Who will win Australia vs Pakistan (2nd Test)?
Australia and Pakistan will look to seal victory in the second match of their two-game test series in the UAE, having drawn in Dubai. The match, at Abu Dhabu, is scheduled to take place from October 16-20 and the live action begins at 09:30 local time each day.
Pakistan vs Australia (2nd Test): Where to watch/Live streaming
TV channels: Fox Sports, Sky Sports, Sony Six, Willow TV, SuperSport, GTV
Live streaming: SonyLiv, Willow TV Online, OSN Play, Foxtel Sports
Toss Prediction
If the wicket stays as green as it has been in the early pictures from the ground, it could be frugal to bowl first – that is always a risk on a pitch likely to crumble by the fourth and fifth days, however.
Read on for team previews, betting tips, latest odds and match prediction for Pakistan vs Australia (2nd Test).
Pakistan Team News & Playing 11
Pak Team News
Imam-ul-Haq has been ruled out of the second test after sustaining a finger injury in the first test at Dubai. It means he will not be able to build on his opening partnership with Mohammad Hafeez, which contributed 205 in Pakistan's first innings last time out.
Shadab Khan could return in his place, having missed the first game with a groin injury sustained at the Asia Cup. Debutant Bilal Asif thrived in his place, but Pakistan can push Azhar Ali up to open and slot all-rounder Khan into the middle order to give them an extra spin option.
Alternatively, if it looks as though the pitch will seam, then Mir Hamza is pushing for his debut after being overlooked in favour of Wahab Riaz for the first test. Riaz and Mohammad Abbas will share the new ball.
Pak Key Players
Mohammad Hafeez top-scored in Pakistan's first innings in the first test, sharing a 205-run opening partnership with Imam-ul-Haq (76) before being dismissed for 126 - his tenth test century in his 51st appearance.
When Hafeez was dismissed, Haris Sohail took over, meanwhile, compiling his first test century as he hit a patient 110 and shared a 150-run partnership with Asad Shafiq (80).
Pakistan's bowlers delivered in the first innings too, Mohammad Abbas producing reverse swing to finish on 4-29 from the 19 overs he bowled. Spin-bowling debutant Bilal Asif was the star man, however, ripping through the Australia order with 6-36 from 21.3 overs.
Abbas claimed three more wickets in the second innings, moving to 49 wickets in his nine test matches so far. Yasir Shah has 50 in his last eight tests now, meanwhile, after picking up four in the second innings. When he removed Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Starc and Peter Siddle in the space of two overs, it looked as though he might turn the test Pakistan's way, but Australia's Tim Paine and Nathan Lyon stood firm for the final 12 overs.
Pak Team Form
Pakistan came in to this test series having not played in the longest format of the game since a drawn series with England. Pakistan won by nine wickets at Lord's as Mohammad Abbas took four wickets in each innings to dismiss England for 184 and 242 respectively, but England stormed back at Headingley - claiming an innings win inside three days.
Ireland had earlier kicked off their tour of Ireland and England with a test match against the former. Abbas claimed nine wickets in the match before they recovered from 14-3 in their second innings to reach their target of 160 with five wickets to spare.Pakistan are now looking to get back to winning ways at ‘home' in the UAE. They lost both of their previous test matches in the Emirates before the drawn test with Australia, in a two-game series with Sri Lanka.
Pakistan Predicted Playing 11
Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali, Haris Sohail, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Bilal Asif, Mohammad Abbas, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah
Australia Team News & Playing 11
Aus Team News
Aaron Finch, Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne all made their test debuts in the first match at Abu Dhabi, but Michael Neser is having to wait for his first taste of the game's longest format. Peter Siddle was selected instead, and will retain his place after exerting typical control in unfavourable conditions. Mitchell Starc toiled, and there is a suggestion he could be rested which would give Neser a chance, but if the wicket remains as green as it first appeared this week, Starc should retain his place.
Aus Key Players
Usman Khawaja opened the batting in the first test and Australia look to have found their replacement for David Warner. Khawaja top-scored in both innings, hitting 85 after sharing a 142-run opening partnership with Aaron Finch in the first before hitting a match-saving 141 in the second innings.
Finch, on debut, played two patient innings, eschewing his usual aggression to hit 62 and 49 and stake his claim for a long-term spot at the top of the order. Nobody else scored well in the first innings, but in the second innings Travis Head marked his debut with 72 and Tim Paine hit an unbeaten 61 from 194 balls to help save the match.
With the ball, Peter Siddle claimed 3-58 in the first innings to show far more control in unfavourable bowling conditions than Mitchell Starc - the usual leader of their pace attack - was able to. Spinner Nathan Lyon picked up two wickets in each innings, meanwhile, and has claimed 41 in his last ten in total.
Aus Team Form
Australia headed to the UAE for their first test series since the scandal-hit series in South Africa, in which the Australian tourists were beaten 3-1 and headed home in disgrace after the ball tampering scandal overshadowed the result. They had actually won the first test, with Mitchell Starc claiming nine wickets in the match, but South Africa hit back to win the next three.Their most recent series before that had been the Ashes, when they thrashed the English tourists 4-0 over five tests. This is a very different looking Australian team, however, who acquitted themselves well - eventually - to save the first test in Dubai, thanks to Usman Khawaja's superb batting.
Australia Predicted Playing 11
Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Marnus Labuschagne, Tim Paine, Travis Head, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Jon Holland
Oct 16 - Oct 19, 2018
11:30 IST / 6:00 GMT
Sheikh Zayed Stadium - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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