It marked the third time that Starc dismissed Shafique in five innings on the ongoing tour.
Mitchell Starc once again showcased his prowess with the new ball by dismissing Pakistan’s Abdullah Shafique during the final session on Day 3 at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Following a batting collapse by the Aussies earlier in the day, resulting in a slim 14-run lead for Pakistan, the home team relied on Starc to make an early breakthrough.
Although Starc struggled with control at the start, he managed to master the swing in the final delivery of the first over. The fullish delivery swung sharply into the right-handed opener and nipped back in after pitching. Despite Shafique’s defensive attempt, the ball found its way between the bat and pad, shattering the stumps.
This marked the third occasion on the ongoing tour that Starc had dismissed Shafique in the five innings, having previously achieved this in Perth and Melbourne.
Throughout the series, Shafique has accumulated 110 runs in five innings at an average of 22. Meanwhile, Starc has been a key performer for Australia, claiming 12 wickets in the series, with a best of 4-55 in the second innings of the Boxing Day Test.
Josh Hazlewood struck off the very first ball of his spell to dismiss Pakistan skipper Shan Masood for a golden duck.
Hazlewood continued to inflict misery on Pakistan as he finished the day with 4 wickets to dismantle the Pakistan lineup as the visitors went seven down and are in a precarious position with a trivial lead of 82 runs at the end of Day 3. Pakistan are already 0-2 down in the three-match series and there looks high chances of the Men in Green suffering a whitewash.
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PEACH! 🍑
Mitch Starc does it again! pic.twitter.com/9OQ1bTeO1G
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 5, 2024
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