WATCH: Travis Head Survives Shaheen Shah Afridi Beamer as PAK Pacer Loses Control

Premier Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi lost his control and bowled a beamer on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test match against Australia at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Travis Head was at the receiving end of the beamer and was hit on the right shoulder. Shaheen straightaway walked towards the batter and checked with Head if he was alright.

It was the final ball of the 59th over when Shaheen lost control of the ball and hit a beamer as Head tried to leave it but got hit on the shoulder.

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Meanwhile, Marnus Labuschagne notched a gritty score of 44 not out to guide Australia through a rain-interrupted first day of play in the second test against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday.

Invited to bat first by Pakistan captain Shan Masood, who won the toss in overcast conditions, Australia reached 187-3 at stumps.

Pakistan squandered a golden opportunity to put Australia on the back foot early, allowing openers David Warner (38 off 83 balls) and Usman Khawaja (42 off 101) to share a 90-run partnership on a pitch offering sideways movement for the seamers.

Warner, in his penultimate test, played a loose shot outside off stump on 38 in the final over before lunch and was caught at slip off the bowling of spinner Agha Salman.

The 37-year-old Warner, who scored 164 in the first test in Perth, was lucky to reach double figures Tuesday. Warner offered a regulation chance on 2 to first slip off the bowling of Shaheen Shah Afridi in the third over, but it was put down by Abdullah Shafique.

Unbeaten on 36 at lunch, Khawaja added six runs to his total before he guided a delivery from Hasan Ali to second slip at 108-2. Khawaja is the leading test run-scorer in 2023 with 1,210 runs at an average of 55.00.

Warner described Khawaja’s run-scoring feats in 2023 as “phenomenal.”

“Now he’s just playing like every game is his last. He’s going to play as long as he can,” Warner said of his opening partner’s roller-coaster career in and out of the test side.

“His last 12 months have been absolutely phenomenal. He can play as long as he wants to and feels comfortable.”