Talking points from day two of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG

Azhar Ali scored a century as Pakistan made it to 6/310 when play was abandoned due to poor weather.

Here are the talking points from day two at the MCG.

LAWRY BURNS WARNE

Bill Lawry only joins the Channel Nine commentary box for one Test match each summer these days.

The former Australian captain turned iconic caller is always a welcome addition to the Boxing Day Test and he didn’t take long on day two to remind us all why.

Behind the microphone with Shane Warne in the opening session, Lawry was quick to remind the Spin King about a dropped catch that cost ex-teammate Damien Fleming a hat-trick against India in 1999.

The 79-year-old roasted the legendary leggie, taking great joy in reliving the vision and narrating it for everyone at home. He couldn’t stop laughing.

Have a listen in the video below.

“The only winner was the St Kilda football club,” Lawry added, referring to Warne’s once promising career path as an AFL player.

HAZLEWOOD BIDES HIS TIME

Josh Hazlewood has 99 Test wickets, but he certainly deserves to be on three figures by now.

The towering quick has been fantastic for Australia this summer. He took 17 wickets in three Tests against South Africa and three in the first match against Pakistan at the Gabba. He’s got two scalps so far in Melbourne, but could so easily have more.

He’s conceded just 33 runs in 26 overs at the miserly economy rate of 1.26 runs per over. Amazingly, the visitors have only scored one boundary off him in two days.

He’s bowled without luck at the MCG, as he did in the second innings in Brisbane when he went wicket-less. He’s bowled fuller than his natural length for the most part, and has had plenty of LBW shouts with balls that nip back off the seam to the right-hander.

He’s also found away swing at times, which is how he has got both his wickets in this match. Babar Azam and Sarfraz Ahmed were caught in the slips after outside edging balls that moved away just enough.

When the ball hasn’t been moving, he’s brought his length back a touch and varied his angles on the crease, looking to keep the batsmen guessing any way he can.

His luck will turn.

PAKISTAN’S BATSMEN SHOW BRISBANE WAS NO FLUKE

After a horrible first innings in Brisbane where Australia rolled Pakistan for just 142, plenty would have been expecting a one-sided affair this series.

But an admirable second innings fightback saw the visitors almost snatch a thrilling victory as they finished 39 runs in arrears of the home side, scoring a fourth innings ground-record 450.

Asad Shafiq led the way on that occasion with 137, but in Melbourne, Azhar Ali has taken it upon himself to keep the Aussie attack at bay.

The 31-year-old posted his 12th Test century at the MCG and has now been out in the middle for every ball of the match. He was intent on defence on day one and again at the start on day two, but later expanded his shot making and upped his strike rate.

Initially there was concern he was getting bogged down and not rotating the strike enough, but he showed great determination and belief in his own ability to grind out the tough periods and flourish when he’d become used to the conditions.

It was Test match batting at its best. He’d clearly learnt from watching Shafiq bat at the Gabba, and the pair fed off each other as they put on 115 for the fifth wicket.

Shafiq dealt mainly in ones and twos, hitting just four boundaries in his even 50. Perhaps the fast, bouncy Australian pitches won’t be as difficult for the Pakistanis to handle as we initially thought.

WARNIE FLUMMOXED: ‘THIS IS WEIRD’

A bizarre finish to the opening session left Shane Warne wondering if Australian skipper Steve Smith had pulled a fast one on match umpire Ian Gould.

Smith entered into a conversation with Gould with 10 minutes remaining in the session — and very light rain falling at the MCG.

Warne’s take was the host captain wanted an early lunch break because Australia was due to take the new ball and Smith didn’t want it ruined by two overs on a slightly wet ground.

Smith had opted not to take the new ball when it was first available, asking Jackson Bird to bowl the 81st over with the old ball.

“I think they’re missing an opportunity here,” said Warne, in commentary for Channel Nine. “They’ve looked good Pakistan, so what a time to take it now ... I’m surprised Steve Smith hasn’t taken it.”

But Smith’s reasoning appeared to become clearer after his engagement with Gould, who Warne and co-commentator Mark Taylor believed was wrong to cede to the player’s request.

“This is weird ... why are they going off?” Warne said. “This rain is not strong enough, it’s just spitting.”

“If he has (pulled a fast one on Gould), he’s done very well,” Taylor said. “Because I haven’t read in the rules of cricket anywhere the captain can request an early lunch.

“At the end of the day it’s not the end of the world, but I’m not really sure why they came off.”

Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur appeared upset at the decision to deny his team the opportunity to add more runs in batsmen-friendly conditions. He walked on to the field and held a brief discussion with the umpires.

It was a strange punctuation mark to a morning session that was dominated by Pakistan batsman Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq. The duo added 90 runs without loss to put the visitors in a strong position at the lunch break.

SCOREBOARD BLOOPER: ‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING?’

The nervous nineties became frighteningly real for Pakistan batsman Azhar Ali after a blooper by the electronic scoreboard operator at the MCG.

Azhar was forced to dive to make his ground at the nonstriker’s end after a drive down the ground from partner Asad Shafiq — and it was close enough to warrant a review by the third umpire.

Replays showed Azhar was safely home, but his heart was in his mouth for a moment when the scoreboard incorrectly declared him out.

“Change that to not out, quick,” Nine commentator Michael Slater said. “Only two buttons to press, he got the wrong one.”

“What are you doing?” added co-commentator Waqar Younis.

SMITH’S ‘STRANGE’ TACTICS QUESTIONED

Steve Smith’s tendency to revert to a defensive field has again be questioned by a pair of cricket greats.

The young Australian captain was criticised for his tactics on day five of the first Test against Pakistan, when he was prepared to concede singles to the established batsman instead of attacking as Australia chased wickets in the opening overs.

Channel Nine commentators Bill Lawry and Shane Warne have repeated the chorus on day two in Melbourne after Smith removed a slip to add an extra fielder in the cover region following a pair of drives from Pakistan duo Azhar Ali and Asah Shafiq.

“Steve Smith is taking a slip out. That’s a little bit strange. Now there’s an extra fielder at cover,” Lawry said.

“I hope Mitchell Starc doesn’t get discouraged by that,” Warne added. “That’s exactly what you want the batsman doing ... don’t be afraid of being driven at the MCG.”

Originally published as Lawry’s sledges shame Warnie