Sports News | Australia Get Quick Wicket as Pakistan Chase Record 317 to Win Second Cricket Test

Melbourne, Dec 29 (AP) Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc dismissed opener Abdullah Shafique quickly in Pakistan's record chase of 317 on the fourth day of the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.

Pakistan went to lunch at 25-1 after having to bat for nine overs before the break. Starc had Shafique (4) edging to Usman Khawaja at third slip, continuing Shafique's difficult Test match after he dropped simple catches in each of Australia's innings.

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Australia was out for 262 in its second innings after losing 4-75 during the morning. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey (53) helped push Australia's lead over the crucial 300-mark with his highest score since the first test of the Ashes in June.

Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi (4-76) made a return to form with his best figures of the series, while fellow left-armer Mir Hamza added 4-32.

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Pakistan, which has lost 15 successive tests in Australia, will need to create history to avoid going down 2-0 in the series. The last team to score more than 300 in the fourth innings of a MCG Test was Pakistan while losing in 1990.

Australia won the first Test in Perth by 360 runs.

The third Test in the three-match series is scheduled to begin Jan. 3 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where Pakistan won its last Test in Australia in 1995. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)