Mitchell Starc takes six as Babar Azam narrowly misses century

Adelaide: Mitchell Starc took six wickets and denied Babar Azam a century to break stubborn resistance from the Pakistan batsmen Sunday as they work to save the day-night second Test at Adelaide Oval.

The visitors resumed on an overcast day teetering at 96 for six in reply to Australia's first innings 589 for three declared, built on the back of David Warner's monumental 335 not out.

At the end of the opening session on day three, they had moved to 213 for eight with a dogged Yasir Shah unbeaten on 66 -- his maiden Test 50 in his 37th match -- and Mohammad Abbas with one.

In a scintillating spell under lights on Sunday night, left-armer Starc snapped up four quick wickets but the gloomy conditions offered little movement on Sunday and Azam and Yasir took advantage.

They put on a disciplined 105-run stand with Azam looking destined for a third Test century until Starc pounced again, with the 25-year-old edging an attempted drive to Tim Paine behind the stumps on 97.

Azam -- who scored a century in the first Test at Brisbane and is rapidly emerging as his country's top batsmen -- left the field dejected but to a standing ovation.

The very next ball Starc grabbed his sixth, with Shaheen Afridi plumb lbw before Abbas fended off the hat-trick ball.

Starc currently has 6-50 off 21 overs, his 12th five-wicket Test haul.

It was also a commendable effort from Yasir, who made the most of two second lives.

He had a near-miss off the bowling of Marnus Labuschagne on 33. Steve Smith believed he caught him at slip and made a big appeal, but replays showed the ball fell just short of his fingertips.

Yasir was then dropped by Labuschagne off his own bowling on 43.