The stage is set for David Warner to hit the winning runs in his final Test match innings, but Australia still need three wickets first on day four in their bid for a series whitewash.
Pakistan will resume day four on 7-68 with a lead of 82 runs after Josh Hazlewood ripped through their middle order with a three wicket maiden late on day three.
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Hazlewood finished the day with the brilliant figures of 4-9 from five overs at an economy rate of 1.8, including two maidens.
Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Travis Head all grabbed a wicket and with Pat Cummins they will be hoping to mop up the tail.
However, given how their batters struggled against Pakistan hero Aamir Jamal late on day three, Australia can’t afford to get ahead of themselves.
Jamal turned the Test with his 82 in the first innings and will need another big score in the second dig after his brilliant bowling figures of 6-69 in Australia’s first innings.
Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey knows Australia can’t afford to get complacent.
“I’m not sure it’s changed a lot for the quicks,” Carey said of the pitch conditions.
“I think we’ve seen up and down bounce throughout the game. Spin footmarks are growing and Nathan [Lyon] is getting a bit more bite than the first innings. It’s going to be a tough contest.
“And it’s proven that if you get in there’s opportunities to score runs. But also it’s a tough one to start on. So there’s enough there for both bat and ball and behind the stumps it’s been quite tricky to get the right depth.”
Hazlewood takes 3 in the final over! | 00:59
Carey refused to get swept up in the fairytale of Warner hitting the winning runs.
“The job’s not done,” Carey said.
“We’ve got to come back tomorrow, we saw Rizwan and Jamal put on 80-odd each in that first innings so we have to come out tomorrow and be on our game and then if we do get a chance to bat tomorrow it’s not going to be an easy chase, we’ve seen the wicket play some tricks and in an ideal world it’ll definitely be Davey hitting the winning runs.”
The weather may also play a part on day four with rain expected.
The BOM stated: “Cloudy. Slight chance of a brief shower in the morning. Light winds becoming easterly 15 to 20 km/h in the early afternoon then becoming light in the evening.”
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