Pakistan and Australia are going to clash in the Boxing Day fixture for the 2nd Test of the three-match bilateral series at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Injury-stricken Pakistan team are trailing by 0-1 in the Test series and will enter the ground on Tuesday to level the series and set the tone for an interesting series decider in Sydney. (Cricket News | Streaming)
Pakistan lost the first match by a big margin of 360 runs. Veteran Aussie batter David Warner, who will play his second last Test match in MCG, is in impressive form. He scored 164 runs in the first inning of the first Test in Perth. Mitchell Marsh, who was the player of the match in the Perth Test can also play a big role in the second Test.
Pakistan's team is plagued by injuries before the second Test. Their frontline spinner Noman Ali was ruled out of the rest of the series due to injury. Mohammad Nawaz will replace him in the squad. Another spinner Abrar Ahmed also ruled out of the second test after missing the first match due to leg injury.
Another blow for Pakistan's team came when fast bowler Khurram Shahzad, who took five wickets in his debut match in Perth, was ruled out for the remainder of the series with a rib stress fracture and muscle tear on Thursday.
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Still, there is plenty to take out from the Boxing Day fixture. Pakistan's Spinner Sajid Khan has been included in the playing XI for the 2nd Test in MCG. Both teams have some world-class batters and bowlers who could win the matches single-handedly. Three key player battles are worth looking out for in the 2nd Test match:
1. Babar Azam vs Mitchell Starc
Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam is a world-class batter and his battle with prime pace battery Mitchell Starc will be a treat to eyes. The left-hand bowler in front of a right-hand batter is not easy for the batter usually but Azam has played Starc numerous times and his experience will definitely help him. Starc took five wickets in the last match and he had a big role in bundling out Pakistan for just 89 runs in the second innings as he took three key wickets including the wickets of both openers. The clash of 'class' and 'raw pace' will be a treat to watch.
2. David Warner vs Shaheen Afridi
David Warner is playing his last Test series and he is very keen to make it a memorable one with his bat. He played a brilliant knock of 164 runs at Perth and a similar knock will be expected from him on the Boxing Day Test match at MCG as well. Shaheen Afridi has not shown his prowess yet in the series and hopefully, in Melbourne, he can unleash his full potential. He only took two wickets in the last match but he has disturbed Warner in the past and the same would be demanded of him.
3. Pat Cummins vs Shan Masood
In the key battle of captains, Australian skipper Pat Cummins will take charge against Pakistan captain Shan Masood. After bagging all the possible trophies this year, Cummins will be hoping to finish the year on a high note. He took three wickets in the first match and his bowl was showing some movement. Shan Masood, who is a very good player against spin, struggled against Aussie fast bowlers in the first match, and right-hand bowler Pat Cummins might create some problems for left-hand batter Shan Masood in the coming Test.
Squad:
Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Sajid Khan, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Junior, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Steve Smith, Mitch Starc and David Warner.
