Pak v. Aus

In UAE..it's a good series......only 3ODIs and I believe 3 tests.

Saw the Pak bowling in the T20 and though they lost.......they have amazing talent in bowling...a new SLA who flights well, turns it big and has a very deceptive arm ball that actually turns into the RHB.

and Mohd Irfan was effortlessly bowling at 148kph.
the first ODI is underway now.

Aussie batting with AJ Finch, DA Warner, SPD Smith, GJ Bailey*, GJ Maxwell, JP Faulkner, BJ Haddin†

looks like a T20 line-up....missing the solidity and inning building capabilty

Aus lost Finch to the first ball, Warner and Smith built a very good platform but since then Pakistan have chipped away. Smith (batting at 3) has played a good knock, but Aus need some big bashing in the last 13 overs to make a good score. Then again, Pak's batting didn't seem up to much in the T20...

Jeez, Steve Smith has come along big time. Not the most aesthetically pleasing batsman in the world, but he really can play.

Didn't realise Afridi averaged as much as 36,5 in the Whites. That's more than acceptable. Gave up too quickly I feel. Could have been a very handy batting all rounder

Phillip Hughes Australia's first choice drinks carrier all over the world...

The test match series would be a cracker......Aus has beaten SA recently and smashed Eng before that ...but Pakistan can be pedestrian one day and world beater anotehr...with their never ending supply line of mercurial pacers and crafty spinners.

The climes and pitches in UAE will suit them .......Aus I can see have played Doolan and Smith into form in the game vs Pak-A
every game for Rogers is a make or break test especially when firing on all cylinders Warner may not be fit...whose presence gives Rogers a huge cushion.

Evenly matched in pace...aus better in batting and Pak better in spin inpsite of the absence of their top-2 spinners......it will be cracker.....the most exciting thing in cricket for the moment

and Aus collapse in the 2nd inning to lose to Pak-A

Rogers is the biggest worry.....even with Warner playxing
and if Warner doesn't make it...Aus will surely lose

Yip, best thing in cricket. Rate Australia are going to lose 2-0

I thought that was an Australian XI?

Are they still playing?

Really looking forward to the test series.
Pakistan would badly miss Ajmal, still their bowling could be quite handy.......

Pak batted first and not only did not collapse but also got a biggish total.
they cannot lose.....and will most likely win.
the fiery start of Warner notwithstanding

ball will reverse and spin some point and Aus will concede some kind lead and then will have to bat last

Without Junaid and Irfan, the pak seam bowling unit lacks zip. And they are missing Ajmal.
Good performance from the new Pak wicketkeeper. Sarfraz had a good reputation as a keeper, and now his batting has come along a long way. Quite a change from Kamran Akmal who couldn't even catch a cold!.

Aus playing Marsh is setting firmly the desire of modern teams to play a 5th bowler........something that SA and Pak and NZ have done often.

and India and Eng have done half hearteldy

Warner is the new Sehwag.......takes the game away as an opener to a different dimension every 5th inning...and reality of the pitch and match condition strikes.....when Sehwag / Warner are dismissed

111 so far Warner has in a total of 172......is the case in point above.

as I suspected last night....Aus are continue to lag back as the game moves forward...inspite of Warner's brilliance

Very good first session for Pakistan : as KP_fan observed , Warner is rather keeping Australia afloat.

Testing time for the young Marsh now on debut...Haddin and the bowlers still provide some decent batting ; but if Pakistan can get a break quickly after lunch they will fancy a significant lead.

Yasir Shah to Warner, OUT, but he follows that turner with a ripper, and Warner has no answer, huge turn and bounce

from the read of the description seems like that was a brute of a delivery....

you ban pakistan's top 3 seamers for fixing

and then ban their top 2 spinners for chucking

and yet they keep bringing in world class spinners and pacers.

that nation has in my view so much depth of bowling resources that the could probably put up half a dozen international quality bowling attacks

For an inexperienced attack , they have performed brilliantly ; especially after Australia got away to such a great start last night.
At 267/8 Australia are facing a battle to save this match now. Johnson may hit out now and try and get them closer to that Pakistan first innings...they won't want to be batting last after conceding a lead of 150 or so...

DRS working overtime in this session...that's five reviews I think ; two successful .

No, you're right. It looks ominous for us. I think they'll struggle to even get 300 now. Some wasteful wickets through lack of concentration but Pakistan now have the psychological edge with the ball.

Well O'Keefe can bat ; if he sticks around and Johnson throws the bat the deficit may come down a bit.
But with these spinners now with their tails up it is asking a lot to push on much past 300.
Unless Pakistan have one of their melt downs...

That's what I'm quietly praying for, alfie.
It will need to be a fairly decent turnaround to rattle the Pakistan batsmen in their 2nd dig. Australia needed to capitalise more on the early breakthrough in the 1st when they had them reeling at 7/2... but Khan and Ali weathered the early storm and then batted very sensibly.

Aus continue to slide out of contention .
Pakistan will get atleast 100 run lead....more likely a bit more.

even if Pak are up by a 100 and aus do a fantastic job of packing Pakistan out for about 100 in 2nd inning....which given the fraility of pakistan is possible but not very likely.

that will leave Aus with 200 runs to chase.....whihc will be only a 50% chance of winning IMO.

so even if Australia's last 2 wickets and bowlers do a super effort...they still are 50% likely to lose...such are the odds stacked up against Aus at this point.

