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First Test day three as it happened: Smith and Khawaja build up Australia’s lead

Jonathan Drennan

Updated December 16, 2023 — 9:01pm,first published 12:36pm

Key Posts

Watch: Marsh dismisses Babar

Wicket: Sarfaraz dismissed by Starc

Wicket: Ul-Haq dismissed by Lyon

Wicket: Babar out

Your view: When will Lyon get his 500th wicket?

9.01pm on Dec 16, 2023

Until tomorrow

It was an intriguing day of cricket with a number of sub plots.

Pakistan were looking like they could build a strong innings early, but the wicket of Babar and ul-Haq proved crucial.

Lyon livened up the crowd in his pursuit of 500 wickets, but the normally extremely popular Head spoiled the party Perth with the last wicket. There should be plenty of time tomorrow for the offspinner to have a chance to hit the milestone and it should encourage punters to get into the ground.

Cummins could have forced the follow on, but unsurprisingly elected to bat. Warner fell for a duck and Labuschagne left early after only 16 runs.

Smith copped to an Afridi ball directly into his arm late in the day, but batted on to finish the day with Khawaja, they look poised to increase Australia’s lead even further.

8.53pm on Dec 16, 2023

Stumps: Smith and Khawaja ready for a big Sunday

Khawaja plays it very safe with forward defensives to end the over and it’s stumps.

Smith and Khawaja have built a solid partnership that will give Australia a great platform tomorrow to build up a very strong lead.

Pakistan had a brilliant start with the bowl with Warner and Labuschagne falling very early in the second innings, but things have slowed up considerably since then.

Australia: 84/2 (Smith 43* Khawaja 34*) lead by 300 runs.

8.45pm on Dec 16, 2023

Smith cops ball on his arm

Nasty one.

Smith cops a ball right on the arm from an Afridi ball.

It’s hard to see whether his small arm guard gives him much protection, there’s going to be a serious bruise there tomorrow.

Not long to go until stumps and hopefully Smith is ok to go.

It’s been a long day in the sun.

8.35pm on Dec 16, 2023

Khawaja on Labuschagne’s knock to the finger

8.33pm on Dec 16, 2023

Smith hits six

Going, going, gone..

Smith just about clears a stretching Imam-up-Haq at deep fine leg for six, if he’d been a little closer to the boundary it was a clean catch, but the ball just clears his fingertips.

Australia: 75/2 (Smith 40* Khawaja 30*) lead by 292 runs.

8.16pm on Dec 16, 2023

Khawaja brings up the partnership to 50

Nice boundary from Khawaja, who was nimble on his feet and perhaps a little lucky with the ball catching his outside edge.

Brings up the 50 for the partnership that has brought some much needed stability, creating the perfect foundation for tomorrow.

Steve Smith plays a shot during day threeGetty

Australia: 63/2 (Smith 30* Khawaja 28*) lead by 279 runs.

8.12pm on Dec 16, 2023

Crowd today in Perth

According to Dan Brettig on the ground for us today, the crowd in Perth today is 15,956 (minus all the club cricketers forced to play today)

The total after three days is 49,881 - already a record attendance for a Perth Test featuring Pakistan.

Australia: 53/2 (Smith 25* Khawaja 18*) lead by 264 runs.

7.52pm on Dec 16, 2023

Smith finds four with an edge

Not a great delivery from Shahzad and Smith gets an edge for four.

You feel the life has gone out of this sparse crowd, there was a bit of a buzz when Lyon was on for 500 wickets, and hopefully there will be lots in tomorrow to him have another crack.