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'I lost all my finger nails' - Smith relieved to win

Australia captain Steve Smith said the day-night Test in Brisbane was a little bit too close for comfort after the host survived to beat Pakistan by just 39 runs.

Published : Dec 19, 2016 21:05 IST , Brisbane

"A lot of credit has got to go to the way they [Pakistan] played. I thought our bowlers stuck at it all day, we bold a lot of overs, our quicks just kept coming back."
"A lot of credit has got to go to the way they [Pakistan] played. I thought our bowlers stuck at it all day, we bold a lot of overs, our quicks just kept coming back."
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"A lot of credit has got to go to the way they [Pakistan] played. I thought our bowlers stuck at it all day, we bold a lot of overs, our quicks just kept coming back."

Australia captain Steve Smith said the day-night Test in Brisbane was a little bit too close for comfort after the host survived to >beat Pakistan by just 39 runs .

On a dramatic and gruelling final day at the Gabba, Australia overcame its frustration to deny Pakistan in their record and mammoth pursuit of 490 in the first Test.

Resuming on 382-8, Pakistan's hopes of victory were slim and almost impossible but man-of-the-match Asad Shafiq (137) and Yasir Shah (33) had the tourists dreaming until the resilient duo both departed in the 145th over.

Smith closed out the thrilling victory with an incredible direct hit for a run out after Mitchell Starc dismissed Asad and speaking afterwards, the skipper said via Channel Nine: "I lost all my finger nails I think. It was a bit too close for my liking. Some game of cricket wasn't it?

"A lot of credit has got to go to the way they [Pakistan] played. I thought our bowlers stuck at it all day, we bold a lot of overs, our quicks just kept coming back.

"That wicket of Asad showed the class of Starcy to come in with a ball six it 0 overs old, quite soft to get it up like that, to get that wicket and crack it for us shows his real class."

"You've always got to have hope," Smith added when asked if doubts lingered in his head as Pakistan closed in on a remarkable victory.

"Eight down you are really only one wicket away from sensing, I guess, a close to the game. It turned out to be that way. But, yeah, as I said I've got to give a lot of credit to Asad and the tail, they gutsed it out, played great cricket and didn't give us a sniff until the end and we took the opportunity."

Smith, who will lead an unchanged 12-man squad into the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, was also quizzed on his decision not to enforce the follow-on after the first innings and he replied: "No, I think I'd go the same plan.

"Our bowlers have bowled a lot. It gave them a chance to have a little bit of a rest and to bowl at night. We have seen in day-night Test cricket most wickets fall in the night with the new ball.

"I thought their top order played well, Ali was good in the first innings, we didn’t get the wickets we liked. If we got those wickets it could have been a little bit different. Credit has got to go to the bowlers. They really stuck at it and happy to get over the line."

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