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Australia v Pakistan live cricket: Brisbane Test, day five

James Buckley

Australia completed a remarkable win over Pakistan in the first Test.

Possibly the wrong choice: Steve Smith leads his men off the field and the end of the extended half hour of play on day four.
Possibly the wrong choice: Steve Smith leads his men off the field and the end of the extended half hour of play on day four. Photo: Getty Images

Phew! What a first Test that was between Australia and Pakistan at the Gabba. After two days it looked as a complete no contest, but Pakistan fought back and fell just 39 runs short of reeling in a seemingly impossible 490 runs in the fourth innings of the match. Steve Smith has defended his decision not to enforce the follow on, and the selectors have a bit to think about in regards to Nic Maddinson's place in the team for the Boxing Day Test. For the fans, all of a sudden there's plenty to look forward to for Boxing Day, and if Pakistan can bring the fight they showed in days four and five of this Test, they looks more than capable of winning at the MCG. Until then though we shall bid you farewell. Thanks for joining us, and we'll see you at the MCG.

Steve Smith says Australia is still not the finished product, says the team needs to be more ruthless - "Things got a little too close for my liking."

Smith says umpire Ian Gould was the man behind the decision to stay out there for an extra eight overs last night. The Australian captain says he'd have preferred to come off.

Geez Steve Smith looks relieved in this press conference. Slightly less tense than he was an hour ago when Pakistan was still eight down with less than 50 runs to get. Smith admits once Pakistan made it to within 60 runs to win, he started to think the visitors were a serious chance to win the Test.

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Just waiting for the Steve Smith press conference to start, no doubt he'll face a few tricky questions...

So tell me...if you were a selector, what do you do about Nic Maddinson? Australia won, but Maddinson failed for the second time in two Tests, although his second innings in particular wasn't helped by the game situation. Given the Aussies managed to hang on, surely that means he'll keep his place but who knows.

It's tough down under for Pakistan, to get that close in such impossible circumstances must give them confidence ahead of Boxing Day.

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How have you found the commentary of Waqar Younis this Test match? Personally I think he's been an excellent addition. Something tells me Waqar would've been unplayable with the pink ball...

Steve Smith heaps the praise on Pakistan, but also applauds the effort from his bowlers - they certainly managed a lot of overs. Smith says he made the right decision not enforcing the follow on, said it was important to give his bowlers the chance for an extra rest. Hats off to him for sticking to his guns...what do you think? Should he have sent Pakistan straight back in?

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Pakistan captain Misbah Ul-Haq says he's still happy and proud, despite falling just short of completing the most remarkable run chase in Test history. Also says he never stopped believing his side was capable of winning this game. Had one or two more Pakistan batsmen fired in that first innings, they could well have won this game. 

Asad Shafiq given the player of the match, and rightly so after crafting a brilliant 137 in that Pakistan second innings. He took an unwinnable situation into the realms of possibility before falling just short thanks to a superb ball from Mitchell Starc.

Onto the Aussie batsmen, and Steve Smith led the way with the willow again, scoring 130 in the first innings and 63 in the second. Peter Handscomb scored a maiden Test hundred while Usman Khawaja made a handy 74 in the second innings.

Huge effort by the Aussie quicks in that one, particularly Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood who bowled 56 overs apiece throughout that Test match. Starc finished with seven wickets for the match while Hazlewood had the three he took in the first innings before toiling without luck in the second dig to go wicketless. Jackson Bird picked up three in each innings to finish with six for the match while Nathan Lyon managed two.

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