Australia number 3 Marnus Labuschagne was cleared of serious injury after being hit on the hand during the first test against Pakistan.

Marnus Labuschagne was hit by Khurram Shahzad on the third day of the Test before being dismissed by the debutant soon after scoring just two. The right-handed hitter was sent for examination, but fortunately did not suffer any structural damage.

“An x-ray taken last night did not demonstrate any visible fractures. “Marnus was able to bat unhindered in the nets this (Sunday) morning,” a Cricket Australia spokesperson said.

Australia pressed on despite Labuschagne’s injury and sending off. They set a target of 450 for Pakistan with Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Marsh scoring half-centuries in the second innings for the Australians.

The pair of Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Marsh accelerated during the second session before Babar Azam caught Usman Khawaja in the deep on 90. Captain Pat Cummins declared the innings for Australia after the dismissal. Mitchell Marsh was not out on 63 after the declaration.

Earlier in the day, Steve Smith only added two runs to his overnight score before being caught by Shahzad for 45, who claimed three of Pakistan’s first four wickets. Steve Smith himself was examined for treatment after Shaheen Shah Afridi hit him with several bouncers on the third day.

Australia won the first Test by a huge margin of 360 runs

Australia bundled Pakistan out for just 89 with Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood sharing three wickets each and Nathan Lyon finding two wickets to complete his 500 wickets in Test cricket. Pakistan arrived in Australia with a perfect record to start the 2025 World Test Championship cycle. They won both of their test matches away from home against Sri Lanka in July. However, a big loss against Australia will greatly affect their WTC points.

If Pakistan could have passed the test, they would have been at the top of the table. However, the defeat made them share the first place with India, as both have a PCT of 66.67%. Pakistan will now face Australia in the second Test of the series, scheduled in Melbourne from December 26. The teams will then move to Sydney for the final match of this series after the New Year celebrations.

Mitchell Marsh won the Player of the Match award in the first Test for his half-centuries in both innings. He missed a hundred in the first innings and was dismissed on 90. Marsh was not out on 63 in the second innings after facing just 68 deliveries. It was a tough test for Pakistan as Australia completely dominated them in all aspects to register a resounding victory over them.

Australia is currently fifth in the points table of the ICC World Test Championship 2025. The defending champions retained the Ashes series but lost the last two matches against England, leading to a drop in the points table. Australia will look to move up the table after the series against Pakistan ends and they have already taken a 1-0 lead in the series.