Lyon proves a handful in Australian win
Nathan Lyon and Steve O’Keefe spun Australia to a 220-run win over Pakistan in the SCG test, with Steve Smith’s side completing a 3-0 series sweep yesterday.
The tourists resumed at 55-1 on day five in Sydney, having been set a target of 465 following Smith’s declaration at 241-2 on day four.
Pakistan almost dragged the contest into yesterday’s final session but were eventually rolled for 244, with Lyon and O’Keefe turning the screws ahead of a four-test tour of India.
David Warner was named man of the match, having rewritten the record books with a pre-lunch ton on day one of the test, followed by a 23-ball half-century on day four. Skipper Smith earned man-of-theseries honours.
“I’m really proud of the way the boys have played in the last few weeks,” Smith said. “Nathan bowled particularly well in Melbourne to get us on that role on the final day and he backed it up here.”
Josh Hazlewood grabbed two wickets in his opening spell yesterday and returned with the second new ball to end the series by dismissing Imran Khan.
Lyon, whose status as the country’s top spinner was in immense doubt earlier this summer, finished the match with five wickets.
Lyon, who rediscovered his mojo by helping bowl Australia to victory in the Boxing Day test, started day five with a fantastic nine-over spell from the Randwick End. The highlight was his removal of first-innings centurymaker Younis Khan.
Younis, who finished 175 not out on Friday and was responsible for more than half of Pakistan’s firstinnings total, loomed as the batsman most likely to defy Australia.
The veteran skipped down the pitch to Lyon but skied an edge to Hazlewood instead of clearing the rope, falling 23 runs short of boosting his test career tally to 10,000.
Lyon held a swirling skied edge to
dismiss Pakistan captain Misbah-ulHaq, who was one of O’Keefe’s three victims yesterday.
“It was a tough series . . . they played far better than us,” Misbah said.
O’Keefe accounted for nightwatchman Yasir Shah, who showed admirable resistance in a 93-ball stay at the crease, and Wahab Riaz. The left-arm tweaker, likely to play a key role in next month’s India tour, also ran out Mohammad Amir.
Memories of Pakistan’s epic runchase in Brisbane, where they suffered a 39-run loss after threatening to haul in an imposing target of 490, would have been at the back of Smith’s mind in the morning session.
But Hazlewood, who has been Smith’s go-to man this summer, single-handedly grabbed the crucial scalp of opener Azhar Ali with his sixth delivery of the day.
Azhar, who produced a masterful double-ton in Melbourne and set a Pakistani record for most runs in a test series in Australia, attempted to clip a ball off his pads but instead offered Hazlewood a simple catch.
Hazlewood then needed just 10 balls at Babar Azam to trap the outof-form batsman lbw for the second time in the match.
It was Pakistan’s 12th straight test loss in Australia.