Sydney: Matt Renshaw's bid to become the youngest Australian to score a test double-century fell 16-runs short, but the hosts continued to build a commanding first innings total, reaching 454-4 at lunch on day two of the third test against Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday.
The 20-year-old Renshaw was attempting to become the youngest Australian to reach 200, a mark Don Bradman reached three times when aged 21 years. But his patient innings, in stark contrast to his opening partner David Warner's blistering century in the first session yesterday, ended on 184 when he played on to his own stumps from a rising Imran Khan delivery.
His near seven-hour innings came off 293 balls, with 20 boundaries, and will put him as a strong contender to retain his place in the team for the four-test tour of India, starting February.
From the overnight score of 365-3, Australia added 89 runs in the morning session, with Peter Handscomb 83 not out at the interval, and debutant Hilton Cartwright unbeaten on 25.
Handscomb continued his smooth introduction to test cricket raising his fourth half-century is as many matches.
Debutant Cartwright signaled his arrival in test cricket with a powerful cover drive for a boundary off the first ball he faced, but had a reprieve soon after when he edged a Wahab Riaz (2-70) delivery through a vacant third slip.
Cartwright was again lucky in the penultimate over before lunch when he edged part-time spinner Azhar Ali to Younis Khan, who dropped the sharp chance at slip.
After winning the toss and batting, Australia dominated the Pakistan bowling attack on the first day Tuesday, with Warner becoming the first player to score a hundred in the opening session of a test in Australia, and just the fifth player anywhere to achieve the feat.