Opinion
Australia have lived up to my prediction that they will not roll over and get done by the Pakistanis so far.
But the controversial tactics adopted in the second Test throw up questions about decision making after Justin Langer walked away from the team.
Yes, batting again seemed like a good plan at the time.
But it did also open up a vulnerable situation as the home team chanced their arm and attempted to run down what seemed an improbable target.
The game in the end could have gone either way.
(Photo by Jono Searle – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
But hindsight suggests enforcing the follow-on would have been the safer option, giving the Aussies control.
And a win would have been there for the taking, rather than the twists and turns.
The last Test in Lahore sees the Australians in better shape mentally as they quickly adapt to the conditions and this gives them confidence to know they can break the home team’s back.
Ideally, the tracks in Pakistan strongly suggest a three-pronged pace attack with two spinners will be the best option to unsettle the talented Pakistan batting line-up.
Hopefully the locals will not repeat the dead track produced in the first Test, which would kill off the series and make it forgettable.
On paper, the teams are well matched and possess match winners in both batting and bowling.
They are, in fact, at the top of the Test Championship with India, New Zealand, England and perhaps South Africa.
Pat Cummins and Andrew McDonald will be under the microscope as their decision making faces heavy scrutiny from the cricketing hierarchy in the third Test.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.
Test great Steve Smith is to play for Washington Freedom in the second season of Major League Cricket as the Australian influence in the…
Nathan Lyon has revealed his disappointment that Australia's cricket chiefs have prevented him from playing his first full season of county cricket in England…
Some of you may have watched the recent Fox Sports Series 'A Brief History of Australian Cricket: the Eighties'. If not, I’d definitely recommend…
Nathan Lyon's spell with English county Lancashire has been halved as Cricket Australia looks to protect the fitness of the star spinner. The Australian,…
Cricket Australia insists Optus Stadium can replace the Gabba as the men's Test team's new fortress after handing Perth the first match against India.…
It's no longer about how many runs score individually - it is about the team's ability to win Test in pressure moments.
