Cummins, Starc spark Pakistan batting collapse

• Sensational bowling by the visitors put the home team under pressureAustralian fast bowling pair of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc carved through the Pakistan batting late yesterday, sharing nine wickets between them to hand the touring side a first-innings lead of 123 in the deciding third and final test.Captain Cummins bowled an impeccable line and length to pick up his seventh five-wicket haul in Tests while Starc spewed fire with his pace and reverse swing to take four as Pakistan were all out for 268, replying to Australia’s total of 391.The hosts lost their last seven wickets for 20 runs in a dramatic collapse in the final session of the third day at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.Australia openers Usman Khawaja and David Warner managed to see through three overs before stumps to take their side to 11-0, extending the lead to 134 overall.“It’s all a bit of a blur the last couple of hours,” Cummins told the broadcaster.“We’ll sit back and bat tomorrow. A lot like last game, we’ve given ourselves a good opportunity here, really in front of the game, so hopefully bat well and then try to take those last 10 wickets.”With Pakistan appearing comfortable at 248-3, left-armer Starc triggered the collapse with a double strike to remove Fawad Alam and wicketkeeper Mohamed Rizwan and then also picked up the prized wicket of Pakistan captain Babar Azam for 67. Cummins, who had taken the only wicket to fall on Tuesday, ran through the lower order to leave the sparse crowd stunned in silence. The collapse looked even more unbelievable after Abdullah Shafique and Azhar Ali struck resolute half-centuries, leaving Australia wicketless in the first session, to set up a good platform for Pakistan to post a sizeable total. “I think we have to give credit to them. We always knew how good they are, especially Starc when it comes to reverse swing. Cummins is an all-round good bowler, he’s a top bowler in the world right now,” Azhar told reporters.“They kept bowling at the right areas, they kept asking questions even of set batters. It was lovely to see good, fast, reverse-swing bowling. Unfortunately we were on the receiving end.”The 37-year-old Azhar, playing his 94th Test but the first at his home ground, made 78 and added 150 for the second wicket with Shafique.The 22-year-old Shafique, playing only his fifth Test, was out for 81, becoming the first wicket to fall in the second session of the day.SCOREBOARDAustralia 1st innings 391 Pakistan 1st innings (overnight 90-1)Abdullah Shafique c Carey b Lyon 81Imam-ul-Haq lbw b Cummins 11Azhar Ali c and b Cummins 78Babar Azam lbw b Starc 67Fawad Alam b Starc 13Mohamed Rizwan b Starc 1Sajid Khan b Cummins  6Nauman Ali lbw b Cummins  0Hasan Ali c Smith b Cummins 0Shaheen Shah Afridi not out 0Naseem Shah b Starc 0Extras: (b5, nb6) 11 Total: (all out; 116.4 overs) 268 Fall of wickets: 1-20 (Haq), 2-170 (Shafique), 3-214 (Azhar), 4-248 (Alam), 5-256 (Rizwan), 6-264 (Sajid), 7-268 (Nauman), 8-268 (Hasan), 9-268 (Babar)Bowling: Starc 20.4-6-33-4, Cummins 24-8-56-5 (nb3), Green 14-4-37-0 (nb2), Lyon 40-10-95-1, Swepson 18-2-42-0 (nb1)