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KARACHI, Pakistan : Beginning a tour of the sub-continent with a draw is a result perfectly acceptable to most visiting captains but Australia skipper Pat Cummins knows the task gets significantly tougher for his team in the second test against Pakistan on Saturday.
Leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson will make his long-awaited Test debut for Australia as the tourists opted for two spinners for the second Test against Pakistan starting on Saturday. After a dreary draw on a flat Rawalpindi pitch in the first Test there is hope that Karachi will live up to its reputation of producing a result through spinners. The 28-year-old Swepson will become the first specialist leg-spinner to play a Test for Australia since Bryce McGain against South Africa in 2009. His inclusion is poignant because it comes a week after legendary Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne died of a suspected heart attack in Thailand.
The Australian cricket team arrived in Karachi earlier this week ahead of the start of the second Test at the National Stadium, starting Saturday, March 12. Wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey was involved in a hilarious incident after the team arrived at their hotel in Karachi. Carey, who was having a conversation with Nathan Lyon, accidentally fell into a swimming pool. The Australian players present at the scene couldn't control their laughter as even Carey was seen having a giggle about it. The moment was captured by Australian skipper Pat Cummins, who shared the video on his Instagram handle.
Australia opener David Warner said he hopes for an improved pitch for the second Test in Karachi after the visitors could claim only four Pakistan wickets in the series-opening draw on Rawalpindi's docile wicket. “I just want a game where you can actually create 20 chances,” Warner said on Thursday. “It's something that's going to be exciting and entertaining for the crowd.” Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ramiz Raja has acknowledged that drawn games are not a good advertisement for Test cricket and Pindi Cricket Stadium's wicket was described by Australia batter and vice captain Steve Smith as a “dead wicket.”
The historic occasion -- Australia's first Test in Pakistan since 1998 -- was marred by a pitch described as "dead" by vice-captain Steve Smith as Pakistan piled up 728 runs for the loss of just four wickets, and one of those was a run out. Openers Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique both made maiden Test hundreds -- Imam scoring one in each innings -- while senior batsman Azhar Ali also passed three figures during five attritional days. The series now moves to Karachi's National Stadium, a favourite hunting ground for Pakistan, who have won 23 of the 43 Tests they have played there while losing only twice. Australia have never won in Karachi in eight attempts, losing five and drawing three.
Australia are likely to play two spinners as they go in search of a win in Saturday's second Test in Karachi after Pakistan batted their seamers into the ground in the draw at Rawalpindi. The historic occasion -- Australia's first Test in Pakistan since 1998 -- was marred by a pitch described as "dead" by vice-captain Steve Smith as Pakistan piled up 728 runs for the loss of just four wickets, and one of those was a run out.
MELBOURNE : Australia will not decide on the makeup of their attack for the second test against Pakistan until seeing the pitch but their intelligence on Karachi has them leaning toward playing two spinners, interim head coach Andrew McDonald said.
Mitchell Swepson is the frontrunner to be handed an emotional Test debut just a week after the death of mentor Shane Warne, as Australia leans towards two spinners for Karachi.