 The second test match between Australia and Pakistan will be played
at the Sydney Cricket Ground from the 3rd of January next year. Australia had
easily disposed off the Pakistanis in the first game at Melbourne and will look
to win the series at Sydney itself, whereas the visitors would need to do something
drastic to bounce back from the loss.
Australian skipper Ricky Ponting had termed the Melbourne win as one
of the greatest triumphs since the retirement of Shane Warne and Glen McGrath.
This was because the Australian bowling is not at its greatest and the trio
of Peter Siddle, Doug Bollinger and Mitchell Johnson have not looked too penetrative.
It was the spin of Nathan Hauritz that had spelt doom for the visitors and will
continue to hold the aces on a spinning track in Sydney.
Click for Live Score Card of Australia vs PakistanRicky Ponting had been injured in the game before the one at Melbourne but
still played in the match at MCG. He has said that he was in pain throughout
the time he was batting in the first test match, but will look to continue to
be a part of the second test match as well. The other spinner in the squad,
Steve Smith has been removed and Clint McKay will be the 12th man in
the game.
For Pakistan, their biggest let down was the batting. In fact, the batting
has been a problem ever since the tour of New Zealand and that has continued
ever since. It is the lack of experience at the top of the order that has caused
a lot of problems for them; the likes of Salman Butt, Imran Farhat and
Faisal Iqbal forming a rather fragile top order. Butt looked like he was getting
back to form, but it will be high time he gets going and scores a big ton to
seal his spot.
There have been talks of Younis Khan been called back for the second
test match but with no official reports confirming the same, it will be difficult
for him to get to Australia and immediately get down to playing in a test match
and then scoring the big runs.
Amongst the bowlers, Mohammad Aamer had become the second youngest ever to
take a five-wicket haul in the first game, but it will be the spinners who will
play a major role in the game. Saeed Ajmal should be the frontline bowler, but
whether Danish Kaneria also makes it to the side remains to be seen.
Apart from a miracle, it looks highly unlikely that Pakistan will be able to
make it 1-1 in this game.
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