs! Not one Australian bowler looks like getting anyone out! Don't give Shafiq a run.. make him earn it...
— Dean Jones (@ProfDeano) December 19, 2016
136th over: Pakistan 423-8 (Shafiq 123, Yasir 21) - Pakistan need 67 to win
“It’s a nice little vibe here,” lies Ian Healy as his and Michael Slater’s teeth start to chatter almost audibly with the tension of each Pakistan run. The Pakistan chants are now drowning out everything else and turn to wild cheers when Yasir sends a thick edge through the vacant second slip region and out to the fence at third man. Then he clips a couple more through cover and finishes the over strutting about like Javed Miandad. What a hero. Would it be unpatriotic to suggest that him edging for four to win the game would be the greatest moment in cricket history?
135th over: Pakistan 417-8 (Shafiq 123, Yasir 15) - Pakistan need 73 to win
Nathan Lyon is on now for some spin and his captain is probably sweating bullets as his first delivery – a rank long-hop – is creamed to deep point for two. A single follows and Yasir gets one too though in unconvincing style when he under-edges an ambitious drive past Peter Handscomb at fine leg. Shafiq cashes in further when he paddles two around the corner and Smith is huffing and puffing so deeply at slip you feel someone should offer him a paper bag. Lyon gets away with a full toss to finish the over, which I’d summarise as having added a bit more panic to Australian ranks.
134th over: Pakistan 411-8 (Shafiq 118, Yasir 14) - Pakistan need 79 to win
Crunch! Shafiq creams Bird’s first ball through point for what might have been a boundary without an athletic dive from Handscomb on the boundary, picking up two and then a single next ball. Bird’s over is hardly awe-inspiring and Yasir might have cashed in on a half-tracker but mis-times his cut shot. There are two slips in place in the latter stages of the over and Yasir plays it out with total confidence. In the words of Martin Lawrence...
133rd over: Pakistan 408-8 (Shafiq 115, Yasir 14) - Pakistan need 82 to win
Mitchell Starc is fast, straight and accurate in this over. That is, until the final delivery, which he inexplicably spears down leg side to be turned for a single and allow Shafiq to keep the strike. Jackson Bird is warming up. And now, it’s ‘Just Saying Time’ TM, with former England captain turned human banter account Michael Vaughan.
The Australian Captains tactics this morning has been nothing short of Ridiculous ... #JustSaying #AUSvPAK
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) December 19, 2016
132nd over: Pakistan 407-8 (Shafiq 114, Yasir 14) - Pakistan need 83 to win
“The Sydney Test match is ours! Melbourne is ours!” says a Pakistan fan being interviewed by Nine’s Ian Healy, before apologising to his boss for not turning up to work today. Can you blame him? As his pep talk continues (he’s saying words like “reciprocate”, lifting the tone of the broadcast somewhat) Shafiq bunts a quick single from the third ball of the Hazlewood over and Shah sees off the rest with a couple more heart-stopping leaves.
Pakistan still has two reviews in the bank. We're headed for a Kasprowicz-esque Edgbaston dismissal only for it to be overturned. #AUSvPAK
— Brett Sprigg (@BrettSprigg) December 19, 2016
131st over: Pakistan 406-8 (Shafiq 113, Yasir 14)
Mitchell Starc is really giving it to Shah here and goes searching for his middle stump with a yorker that the tailender does well to get the edge of his bat on, which segues into the appearance of Nic Maddinson at short leg. Yasir digs out another yorker next up to pick up a single down to third man and Shafiq belts three through cover soon after. The small but noisy Pakistan contingent in the crowd are loving this. Steve Smith looks like his Christmas stocking has been raided.
130th over: Pakistan 402-8 (Shafiq 110, Yasir 13)
Michael Clarke’s in the commentary box now and he’s even more scathing of Steve Smith’s conservative field placements than Waqar was before him. What’s more, belief is growing now for the tourists as Shafiq cracks Hazlewood through cover to pick up another boundary and reduce the runs need to 88. They couldn’t could they?
129th over: Pakistan 398-8 (Shafiq 106, Yasir 13)
Yasir starts the Starc over about as well as Pakistan could hope, striding forward to a length ball and punching it through cover to pick up three while getting off strike. Shafiq labours a while and then bunts a single to hand Yasir one more delivery to face, and he survives it. The equation for Pakistan: 92 to win.
128th over: Pakistan 394-8 (Shafiq 105, Yasir 10)
Maybe Shafiq thinks Yasir can handle the right-armer Hazlewood a bit better than Starc, because he takes the single when it’s offered up first ball of this over. Yasir follows with one of his own before the specialist batsman is almost undone by another Hazlewood jaffa, which flashes past the outside edge after springing up out of a crack. Hazlewood is the major threat for a wicket at the moment.
