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Australia will take on Pakistan in the second game of the three-match Test series in the National Stadium in Karachi on Wednesday. The first Test between the two sides was not much of a contest between bat and ball, as the batsmen dominated proceedings on each of the five days of the drawn fixture. It was a tedious game of cricket for the viewer as there was not a lot of excitement, nor was the scoring rate all that high at any point of the Test match.
Imam ul-Haq was the man of the match of the previous encounter, scoring tons in both the innings, as he added a cumulative total of 268 across the two innings. Azhar Ali and Abdullah Shafique both got hundreds, while none of the Australians were able to reach the three-figure mark, although Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja came very close.
There was a lot of talk about the pitch in the Rawalpindi Test match, which did not offer the slightest help to the bowlers, and as a result, match referee Ranjan Madugalle gave the surface a ‘below average’ rating, and the ICC awarded one demerit point as well. Amid such a scenario, one would expect a much better wicket at Karachi, a surface that will offer a bit more for the bowlers, making it a slightly more balanced contest between bat and ball.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam claimed that his team dominated the opening encounter and expected his side to take control of the second Test. Australia have dropped Josh Hazlewood for leggie Mitchell Swepson, probably because Karachi has been a spin-friendly surface historically.
Key players
Usman Khawaja, who came back with a bang in the Ashes after a lengthy absence from the squad, played a classy innings of 97 in the Aussies’ only innings of the Rawalpindi Test. Subcontinental conditions suit the left-hander greatly, and he has also done well in these conditions in the past. Now with a new role at the top of the order, a lot will depend on the form of the Queensland man, as the Australians will depend on him largely to give them a solid platform to build on.
Nathan Lyon and Ravichandran Ashwin have been perhaps the only spinners who have found success over such a long period of time. With more than 400 wickets to his name, Lyon is a force to be reckoned with, but has not been at his best lately. However, the spin-friendly pitch in Karachi could be the catalyst for his return to form, and Australia will desperately be hoping for a game-changing performance from the veteran off-spinner.
Babar Azam has been hailed as one of the top batsmen in the world for some time now and has also had an impressive few years in the white-ball formats but hasn’t really made much of an impact in the longest format of the game. Pakistan, who have also handed the reins of the Test match squad to Azam, will definitely expect big things, given his pedigree. He has spent the better part of six years at the highest level, and it is definitely high time that the Islamabad United skipper fires against the best teams in the world.
Imam ul-Haq will also be a key figure when Pakistan take on Australia, especially after his performance in the first Test, where he scored centuries in both innings. His impressive performance, which gave him a huge boost in the ICC rankings to a career-best 63, will give Pakistan a lot of confidence, as he dealt quite well with a world-class pace attack in Starc, Cummins, and Hazlewood. Pakistan will expect more of the same from Imam, and he could play a huge part in Pakistan’s success.
Prediction
After the dull draw in the first Test match, both sides will be raring to go and draw first blood in the second Test at Karachi. This series is also part of the ICC World Test Championship, and both sides will be eager to pick up a few points and make a strong case for themselves to play the finals.
Conditions are expected to be quite different this time around, and both sides look like they can land the winning blow. Pakistan’s batting, which had raised concerns before the start of the series, looks solid. The Australians were also able to adjust to the conditions in the subcontinent, and gave the hosts a run for their money. Although Pakistan do have the home advantage, Australia do appear to have the slight edge, with the amount of depth in their squad.
