Australia thrash Pakistan and win series

Australia bowled Pakistan out for 163 in Melbourne to win the second Test by an innings and 18 runs on day five.

Mitchell Starc took 4-36 after captain Steve Smith hit 165 as Australia declared their first innings on 624-8.

Australia had 68 overs to force a win. They reduced Pakistan to 91-5 at tea before sealing victory in 53.2 overs to take an unassailable 2-0 series lead.

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq was fined 40% of his match fee and the rest of his team 20% for a slow over rate.

"It finished a lot better than it started," Starc said. "It's fantastic for us to get that result. The belief was there and it was a fantastic way to finish.

"We knew we only had two sessions to get those 10 wickets and together as a bowling unit we've done really well."

The third Test starts in Sydney on 3 January but Misbah has not committed to playing in the match after a poor series so far.

The 42-year-old, who was dismissed for a two-ball duck after managing just 11 in the first innings, only scored nine runs in total in the first test in Brisbane.





"I haven't decided about that [Sydney] but let's see," he said. "[If I'm not contributing] there's no point in hanging around."

BBC/LY