An empty Gabba sounds uncannily like Pakistan's usual "home" turf in Dubai #AUSvPAK
— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) December 19, 2016
127th over: Pakistan 392-8 (Shafiq 105, Yasir 9)
Perhaps chastened by that leave in the last over, Shafiq passes up a single to third man from the third ball of this Hazlewood over. The crowd is so sparsely populated that a group of 8-10 Pakistan fans drown out the Channel Nine commentary with a spirited chant. If they’re not busy for the rest of the summer they could do Australia a favour here. Shafiq gets a single from the final delivery to retain the strike. Australia remain pensive, defensive and Waqar says their pessimism is almost offensive.
126th over: Pakistan 391-8 (Shafiq 104, Yasir 9)
After a single to Shafiq, who is increasingly confident in Yasir, the latter lifts his arms for a classic “good leave”, which is to say a terrible leave where a tailing off-cutter narrowly misses his stumps. I think that was good luck rather than good management. With Yasir on strike there are two slips, a deep square leg, mid-on, mid-off and a short cover, with fine leg and point deep. Not attacking enough with 100 runs to play with? Maybe.
125th over: Pakistan 390-8 (Shafiq 103, Yasir 9)
Mitchell Starc is indeed the man who trots across and grabs the ball. Undaunted, Yasir gets forward, opens the face of his bat and prods the ball left of the man at cover to scamper through for a single. When Shafiq is on strike early in the over, point goes back to a very deep point, and when the ball is hit out there the batsman refuses the single.
Yasir is back on strike with two balls remaining so David Warner moves in to short cover in order to cut off the single but that’s a moot point when Starc hammers it in short and the tailender flicks him over the cordon for four. It’s on! Starc finishes the over with the yorker he should have bowled before but Yasir jams it out nicely. 100 to win.
124th over: Pakistan 384-8 (Shafiq 102, Yasir 4)
“It’s about the attitude this morning. It’s about the momentum.” So says none other than Waqar himself as play starts for the day and he refers of course to Shafiq and Yasir, Pakistan’s remaining hopes. The latter is the liability, but he peeled off a glorious on-drive from the first delivery he faced last night, so who knows?
Josh Hazlewood is tasked with bowling the first over and sends one screaming past the outside edge of Shafiq’s blade before the latter turns a couple of runs down to fine leg. As the over wears on Australia’s field closes in to save the single and it works. Yasir will face the first ball of the next over, likely to be delivered by Mitchell Starc. Pakistan need 106 to win.
If industrial relations news doesn’t float your boat
...what about a 14-minute compilation of Waqar Younis yorkers?
Aside from the bowling itself there are so many highlights here, from Wasim Akram wearing his lime green ODI cap in a Test and Allan Lamb being made to look like a tailender, to Chris Lewis batting six inches outside leg and really just the mere sight of Rod Latham.
While we’re waiting
...and with just over 10 minutes until the first delivery is whizzing down, here’s an update on the Cricket Australia/ACA negotiations. In brief: CA are not covering themselves in glory. It’s a bit late to avoid a “public dispute” I reckon.
An update on Asad Shafiq
Not only do Ian Healy and Michael Slater not know who he is, they don’t have access to cable TV or Cricinfo. Shall we pass around a hat?
"This 51 Test veteran is somebody we didn't know much about, right Slatso?" #ChannelNineNonsense
— Dan Liebke (@LiebCricket) December 19, 2016
The conditions greeting these sides
It’s currently 27 degrees in Brisbane and a little cloudy, with no hope that rain will save the tourists. Unsurprisingly, the ground is basically empty, with support staff outnumbering punters. Brisbane locals can get in there free today if they like. The pitch is in reasonable condition for a day five track and has defied pre-match predictions that this Test would bring a quick result.
Preamble
Hello OBOers and welcome to day five of the Brisbane Test, a sentence I didn’t think I’d be typing on Friday night, as Pakistan lost 7-24 and fell into the batting form of quicksand late on day two. Misguidedly, we thought that would be the most Pakistan thing to happen in the game but it hasn’t proven so. That would be Asad Shafiq’s brilliant rearguard century (he now has the most Test centuries from No6, you know?), which combined with some stellar efforts by Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz, give the tourists a glimmer of hope today.
Pakistan need 108 runs to win with two wickets remaining; Shafiq’s current partner Yasir Shah and the genuine rabbit Rahat Ali. This could last two balls and it could last two hours. Nobody knows. Tasked with nipping in the bud a heroic victory are Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Jackson Bird and Nathan Lyon, who would fancy their chances of a quick kill now that the tourists’ late-day momentum is done with.
You can get me on the contact details above with all your comments and quips. Let’s do this.
Russell will be here shortly to take you through what is likely to be either a brief cakewalk for Australia or the most stunning Test comeback of all time for Pakistan. Here’s the state of play after day four of play at the Gabba:
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