It was Australia’s day yet again in Karachi, and they now look odds on to win the second Test match.
They resumed their first Innings on Monday morning on 505/8, with Mitchell Starc unbeaten on 28, while his captain Pat Cummins was yet to score.
Although the temptation must have been to declare overnight, Cummins decided to bat on for another hour on Monday morning, perhaps looking to tire the Pakistanis even further.
Starc fell almost immediately for 28, caught by Azhar Ali off Shaheen Shah Afridi, but Cummins and debutant Mitchell Swepson added further runs. Then Cummins decided enough was enough and declared on 556/9. He was 34 at that stage and Swepson 15.
What Pakistan did not want was to lose early wickets, but that was exactly what happened when Swepson ran out Abdullah Shafique for 13.
Imam-ul-Haq had scored back to back centuries in Rawalpindi, but there was to be no repeat this time. He was caught by Cummins off Nathan Lyon for 20.
Then they suffered a major setback, losing two wickets in successive balls to Cummins. Azhar Ali was caught by Cam Green for 14, and Fawad Alam leg before for a first ball duck.
Pakistan slumped to 60/4. Things quickly became worse when Cummins had Mohammad Rizwan caught behind for six. Starc then claimed his third wicket when he had Sajid Khan caught behind.
Pakistan’ s cause was not helped when Hasan Ali was run out without scoring. Swepson then claimed his maiden Test wicket, having Babar Azam caught for 36.
The last wicket pair of Nauman Ali and Afridi briefly delayed things with a stand of 30. Then Afridi was leg before to Swepson for 19, leaving Nauman high and dry on 20 not out. Pakistan were bowled out for 148 in 53 overs. Starc took 3-29 and Swepson 2-32.
Leading by 408, perhaps surprisingly, Australia decided not to enforce the follow on, instead choosing to bat again.
Although they lost David Warner early, caught off Hassan Ali for 7, Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne combined to keep the scoreboard moving. They had reached 81/1 at stumps, with on Khawaja 35 and Labuschagne on 37.
With Australia now leading by 489, it is now a question of when they will declare on Tuesday, with victory seemingly in their grasp.
Australia 556/9 decl. (Usman Khawaja 160; Faheem Ashraf 2-55) and 81/1 (Marnus Labuschagne 37*; Hasan Ali 1-14) lead Pakistan 148 (Babar Azam 36; Mitchell Starc 3 – 29) by 489 runs.