Pakistan on top against Australia

Mitchell Johnson is still bowling with plenty of fire but Pakistan have maintained control at lunch on day four of the first Test on Saturday.

Pakistan have reached 1-116, an overall lead of 267 runs, with nine second-innings wickets in hand.

The host team resumed their innings on 0-38.

Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin dropped a difficult bat-pad chance off the bowling of spinner Nathan Lyon (0-42) when Ahmed Shehzad was on 37.

Haddin was back in the action next over when he gloved a sharp catch to remove Azhar Ali for 30 off the bowling of debutant spinner Steve O’Keefe, taking the score to 1-71.

Shehzad is unbeaten on 55 at lunch with first-innings century-maker Younis Khan on 26.

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq will have to think about a declaration later on Saturday, although it’s not likely to come before tea.

Pakistan legspinner Yasir Ahmed said on Friday night that a lead of over 400 would be a good target for Pakistan’s bowlers to defend.

After his first-innings heroics in claiming 3-39 off 31 overs, pace spearhead Johnson was still giving it everything on a lifeless Dubai pitch in Pakistan’s second innings.

Shehzad was hit in the chest by a 147 km/h short ball from Johnson and staggered away for medical attention before facing up to the next delivery.

Johnson has figures of 0-21 off eight overs at lunch while O’Keefe has 1-34 off his 15 overs.

Australia made 303 in the first innings, despite David Warner (133) and Chris Rogers (38) laying the perfect foundation for a 400-plus total with an opening stand of 128.

Left-hander Warner blamed himself for his dismissal after he was bowled by debutant legspinner Yasir (3-66).

“I tried to be too cute and look for a run and played all around it,” Warner said.

“I know I made a mistake.

“Credit to him he got me out. But I was looking to score and I made a half-tracker look like a good ball.”

Alex Doolan was run out for five and Michael Clarke fell at bat-pad for two while Steve Smith (22), Mitchell Marsh (27) and Brad Haddin (22) failed to push on to big scores.

Tailender Johnson made 37.

“Everyone was playing well,” vice-captain Haddin said.

“We probably just weren’t disciplined enough for one or two guys to get that big score and that’s something we’ve been really good at over the last 12 months.”

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