Twitter Reactions: Bowlers help Pakistan stay in the contest on Day 3

Day 3 of the second Test between Australia and Pakistan, at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), witnessed riveting action as both teams tried to wrestle the initiative in their favour.

Thanks to Mohammed Rizwan, Aamer Jamal, and Shaheen Afridi, Pakistan managed to add 70 runs to their overnight score and conceded a lead of only 54. It was important for the Pakistan new-ball bowlers to strike upfront and they did exactly that. Shaheen took a couple of wickets in his two-over burst before Lunch as Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne were sent packing. The second session started exactly how it ended for the tourists as Mir Hamza dismissed David Warner and Travis Head off consecutive deliveries.

Notably, the Aussies were reeling at 16/4, having a lead of just 70 runs. Steve Smith and Mitchell Marsh joined forces to resurrect the Aussie innings. The Pakistani pacers, who had their tails up, dished out several unplayable deliveries and were unfortunate to not make further inroads. Smith and Marsh rode their luck as the opposition bowlers were relentless in their pursuit of the fifth wicket.

Jamal was hit for three boundaries in an over by Marsh. However, in his following over, he got the all-rounder to nick one through to Abdullah Shafique at first slip. The Pakistani opener failed to take a regulation catch and Salman Ali Agha also couldn't grab it on the rebound. Marsh, who was only on 20 back then, went on to form a 153-run partnership alongside Smith.

Hamza broke the excellent fifth-wicket partnership thanks to a one-handed stunner from Salman to dismiss Marsh for 96. Smith didn't look at ease during his innings but he showed a lot of grit and determination to occupy the crease.

Pakistan opted to go for the short-ball ploy and they were rewarded almost immediately. Shaheen got the big wicket of Smith, who departed after playing a marathon innings of 50 off 176 balls, fending awkwardly to Salman at gully. This turned out to be the last ball on Day 3 of the ongoing second Test of the series. Currently, Australia finished the day with 187/6 on the board, with a lead of 241. Afridi and Hamza have bagged three wickets each thus far.

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