Australia runs through Pakistan to complete unlikely win at MCG

Earlier in the day, Steve Smith declared with Australia 9-624, leading by 181 runs after their first innings and giving his attack something at which to bowl.

Pakistan then lost one wicket in a brief spurt before lunch, four more fell in the afternoon session before losing the final five after tea to be all out for 163.

After being given an awkward 70 overs to negotiate, Pakistan started terribly when opener Sami Aslam dropped a defensive stroke on to his pads and back into the stumps in the second over.

Josh Hazlewood's wicket was exactly the start Smith would have been hoping for when he declared and his other opening bowler, Mitchell Starc, made it double trouble when he trapped Babar Azam LBW with the first ball after lunch.

Struggling at 2-6, Pakistan needed Younis Khan to deliver the sort of gutsy innings he had delivered so many times in his previous 113 Tests.

He hung around for a 57-run partnership with Azhar Ali before Nathan Lyon changed the game in the 20th over.

The first ball saw Younis prod forward and send the ball into the waiting hands of Peter Handscomb at short leg.

Two balls later, Pakistan's other mainstay, captain Misbah-ul-Haq, was following his long-time teammate back up the race after top-edging a sweep around the corner to Nic Maddinson for an easy catch that he made look very awkward.

Having lost 2-0, Asad Shafiq joined Azhar in the middle, but their was to be no repeat of their 115-run partnership from the first innings as Shafiq also fell to the suddenly dangerous Lyon-Handscomb duo.

Five wickets down at tea with 37 overs to survive, Pakistan would have been optimistic of holding on with its first-innings star at the crease.

But the tourists' Azhar-based hope was extinguished when he was rapped on the pads by a rampant Hazlewood shortly after the break.

Then came Mohammad Amir, who frustrated Australia to the tune of 48 runs during Pakistan's resistance at the Gabba, but he only threatened to do so again before falling 11 off 39 balls.

Starc starts and finishes day-five dominance

It was part of a 42-run, 12-over stand alongside Sarfraz Ahmed (43) but Pakistan was out of recognised batsmen when the wicketkeeper had his stumps rearranged by Mitchell Starc three overs later.

Starc kept the fire coming, sending a delivery cannoning into Wahab Riaz's stumps in his next over, leaving Australia one wicket to get.

The final stand last just 1.3 overs before Yasir Shah chipped Starc to Jackson Bird to end the innings, ensuring Starc's success book-ended the final day.

The hosts were just 22 runs ahead to start day five, but Smith's four off the first ball of the day was a sign of things to come as they added 159 runs in just 28 overs.

Starc, not out on 7 overnight, took particular delight in belting around Pakistan's attack, breaking the record for most sixes in a Test innings at the MCG with seven.

He eventually fell 16 runs short of a maiden Test century when he holed out at square leg in pursuit of quick runs off the bowling of Sohail Khan.

Smith continued on his merry way, clobbering 65 runs off 77 balls in the morning and eventually ended the innings unbeaten on 165 — the skipper's fourth-highest Test score.

The third and final Test of the series at the Sydney Cricket Ground starts on Tuesday with Australia holding a 2-0 lead.

Aussies ring the changes for Sydney

With rumours abounding throughout day five of a spin overhaul for the SCG Test, Cricket Australia confirmed the 13-man squad after Australia's win in Melbourne.

Ashton Agar and Steve O'Keefe, both left-arm tweakers, have been brought into the squad in place of the underperforming batsman Maddinson and the unused quick Chadd Sayers.

The move will likely see Matt Wade move up the order to six, with one of Agar or O'Keefe to add a spinning all-rounder to the XI at the SCG.

Australia v Pakistan

Date:

26 December 2016

Match:

2nd Test

Venue:

Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

Start time:

09:00

Umpires:

Ian Gould / Sundaram Ravi

Toss:

Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat.

Australia win by an innings and 18 runs

Pakistan First Innings

443 for 9 declared (126.3 overs)

Australia First Innings

624 for 8 declared (142.0 overs)

Pakistan Second Innings

163 all out (53.2 overs)