Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq caught wrong-footed

Cricket's a game of glorious uncertainties, and the occasional brainfades. On the ninth over of the third day's play between Pakistan and Australia on Thursday, Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq were involved in what was, a bizarre run-out.

Off the third ball of the 53rd over in Pakistan's second innings, Azhar edged a stroke through the gully region. Assuming the ball would race away to the fence, Azhar ambled out of the crease for a customary middle-of-the-pitch chat with non-striker Shafiq.

In the meantime,  the ball stopped a couple of yards before the boundary and Mitchell Starc threw the ball to Tim Paine, who  ran up to the stumps and whipped the bails off gleefully. The duo, amid all the chaos, stood motionless even as Azhar was dismissed after making 64.