TOPIC:

BC, Perth will always be home, only a family catch up....but getting closer to that permanent move back home.

BH, I have never doubted Mitch's ability, just always said he needed to deliver a bit more on that ability, then what he has done so far. Touch wood he can, though, not  at the expense of Cam Green's  development. 

Hopefully Optus can deliver some fantastic test cricket memories for future generations, like the  WACA has done for test cricket loving generations of the past.

Another pretty piss poor batting display by the Aussie batsmen many of whom got a start but couldnt go on with only Marnus scoring a 50 but as I said from the Perth Test the Pakis have some decent fast bowlers with Mir Hamza the big left arm swing bowler and Hasan Ali both coming in and bowling well to support Shaheen Afridi & Aamir Jamal.
The Pakis currently batting very well in their first dig.
Surely the heat must go on Alex Carey soon as his batting has fallen away big time and he is not that great a wicketkeeper alone to support his cause, Josh Inglis must be given a shot soon.

And so much for Test Cricket being dead according to some learned types, with approximately 110,000 going through the gates so far 2 days in and we are only playing the Pakis!

Sadly BH, the "City of Sport" seems to be the only city interested in Test cricket, going off those attendance figures. Perth seem more interested in T20 and the Scorchers success.

Pakistan keep imploding when they seem to be getting on top. Though Cummins is a champ, irrespective of his political views and captaincy inadequacy. That delivery to Babar was a peach and so was that catch off his own bowling.

As for the batting, totally agree BH, Uzzie and Warner 36+ years old, Smith looks cooked to me, gets a start, but no longer able to go on. Labuschagne is pedestrian at times, whilst Head and Marsh are very much stand and deliver sorts....when it comes off it looks great....when it doesnt, it's a brain implosion. Though hard to change the team dynamics if they win.

AUS are 2/6 at lunch in the second dig, a lead of only 60.
Not sure why Marnus even felt compelled to play at the last ball before lunch which was down leg side but that is the modern day thinking for you......

Australia in a whole lot of trouble in their second dig - some poor shots really

And now Warner fails again in the second dig to make it 3 for f/all and a lead of only 70.
If only Lawrie Sawle or a similar ilk was still Chairman Of Selectors he would be dropping him for the Sydney Test as happened to Geoff Marsh back in 1991/92 for the 5th Test vs India at the WACA which would have been Marsh's swansong if he wasnt dropped instead!

Mitch Marsh might yet be the matchwinner - seems to be one of the few batsmen in the match reading it well

Sadly BH....one averaged 33 over 50 test matches, and the other 45 over 110 test matches....not sure Sawle's decision was an overly hard one.....though one was a good bloke and the other not so....Swampy deserved better....unfortunately his test average argued otherwise.

Good comeback by the Aussie side, .....Marsh so close to that MCG cigar.....Smith provided great support, but geez that last hour of play, just highlights Smith' is sadly just hanging on for dear life these days....where's Lawrie when you need him.

This has been an excellent test match. Credit to Pakistan for coming back from their Perth thrashing and making a real contest of the game. If they can take 4 cheap wickets tomorrow and be chasing around 260, they would still give themselves a chance of pulling off an upset. You have to wonder though about their selections for the Perth test, Where was Hazma, Hasan Ali and Rizwan? All these guys have come in and performed very well and you would have to say they were better than the guys they replaced.

Pakistan are a very promising young team and have been on top of Australia many times in this match but have let themselves down with some very ordinary periods of play where they have left the opposition get on top with poor fielding, loose bowling and poor shot selection. The 52 sundries in the first innings may end up being the difference in the game.

Apart from Marsh, Cummins and Lyon who have been outstanding, its been a pretty mediocre performance from the other 8 Australian guys, they seem to be feeding off the mistakes of the Pakistan team but it will probably be enough unless Barbar can play out of his skin.