Australia will go with the same squad in the third and final historic test game against Pakistan, starting from Monday here at the Gaddafi Stadium while Josh Hazlewood again dropped out of the squad for the last test in Lahore.
Australia will go with the same squad in the third and final historic test game against Pakistan, starting from Monday here at the Gaddafi Stadium. Pakistan and Australia’s ongoing test series are on a knife-edge after two compelling Tests, both ending in draws.
Pakistan’s second-biggest city and its Gaddafi Stadium have not hosted a single test match after the terror attack on the Sri Lanka team bus left six security personnel and two civilians dead.
The right-arm pacer Josh Hazlewood will exclude for the second time in a row as Mitchell Swepson replaced him in the second test in Karachi.
Captain Pat Cummins stated that he is content with how his side performed in the Karachi test that ended in a draw.
“We were really happy with how all 11 players went the last Test,”
said skipper Pat Cummins as quoted by cricket.com.au.
“Everyone has pulled up well. We gave them an extra couple of days to make sure everyone has come up well. But there are no injury worries, everyone is freshened up, so we’re confident in the XI,”
he added.
“Only having two quick bowlers, I think the reverse swing is going to be a big factor, and the way Mitchell Starc played last game was fantastic. It’s always tough leaving out someone like Joshy, even Scotty Boland. But the class and the difference Starcy brings as a left-armer a bit more airspeed we think that’s the best chance to take 20 wickets,”
said Cummins.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam will be high on confidence after grabbing a sensational draw in Karachi last time out, by hitting a career-best 196 and vice-captain Rizwan 104 not out.
Kangaroo’s looked to be in a comfortable position in Karachi but after gaining a big 408 run lead skipper Cummins did not enforce the follow-on and Pakistan left them to toil for 171.4 overs, the most played in the fourth innings.
Pakistan and Australia will meet for the final test on Monday at Gaddafi Stadium. While none of the current Pakistan players has played the test at the Gaddafi Stadium.
Australia XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Swepson, Nathan Lyon