(AP) — Left-arm spinner Nauman Ali took a career-best 6-107 on a benign wicket to give the hosts a slender 17-run first-innings lead Tuesday as Australia’s first test in Pakistan since 1998 headed toward a draw.
Pakistan had swiftly moved to 76-0 at lunch on Day 5 in its second innings for an overall lead of 93 runs after dismissing Australia for 459 inside the first four overs of the morning.
The 35-year-old Nauman, playing in his eighth test match, picked up two of the last three wickets after Australia resumed on 449-7. The tailenders added only 10 runs off 19 balls as Nauman bettered his previous best figures of 5-35, which he took on debut against South Africa last year.
Imam-ul-Haq (40) and Abdullah Shafique (33), who shared a century opening stand in Pakistan’s first innings of 476-4 declared, continued to prosper on a batting-oriented wicket.The grassless wicket at Pindi Cricket Stadium hasn’t worn out and only 14 wickets have fallen so far in the 12 sessions.
With the pitch offering no assistance to fast bowlers, Australia brought on veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon in the sixth over after giving a short spell of two overs to Josh Hazlewood. Skipper Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc each bowled four-over spells before part-time spinner Marnus Labuschagne bowled in tandem with Lyon during the last half hour.Australia went for an unsuccessful referral for lbw against Shafiq on leg-spinner Labuschagne’s fourth delivery, but TV replays suggested the ball had struck the right-hander’s pads outside the line of off stump when he attempted a sweep.
Earlier, Nauman dismissed Cummins (8) in his first over when the Australia captain played a lose drive and was caught in the covers. Fast bowler Shaheen Afridi (2-88) then had Starc (13) lbw off a full pitched delivery before Nauman wrapped up the innings when Lyon (3) was adjudged lbw attempting a sweep shot.