200 runs would be very tempting though, KP_f. They would definitely have a crack at that.

With Johnson falling to a skied hook the lead looks likely to be in the 150 range...
So unless they bowl Pakistan out for about fifty they won't be chasing 200
(Chasing 200 would be not too unreasonable , to be honest. Pitch isn't exactly turning square ; though it is going to get lower , you'd think)

Reckon Pakistan will be looking to push the target nearer 350 tomorrow and aim at bowling Australia out in four sessions...

All out...lead is 151.

Australia might struggle to get out of this. It doesn't rain in Dubai , does it ?

The Loaded Dog wrote:200 runs would be very tempting though, KP_f. They would definitely have a crack at that.

for one Pakistan get a 151 run lead.......and it's unlikely aus will bundle them for 50 odd

If Aussie bowlers do a super human magic of bundling Pak for 100 odd...then also aus gets 250 to chase.....and on this pitch with 3 spinners......pak would be 60-40 favorites to win defending 250.

even with magic game is looking outside Aus's grasp.

they need one more solid batsman in the top-6....maybe the other Marsh brother...in place of allrounder Marsh to feel like a settled test match batting order

189 ahead Pak with 10 wkts and 2 days in hand. It doesn't rain in UAE.....so pretty much 180 overs available.

they should bat no more than 50 overs get something between 350 -400 lead....and give Aus 130 overs

Anything over 300 and it's effectively game over. Anything over 350-400... well, if you think Aus can win, there's this beach I wanna sell you in Johannesburg.

have a feeling that, the knock from Sarfraz has knocked the stuffing out of OZ and perhaps took the game away from them..

Pak lead by 267 with 9 wkts and 59 overs left in the day

Pak need to step it up
else draw is appearing on the horizon as a possibility also....although a minisicule one

380 on at tea is probably enough...but the ease with which they have scored has influenced them into pushing on ( surely only briefly ?) to push the lead over 400 ... Fair enough if it is only twenty minutes or so ; rushes the Aussie openers , enables them to attack with less concern about runs...
I think Warner rather worries captains contemplating declarations ; but a chase of 400 on the fifth day here - even without any significant deterioration in the pitch - looks to be in the realms of fantasy.

So can Australia bat out 110-120 overs ? We shall see...

Apparently giving Younus a chance to get his hundred...

Won't hold things up too long the way he's going. 96 now...

The Proverbial London bus then?

Yes...Younus his second hundred His twenty sixth for Pakistan , most of any batsman.
Declaration leaves Australian a theoretical target of 438.

Im such a fan of the guy. Couldn't have happened to a classier fella. Well done Younus.

Bright start from Warner ; but Hafeez has come on after just two overs from the pacemen , and immediately looks dangerous.

Lot of spin going to be bowled from here on...

Warner is in prime form isn't he? Five centuries in twelve since punching Root. I think there's a lesson in that to us all.

Warner certainly isn't going to block his way for a day and a bit...he believes in putting the pressure back on the bowlers ; and fair enough too.
Problem for Australia will come if he gets out doing so. Not sure how many of the others are up for a long innings at present. Neither Rogers nor Clarke look in top form , and a few inexperienced players are in there...

...and indeed , there goes Warner.

Australia will need these two to settle in now : but with Warner gone the pressure will be right on ; and defending will be a test of nerves for Doolan ...gone already

Looking grim for Australia...

not watching but the pitch is assisting spin from the read of CI commentary.

2 gone...they might pluck out one more today..... and writing on the wall now

Pitch is indeed helping the spinners a bit now ; not jumping viciously ; but with 400 runs and a full day ahead the pressure is mounting on the batsmen.
Clarke a narrow escape there ...

Saving the game from here would be quite an achievement. Clarke is looking to use his feet here , which is sensible. Playing from the crease is flirting with disaster. But he doesn't want to miss one...

...and now Clarke fails to get far enough forward and is lbw !

Game over I think...just a matter of time.

This series does raise some questions. I know we have a ranking system, but I don't rate it, so:
Is the best team in the World Australia because they beat SA, or SA because they lose less often than Aus?

Night watchman Lyon lasts three balls...49/4.

Much more of this and they'll want the extra half hour

Smith has to come out anyway.

kingraf wrote:This series does raise some questions. I know we have a ranking system, but I don't rate it, so:
Is the best team in the World Australia because they beat SA, or SA because they lose less often than Aus?

Reckon it isn't clear cut any more , raf.

SA are having to adjust to the loss of two great players , so they are not so clearly dominant. And Australia have really only had a great five months - in conditions they like.
I don't think any team can claim automatic bragging rights at present. Going to be some interesting series over the next year or two.

In the meantime whoever is on top of the lists can say they're number one . But we'll all hear "at the moment" when they say it...

Jeez, first slowly, then at all at once.

Yasir and Zulfiqer have bowled pretty well here...

Ajmal ? Who he ?

Smith and Rogers battling hard. Monumental task for them tomorrow though.

Have to send Loaded Dog over to give the boys a bit of a pep talk about playing on these slow low tracks

Goodnight chaps.

Well now that the game is lost...Aus should play with a nothing to lose approach...positive / aggresive Smith must take the game to the opposition......Marsh must make it count in adversity.

lyon, siddle, doolan should be dropped. They are simply
not good enough for test cricket.