Pakistan eye a historic series win

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Pakistan Eye A Historic Series Win
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After being humiliated and white-washed by the
Aussies in the ODI series, the Pakistanis
surprised everybody by bouncing back handsomely
and winning the first Test emphatically by 221
runs in Dubai.
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Suddenly, the Australians have started to feel
the heat in the desert. The second and final Test
of the series starts tomorrow in Abu Dhabi and
the tourists are keen on restoring their pride.
The Australians are known for their tenacity and
courage and the Pakistanis will be well aware of
a possible backlash coming their way.
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Sure a crushing loss in the previous start will
be a hard pill to swallow for the Aussies, but
given their recent track record in the Tests, it
would be a folly to bet again Michael Clarkes
men.
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Meanwhile, Pakistan will be desperate to end
their twenty year rut of not winning a Test
series against the Aussies. It was way back in
1994, when Pakistan merely managed to beat the
Aussies in a Test series.
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Given so much at stake, the Abu Dhabi Test will
be an intriguing one. And, if both teams can
bring their best game to the field, then we could
have a tremendous end to the Test series. Still
it is anybodys ball game.
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Pitch Conditions
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The Australians couldnt adapt well to the
conditions in Dubai. Besides the heat, the pitch
was playing low and slow. And, the Pakistani spin
pair of Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah spun a web
around the Aussie batsmen. The conditions in Abu
Dhabi too will be similar. Expect variable
bounce and the spinners could once again call the
shots. That said, the batsmen can get decent runs
in the first two days and it is highly unlikely
that the captain winning the toss might be
tempted to bowl first.
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Given the success in Dubai, the Pakistanis are
unlikely to make any changes to their playing
eleven. That said, they might be tempted to give
their veteran opener Tuafeeq Umar a go for the
out of sorts Mohammad Hafeez.
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On the other hand, the visitors too are unlikely
to make any wholesale changes to their squad. A
few questions have been raised about Alex
Doolans place in the team, but he might just
keep his place ahead of Phil Hughes. Spinner
OKeefe might have to sit out for a seamer. But
that is likely to be a delayed decision which
might be taken early morning tomorrow.
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Key Players
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Mitchell Johnson
His fiery and hostile spell with the new cherry
can destroy the Pakistanis in a jiffy. If there
is some moisture in the wicket, this champion
bowler will exploit it. A must in all fantasy
cricket teams.
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Azhar Ali
He has got a compact technique to survive against
an Aussie pace onslaught. His role with the bat
at the top will be vital for Pakistan. A value
for money pick in fantasy cricket leagues.
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PAK Probable 11
Shehzad, T Umar/Hafeez, Younis, A Ali,
Misbah, Shafiq, Ahmed, Babar, R Ali, Y
Shah, I Khan
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AUS Probable 11
Warner, Rogers, Doolan/Hughes, Clarke, Smith,
Haddin, Marsh, Johnson, Siddle,
Hilfenaus/OKeefe, Lyon