Pakistan batter Abdullah Shafique is hoping that his side can recover having lost quick wickets at the end of Day 2. Pakistan posted 194 for 6 and trail Australia by 124 runs at the end of Day 2 in their Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Stadium.

Australia vs Pakistan, Boxing Day Test Day 2: Highlights

Shafique scored 62 runs off 109 balls to help Pakistan eat into Australia’s lead on Day 2. The hosts scored 318 runs in the first innings before claiming six wickets ahead of Day 3.

Speaking at a press conference after the end of Day 2, Shafique said Pakistan have lacked partnerships with the bat in this series. Shafique’s 90-run stand with skipper Shan Masood was Pakistan’s biggest partnership of their first innings.

“When you get set in the middle you get a good view of the bowlers and what they’re doing. It becomes easier at that point, but as we got out the things became harder for us. We just wanted to put together a good partnership, because we’ve lacked partnerships with the bat in this series. We just wanted to get set and score runs for the team,” said Shafique.

The opening batter went on to say that he’s hopeful that Pakistan can recover on Day 3, having lost quick wickets towards the end of Day 2. Mohammad Rizwan and Aamer Jamal will be in the middle for the visitors when proceedings resume on Day 3.

“As a batting unit it hurts to lose these wickets back to back. But I hope we’ll recover with this ongoing partnership. The conditions here are much different compared to Pakistan. Pat Cummins is a good bowler so as a batter you have to take your chances. He will not give you loose deliveries so you have to create them. He was planning something for me because I was playing well there, but I think he took a good catch as well,” Shafique added.

Australia have a chance of sealing the three-match Test series, having won the first match by a margin of 360 runs.