Australia vs Pakistan: Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith steer hosts to second-Test lead as lift-trapped umpire delays play

Australia rallied from a shaky start in the second innings to build a 241-run lead over Pakistan in their second Test.

In the second innings Australia lost its first four wickets for just 16 runs but a 153-run stand between Steve Smith and Mitchell Marsh has the hosts in a good position with two days to play.

Marsh scored 96 in his 153-run partnership with Smith, steering Australia to a lead of 241 over Pakistan at the end of the third day of the second test on Thursday.

Image: Marsh just fell short of a century

Having dismissed the tourists for 264 in the opening session, Australia slumped to 16-4 as Pakistan’s seamers produced their best spell of bowling in the series to bring the tourists right back into the game.

Marsh, though, was dropped in the slips by Abdullah Shafique on 20 and went on to fall agonisingly short of his fourth Test century, steadying the ship with Smith and helping Australia to 187-6 at stumps.

“To get a Test-match 100 would have been nice but ultimately I just wanted to extend that partnership as long as possible,” Marsh said.

“Our bowlers can bat and we’ve got a lot of faith in them and if we can sneak another 60 for a 300 lead in the fourth innings, it’ll be a great couple of days.”

Smith was dismissed for 50 with the final ball of the day, and Alex Carey (16 not out) will resume with a new partner on Friday, looking to extend the lead and lay the platform for a victory that would seal the series with a Test to spare.

Pakistan had blown a strong position on day two and even stiff tail-end resistance from Mohammad Rizwan (42), Aamer Jamal (33) and Shaheen Afridi (21) on Thursday morning did not inspire much confidence they could turn the match around.

Australia captain Pat Cummins (5-48) completed his 10th five-wicket haul to end the Pakistan innings three overs before lunch and hand his side a first-innings lead of 54.

Afridi (3-58) quickly made it appear extremely slender as he led a spellbinding display of swing and seam bowling from the Pakistan attack.

The seamer induced Usman Khawaja into an edge with the second delivery of the innings to send the Australia opener back for a duck and removed Marnus Labuschagne caught behind for four with the last ball before the break.

Australia went into lunch on 6-2 but the worst was not over for the home batsmen.

David Warner, playing his final Test innings at Melbourne Cricket Ground, edged a Mir Hamza delivery onto his own stumps and departed shaking his head with six runs to his name.

Image: Steve Smith scored a half-century

With the next ball, Hamza next produced the delivery of the match so far, which nipped in and went straight through Travis Head’s defences to shatter the Australian’s stumps.

All-rounder Marsh watched Hamza’s hat-trick ball sail well wide of his off stump and set about rebuilding Australia’s innings with former captain Smith playing a supporting role.

Marsh rode his luck when Shafique dropped a standard slip catch – as the fielder had with Warner in the first innings – but there were few chances after that, until Hamza produced another peach and Agha Salman a fine catch at first slip.

It was the second time Marsh had fallen just short of a century in the series after he was dismissed for 90 during Australia’s 360-run victory in the first Test in his home city of Perth.

Unexpected delay

Play was briefly held up after third umpire Richard Illingworth got stuck in a lift at the MCG.

Players returned to the field after the second day’s lunch break but on-field umpires Joel Wilson and Michael Gough would not allow action to resume with Illingworth not in his position in the grandstand.

“The game is delayed because the third umpire … is stuck in the lift,” Cricket Australia posted on social media platform X.

Image: Umpire Richard Illingworth got stuck in a lift

After several minutes, fourth umpire Phil Gillespie occupied the third umpire’s box so play could resume and Illingworth eventually appeared and looked amused as he waved at the camera.

“We were having a bit of a chat … and the doors open and then close and then didn’t move again,” sports commentator Mel McLaughlin, who was trapped in the lift with Illingworth and a few others, said afterwards.

“We’re all just trying to keep things calm and keep Richard talking and being entertained because we knew he was a little bit distracted and knew he had to get out there.

“He ran quite quickly straight upstairs.”