Australia vs Pakistan 2016: 2nd Test, Day 1 - 5 talking points

Pakistan were in a precarious position as rain halted play at the MCG after 50.2 overs. After warding off the early threat posed by Australia's new ball pair, Pakistani batsmen, except Azhar Ali, were in a hurry to lose their wickets. The Pakistanis were 142/4 after rain stopped play for the day.

The fight that the Pakistani batsmen showed in the second innings at Brisbane had faded off and the batsmen fell to loose shots. While Australia did well to stick to their plans despite not getting early rewards, the wickets were a late Christmas gift from Pakistan.

Azhar Ali, unbeaten on 66, was the only one to stand firm amidst the ruins on a good strip for batting laid out at the MCG. Jackson Bird was the pick of the seamers and dismissed Pakistan's senior pro's, Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq.

Here are the talking points from the day's play at the MCG.

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#5 Sami Aslam weathers to storm but falls to the breeze

Aslam fell for 9 off 41 balls to Nathan Lyon

Ever since his induction to the Pakistan Test squad, Sami Aslam has been getting vital starts but failing to convert it to anything substantial. He boasts of 6 half-centuries in 19 innings but not one of those innings have been converted to a hundred.

Today at the MCG he weathered a tough spell of bowling from the immaculate Hazlewood. Although Starc was way below his best after a tiring first Test, he threatened with pace more than swing, but Aslam was up to the task.

Once he got through the tough period, he was expected to make it count as Australia's first change bowler, Bird, and spinner, Lyon took over. But Aslam was surprised by the offie who produced a terrific delivery that bounced off the surface with minimal turn and caught Aslam's glove on the way to Smith at first slip. Nice, Garry.

#4 Azhar Ali continues to fight

Ali held the Pakistani innings together with a solid 66* at the end of the day’s play

Ali started the fight at the Gabba a few days back and today he was at it again despite losing four partners. He and Aslam had started cautiously on a good batting surface, but the ODI skipper took a little longer to get into his groove.

The first boundary off Ali's bat came in the 35th over of the innings and only three more followed in the day's play as Azhar focussed on staying at the crease more than finding the fence. He was doing a fine job for the team at the top of the order and the approach was warranted as his partners kept throwing away their wickets on a good batting surface.

While Ali has never been the fanciful, flamboyant batsman that Pakistan usually boasts of, he has done a crucial job for them as opener ever since taking the role. If he can inspire Shafiq to a Gabba-like knock, Pakistan could find themselves troubling the Aussies yet again.

En route his unbeaten 66, Azhar also complted 1000 runs in Tests in 2016.

#3 Bird cements his spot

Bird picked up the key wickets of Younis Khan and Misbah

Australia's first change seam bowler in Tests has been a talking point for the past two years. With Siddle going down with injury frequently and the retirement of Johnson and Harris leaving a void in the pace attack. Pattinson and Cummins are also injury prone and Mennie didn’t take his only chance with both hands.

Bird did a fine job in his comeback Test at Adelaide against the Proteas and found his groove in Gabba by ripping through Misbah twice. Today he was a bit off at the start, bowling too full and failing to find movement. But he came back with a roar to clean up Pakistan's veteran batsman, Younis Khan with a perfect off-cutter.

The dismissal seemed to have woken up his inner spirits and he bowled an inspired spell thereafter, dismissing the Pakistani skipper yet again after finding his inside edge which was smartly pouched by Maddinson and short leg. The twin wickets meant that Bird has once again answered the selector's call when needed.

#2 Nathan Lyon aka Garry is Australia's latest "cult" figure

Lyon cheered the crowd up by getting the wicket of Sami Aslam

Matthew Wade's calls, "Nice, Garry" from behind the stumps when Nathan Lyon bowls has become such a regulation that fans have made Lyon a "cult" figure at the Gabba. The roars and cheers continued at the MCG for the innocuous Aussie spinner.

As soon as Lyon came in to bowl in the 12th over, there was a huge round of cheers in the stadium. Before the Boxing Day Test, there was a Facebook campaign calling for fans to shout "Nice, Garry" after Lyon's third ball and as Lyon came in to bowl the third ball, the fans prepared for the huge cheers and the loud call imitating Wade.

As if answering the fans' calls, Lyon found Aslam's edge that was pouched by Smith, which led to loud applause and cheers for their favourite man on the pitch. Lyon is jokingly named Garry after former AFL footballer, Garry Lyon.

#1 Rain spoils the day’s play

Rain ensured that only 51 overs were bowled on the first day

Pakistan's innings was an interesting mix of resistance and recklessness as Azhar Ali acted as the fulcrum around which his teammates either survived or perished. Despite Ali lending a strong hand, his colleagues were in a rush to watch the action from the sidelines.

As though to answer his team-mates wishes to be in the dressing room, the blue skies opened up close to tea to prompt the umpires to take an early break before the third session. However, the rain did not stop and continued pouring. While not very heavy, the drizzle was enough to call off play for the day.

Weather reports had suggested that there would be light rain through the afternoon and was expected to be a passing shower. Instead it gave Pakistan a relief from their own suicidal tendencies on a great batting wicket.