Australia thrash Pakistan by 360 runs as Lyon passes 500 Test wickets

PERTH (Agencies): Nathan Lyon took his 500th Test wicket on Sunday as Australia dismissed a rattled Pakistan for just 89 to post a thumping 360-run win in the opening Test at Perth. Pakistan’s bid to win a first Test in Australia since 1995 was left in tatters by spin king Lyon and the home side’s formidable pace attack, who wrapped up the game inside four days. The hosts resumed day four on 84-2, with the declaration coming soon after lunch when opener Usman Khawaja was out for 90. Mitchell Marsh was unbeaten on 63 when skipper Pat Cummins made the call with Khurram Shahzad the best of the bowlers with 3-45. Earlier, Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Marsh steered Australia to an ominous lead. Khawaja was unbeaten on a fighting 68, with Marsh not out 42, in a partnership worth 79.

Opener Khawaja began on 34 and Steve Smith 43 after the hosts bowled out Pakistan for 271 on the cusp of tea Saturday, well short of Australia’s first innings total of 487. But on a deteriorating pitch with cracks appearing, it was hard going early on Sunday, with pace bowlers beating the bat and causing problems. Impressive debutant Khurram Shahzad got a breakthrough in the fourth over of the day, trapping Smith lbw for 45 with a ball that nipped back. Smith reviewed but replays showed it clipping the top of the bails with the Australian veteran shaking his head and muttering to himself as he trudged off. Enter the aggressive Travis Head, who stroked a straight drive boundary off the second ball he faced to signal his intent. But he lived dangerously and a misjudged drive off Aamer Jamal went straight to Imam-ul-Haq at cover, out for 14. Both Marsh and Khawaja survived reviews in the same eventful Jamal over as Pakistan ratcheted up the pressure. Marsh hit sixes off Jamal then spinner Agha Salman to keep the scoreboard moving, before a huge escape on 23 when skipper Shan Masood dropped a sitter at mid-off.

SCOREBOARD

AUSTRALIA 1ST INNINGS 487

PAKISTAN 1ST INNINGS 271

AUSTRALIA 2ND INNINGS 233-5 dec

PAKISTAN 2ND INNINGS (target 450 runs)

Abdullah Shafique c Carey b Starc    2

Imam-ul-Haq lbw b Starc       10

Shan Masood c Carey b Hazlewood  2

Babar Azam c Carey b Cummins       14

Saud Shakeel lbw b Hazlewood         24

Sarfaraz Ahmed c Marsh b Starc        4

Agha Salman run out  5

Faheem Ashraf lbw b Lyon    5

Aamer Jamal b Lyon  0

Shaheen Shah Afridi   not out 3

Khurram Shahzad c Warner b Hazlewood     0

EXTRAS (B 10, LB 10)         20

TOTAL (30.2 overs) 89

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-2, 2-17, 3-19, 4-48, 5-56, 6-63, 7-79, 8-83, 9-89, 10-89

BOWLING

Mitchell Starc 9-2-31-3

Josh Hazlewood          7.2-2-13-3

Pat Cummins   6-1-11-1

Nathan Lyon   8-2-14-2

Umpires: Joel Wilson, Richard Illingworth

TV umpire: Michael Gough

Match referee: Javagal Srinath