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AAP
Justin Chadwick

Marsh misses hometown ton in Perth as Pakistan dig in

Mitch Marsh fell agonisingly short of a hometown century, dismissed for 90 against Pakistan. (Richard Wainwright/AAP PHOTOS)

Mitch Marsh says he simply has to cop his dismissal in the 90s on the chin after going for one big shot too many during the second day of the first Test against Pakistan in Perth.

Marsh (90 off 107 balls) was bowled by Khurram Shahzad first ball after lunch on Friday, bringing an end to a dazzling innings that featured 15 fours and one six.

Pat Cummins (9) and Nathan Lyon (5) followed a short time later as Australia lost 3-11 to be bowled out for 487 in front of 17,666 fans at Optus Stadium.

Paceman Aamir Jamal was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers, snaring 6-111 in a memorable Test debut.

Alex Carey (left) is dismissed by Pakistan paceman Aamir Jama.
Alex Carey (left) is dismissed by Pakistan debutant Aamir Jamal (centre), who took 6-111. (Richard Wainwright/AAP PHOTOS)

Pakistan reached 2-132 in reply to Australia's mammoth first-innings total, with Imam-ul-Haq (38no off 136 balls) and nightwatchman Shahzad (7no) to resume on Saturday. 

Marsh, playing a Test in Perth for the first time in six years, missed the chance to post a century in front of family and friends when he attempted to heave a wildly swinging Shahzad delivery down the ground.

"It's a fine line, isnt it. I would have loved to have got there (to the century)," Marsh said.

"I felt like it was a pretty good ball, although I did try and hit it out of the stadium. But I'm going to have to cop those ones on the chin at times. 

"Obviously it's never nice to get out in the 90s and get so close.

"But I think my method of the way I went about it today was the way I want to play my cricket, and sort of my role within this team at No.6."

Any thoughts of a top-order Pakistan collapse were put to bed as Abdullah Shafique (42 off 121 balls) and ul-Haq combined for a painstakingly slow 74-run opening stand.

Australia's pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood beat the bat on numerous occasions, but it was Nathan Lyon who finally struck the first blow in the 37th over. 

Shafique was the man to fall, charging down the pitch but only managing to glance Lyon to David Warner at slip.

Khawaja and Lyon.
Nathan Lyon (right) is congratulated by Usman Khawaja after moving closer to his 500th wicket. (Richard Wainwright/AAP PHOTOS)

That was Test wicket No.497 for Lyon, bringing him within touching distance of joining Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath as Australians to have cracked the 500 barrier. 

Starc claimed the key scalp of Pakistan skipper Shan Masood (30) just 13 minutes before stumps when Australia successfully reviewed a caught-behind appeal that had been initially turned down. 

The hosts had started the day at a dominant 5-346 courtesy of David Warner's 164 on Thursday.

That knock all but guaranteed Warner will make it to his planned Test farewell in Sydney in January.

Pakistan captain Shan Masood.
Pakistan captain Shan Masood started brightly but fell for 30 shortly before stumps on day two. (Richard Wainwright/AAP PHOTOS)

Jamal had boldly declared his team could bowl Australia out within an hour on Friday.

The 27-year-old had to wait 56 minutes before being chucked the ball on day two, and by that stage Australia had added 60 runs without loss.

Jamal's prophecy of snaring Australia's remaining five wickets within an hour may not have come to fruition, but he unleashed a 138km/h pearler with his sixth ball to rattle Alex Carey's off stump.

He collected his fourth wicket when another beauty of a delivery found the outside edge of Starc's bat and crashed into the stumps. 

Jamal roared in delight and kissed the Optus Stadium turf after dismissing Australia's captain for his fifth wicket. 

His haul marked the first time an overseas player had taken five wickets on debut in Australia since India's Abid Ali took 6-55 at Adelaide Oval in 1967.

MOST TEST WICKETS BY AN AUSTRALIAN

708 - Shane Warne

563 - Glenn McGrath

497 - Nathan Lyon*

355 - Dennis Lillee 

334 - Mitchell Starc*

313 - Mitchell Johnson 

(* denotes: still playing)

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