India moved up to the top spot of the World Test Championship (WTC) points table after Pakistan slumped to a 360-run loss against Australia in the first Test match in Perth on Sunday. Following the result, India and Pakistan are joint top of the table with a similar PCT (percentage of points) of 66.67 per cent. Pakistan went into the game with a perfect 100 per cent PCT but the loss meant that although they have 24 points, they share the top spot in the table with India who have 16 points after 2 matches. Pakistan have won two and lost one game in the World Test Championship till now while India have won one and drawn one Test match.
Nathan Lyon took his 500th Test wicket Sunday as Australia dismissed a rattled Pakistan for just 89 to post a thumping 360-run win in the opening Test at Perth.
Pakistan’s unlikely bid to win their first Test in Australia since 1995 was left in tatters by the spin king and the home side’s formidable pace attack, who wrapped up the game inside four days.
ICC World Test Championship Points Table
Chasing 450 for victory, the visitors succumbed meekly with Lyon taking 2-18. Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood both grabbed three wickets each.
After being left stranded on 499 after Pakistan’s first innings, Lyon finally reached the milestone when he trapped Faheem Ashraf lbw but there was an agonising wait as it went to review.
He then bowled Aamer Jamal in the same over, joining an elite club of just seven other players, including fellow spinners Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka and Australia’s Shane Warne.
Australia declared on day four at 233-5 after Pakistan were dismissed for 271 in their first innings, in reply to the hosts’ 487.
Skipper Pat Cummins made the call after opener Usman Khawaja was out for a gutsy 90 on a deteriorating pitch after a 126-run partnership with Mitchell Marsh.
Marsh remained unbeaten on 63 after Pakistan had removed Steve Smith and Travis Head early in the day to give themselves hope, which quickly evaporated.
Facing a daunting chase, they got off to a horror start with Abdullah Shafique out for two in the first over, nicking an unplayable Starc ball to Alex Carey behind the stumps.
Captain Shan Masood, in his first Test in charge, did not last much longer, edging to Carey off Hazlewood to leave his team in dire straits at 17-2.
Starc also accounted for Imam-ul-Haq, trapping him lbw for 10, before Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel put up some resistance.
But that crumbled when Azam got an edge to Cummins on 14, with Carey again collecting.
When they returned from tea, Sarfaraz Ahmed lasted just six balls before he was caught by Marsh at gully off Starc, and Agha Salman was needlessly run out.
Lyon then worked his magic before Hazlewood cleaned up the tail.
(With AFP inputs)
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