
Mitchell Marsh fell just short of his fourth Test century on Day 3 at the MCG, but his impressive counterattack rescued Australia from a difficult situation, leaving Pakistan to regret a costly mistake. Marsh was on 20 and Australia 4/46 when he gave a regulation edge off Aamer Jamal to Abdullah Shafique at first slip. However, Shafique dropped the catch, giving Marsh a chance at life. After the missed opportunity, Pakistan’s morale dropped, and they made several fielding errors as Marsh and Steve Smith’s partnership swelled to 153 runs. Both players survived marginal LBW shouts, and the wind was out of Pakistan’s sails. Marsh looked set for a century, but was denied by a spectacular slips catch from Hamza. The catch was a fitting reward for Marsh’s contribution, and Pakistan go into Day 4 well in the contest. However, with the pitch likely to favor the bowlers, Australia’s lead of 241 may already be enough. Despite coming close, Marsh couldn’t reach a century and said after play that getting a hundred would have been nice. The morning was dominated by Pat Cummins, who secured a five-wicket haul, and Aamer Jamal produced a stoic resistance. The game remains evenly poised, as a thrilling last two days of the match are anticipated.