The ongoing series between Pakistan and Australia resumes with the second test scheduled to take place on the 12th of March, 2022 at Karachi. The first test at Rawalpindi ended in a disappointing draw with the Australian players saying that the pitch was sub-par and did not encourage competitive play, a sentiment that was echoed by the ICC recently when they graded the stadium as below average. The game in Karachi is expected to play a lot better and offer a lot more entertainment.
The Australians will be looking to experiment with their lineup for this new track while the Pakistani side will be hoping for a winning result on home soil.
Pakistan vs Australia 2nd Test – Pitch Report
The pitch at National Stadium, Karachi, is more favorable to batsmen, although spinners will benefit as well. For this match, we may anticipate a sporting surface.
Pakistan vs Australia 2nd Test – Probable XI
Pakistan
Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam (c), Fawad Alam, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed / Faheem Ashraf, Nauman Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Sajid Khan, Naseem Shah
Australia
Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Swepson
Pakistan vs Australia 2nd Test – Players to Watch
Imam-ul-Haq
He is a player who is currently on his comeback tour. Imam is known to be a player who has great technique and the fortitude to bat deep and build partnerships. Yes, he might have slight ring rust, but if he can shake the cobwebs and get going, there is no saying how far he will go into the innings. He was immense in the first test where he scored centuries in both innings, and a good performance in this game will go a long way in making his case.
Nauman Ali
He scalped 6 wickets on a dead Rawakpindi track and was hailed for that performance. He is also trying to make his mark in the Test format and we expect to see him continue his wicket-taking form in the second match.
Marnus Labuschagne
True to his reputation, Marnus was in the thick of things in the first game where he scored a handy 90 runs from 158 deliveries and even took a wicket to top things off. We expect him to play a lot better in the second game considering it will be a better track.
Nathan Lyon
Nathan Lyon may not be the youngest player out there but his wicket-taking ability is still on point. With Karachi being a spin-friendly track, we expect him to be in the thick of things against the Pakistani attack.
Pakistan vs Australia 2nd Test – Fantasy Lineup No.1
Wicket Keeper – Mohammad Rizwan
Batters – Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq (c), Usman Khawaja
All-Rounders – Marnus Labuschagne (vc), Nauman Ali, Cameron Green
Bowlers – Nathan Lyon, Shaheen Afridi, Pat Cummins, Naseem Shah
Pakistan vs Australia 2nd Test – Fantasy Lineup No.2
Wicket Keeper – Mohammad Rizwan (vc), Alex Carey
Batters – Steve Smith, Imam-ul-Haq, David Warner
All-Rounders – Marnus Labuschagne, Nauman Ali (c), Iftikhar-Ahmed
Bowlers – Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins, Shaheen Afridi
Pakistan vs Australia 2nd Test – Predicted Winner
The match promises to be one hell of a contest but we predict this game to end up a draw as well.
