Khawaja, Warner put Australia back in Test

Usman Khawaja's triumphant return to Test cricket has continued, putting Australia back in the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.

Khawaja went to lunch on day three unbeaten on 70, with Australia 0-138 in reply to Pakistan's 4(dec)-476 as the tourists showed they would go after the game.

David Warner is also not out on 60, having put on Australia's second highest total of 335no in his last Test against Pakistan in 2019.

Only brought out of Test exile in January, Khawaja ensured he would have his spot for the tour of his birthplace with back-to-back tons in Sydney.

And he has looked well at home in Rawalpindi, playing in Pakistan for the first time.

Dropped on 22 and again on 62, the left-hander has been quick to make Pakistan pay.

After Shaheen Shah Afridi drew his edge and a regulation chance was put down for the first time by Fawad Alam at gully, Khawaja flicked the following ball of his pads for four.

The next ball was on a better line but Khawaja met it with a well-timed drive to the mid-off boundary, showing he is happy to bat with intent.

He has also twice reverse-swept Nauman Ali for four, while at one stage backing away and upper-cutting Naseem Shah to the backward-point boundary.

He was dropped again trying to reverse sweep Nauman, with the ball coming hard off his bat to 'keeper Mohammad Rizwan.

Warner, in comparison, battled through the opening stages of the day before starting to capitalise.

He played and missed at one in Shaheen's first over as the left-armer just beat his outside edge, and twice hit on the body in one Naseem over.

But the 35-year-old looked more confident closer to lunch, punishing both spinners and quicks when they offered too much width.

He brought up his 50 in that fashion,