December 28, 2023
Pakistan’s pacer Hasan Ali, known for his vibrant and lively nature, led the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) crowd to synchronised dance during the third day of the second Test against Australia.
The video of Ali’s on-field dance moves near the boundary being copied by the MCG crowd went viral.
The right-arm quick made the occasion unforgettable by showcasing his dancing skill, infusing the stands with energy and generating a lively atmosphere.
The thrilled crowd in Melbourne cheered and applauded Ali’s dancing skills. He then thanked the fans by clapping to them and the crowd’s response was no different.
Day two belonged to Pakistani pacers courtesy of Shaheen Afridi and Mir Hamza’s heroics with the ball which helped the visitors take control of the match.
Hamza had taken the wicket of Mitchell Marsh, who was just four runs shy of a century, and just minutes later, Hasan decided to enjoy Pakistan’s dominance and celebrated with the crowd.
Day three ended with Australia batting at 187-6 with a lead of 241 runs.
After the initial setbacks, Australia recovered to reach 187-6 at stumps with a lead of 241 runs.
Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith's 153-run partnership brought Australia back into the game after they were reduced to 16-4, on a pitch that was assisting the bowlers.
Marsh, who was dropped on 20 by Abdullah Shafique, scored 96 runs in 130 balls with the help of 13 fours.
Salman Ali Agha took a sensational catch at first slip as Marsh was dismissed by Mir Hamza. He dived low to his right and completed a one-handed catch to end Marsh’s game-changing knock.
Meanwhile, Smith was dismissed on the final ball of the day by Shaheen Afridi after scoring 50 runs.
Resuming at 6-2 after lunch, Mir Hamza took two wickets in as many balls to rattle the home side. David Warner (6) chopped one onto the stumps, meanwhile Travis Head (0) was bowled by a sharp inswinger.
Earlier on day three, the visitors were dismissed for 264 in their first innings in reply to Australia's 318.
Cummins ended with 5-48, while Nathan Lyon grabbed 4-73 after Pakistan's tail wagged in Melbourne to narrow the hosts' first-innings lead to 54.
It left the Australians with a tricky 15 minutes of the morning session to negotiate, which they failed to do miserably as they slumped to 6-2 at lunch.
Khawaja was out for a duck second ball, caught behind by Mohammad Rizwan off Shaheen Shah Afridi.