"Please thodi easy bowling karo"- Top 10 funny memes from Day 2 of Boxing Day Test between Pakistan and Australia
Pakistan managed to get to 194/6 in their first innings at Stumps one day 2 of the 2nd Test against Australia on Wednesday (December 27) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Australia resumed the day with an overnight score of 187/3 in the morning. Shaheen Afridi (2/85) dismissed dangerous Travis Head (17) early to set the tone for Pakistan.
Aamer Jamal (3/64), Mir Hamza (2/51), and Hasan Ali (2/61) also joined in and put on a collective effort to restrict Australia to 318 in the first innings. Mitchell Marsh (41) played a handy knock for the hosts but could not convert his start.
Pakistan then got off to a slow start as both openers Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq played defensively against a high-quality Australian attack in bowler-friendly conditions. Imam could not kick on after a sluggish start, but Abdullah Shafique hit a fluent half-century and strung along a good partnership with Shan Masood (54).
Australian skipper Pat Cummins broke their partnership in the 35th over by dismissing Shafique and opening up the floodgates for his side. Things went downhill for Pakistan from there as their middle order collapsed like a pack of cards.
They found themselves at 170/6, facing the threat of conceding a considerable lead to the hosts. Mohammad Rizwan (29*) kept their hopes afloat with a promising knock and remained unbeaten at the end.
Fans enjoyed the engrossing action on the second day of the Boxing Day and expressed their reactions on social media. Here are some of the best memes:
"I think we did a good job as a bowling unit compared to the first test"- Pakistan opener Abdullah Shafique
Speaking at the press conference after Day 2, Abdullah Shafique opined that the Pakistan bowlers put up an improved performance in this Test. He was quoted as saying by cricketpakistan.com.pk:
"I think we did a good job as a bowling unit compared to the first test. We bowled well here. Our plan is to bowl in good areas. Batting becomes a struggle when the bowler is hitting a good length and line.
Reflecting on their batting effort, Shafique added:
"Everyone is trying their best and putting in 100% effort. We are prepared on our end, but unfortunately, sometimes you don't deliver on the day. It happens. Test cricket is not that easy. Sometimes things go against you. For example, Babar Azam is our best batter, and the type of form we see him displaying in the nets indicates he is in a good rhythm. We expect to see him scoring runs."
On the road ahead, he continued:
"Unfortunately, we lost wickets, but there is still a partnership in the middle. We will try to get as close to Australia's total as possible."
Who do you think has the upper hand in the match after two days of play? Let us know your views in the comments section below.