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AUS vs PAK Pitch report: Iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground venue will be hosting a crucial Boxing Day Test between Australia and struggling Pakistan from Tuesday. The hosts took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series with a dominant 360-run win in the opening match in Perth and are favourites to seal the series in Melbourne.
Pakistan struggled to stand their ground against the mighty Australian side in the Perth Test and are facing injury issues ahead of the Melbourne match. Bowlers Noman Ali and Khurram Shahzad are ruled due to injury and Pakistan have added Mohammad Nawaz to their team for the second Test.
Australia have released pacer Lance Morris from their squad and are unlikely to tinker with their playing eleven for the upcoming Boxing Day clash.
MCG, Melbourne Pitch Report
Melbourne Cricket Ground offers a balanced surface in red-ball cricket. Pacer bowlers get excellent help with bounce and seam with a new ball but it’s the batters’ game after lunch. Spinners will struggle to find any turn and fans can expect some grass on the pitch. Team captains are expected to bat first with bowling-first teams winning only 42 of 116 Test matches played at MCG.
Melbourne Cricket Ground – The Numbers Game
Test Stats
Total Test matches – 116
Matches won batting first – 56
Matches won bowling first – 42
Average 1st Inns scores – 307
Average 2nd Inns scores – 313
Average 3rd Inns scores – 252
Average 4th Inns scores – 171
Highest total recorded – 624/8 (142 Ov) by Australia vs Pakistan in December 2016
Lowest total recorded – 36/10 (23.2 Ov) by South Africa vs Australia in February 1932
AUS vs PAK, 2nd Test Squads:
Australia Test Squad: Pat Cummins (c), David Warner, Travis Head, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Scott Boland
Pakistan Test squad: Shan Masood (c), Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Agha Salman, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Aamer Jamal, Saim Ayub, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Mohammad Nawaz
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