Predict the outcome of the 3rd Test between Australia and Pakistan

Predict the outcome of the 3rd Test between Australia and Pakistan


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BouncerGuy

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Squads:

Pakistan Squad:
Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood(c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan(w), Agha Salman, Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza, Aamer Jamal, Shaheen Afridi, Sajid Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Abrar Ahmed, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Wasim Jr

Australia Squad: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey(w), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins(c), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland, Cameron Green


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Imam must be rested for Sydney test. I would definitely play Abrar and Saim. Drop Hasan Ali.

How do you go to Australia with a genuine leg spinner?
 
Seriously?

All of them have the exact same loser attitude. Slumped shoulders, anxious, always looking scared, shy.

No semblance of confidence or fire from any of them.

Why are we producing such players p much copy and paste by the dozen?
 
What am I talking about?

Aggressive batting at 3-4+ rpo

Bowling tight and attacking lines

Lower order batsmen who can hold a bat.

A captain who can at the very least set acceptable fields.

All of which we saw in this test.

Then it’s over for a lot of teams.

Philosophy should be we either go for wins or we lose. No room to draw.

Like we did this game.


Dump out any batsmen who goes against this philosophy. Aka Imam, Saud, Babar (till he regains form)

And see how far we go. Sky is the limit.

I’ll even play Sarfraz and Rizwan together as long as they both attack. Sarfraz in slips is still 150% better than Shafique.

All we need is 1-2 batsmen to go on to make 100+. All of them looked comfortable in alien conditions and all were able to get to 40-50. That too against a fierce attack. So ability is there.

Stop being negative and defensive. Go for broke.
 
I will take Salman ali agha for Wasim and will add Abrar for Hassan for the 3rd test if he is fit.
 
Hasan out Abrar in
Hamza out Wasim in

Conditions will be dry, and those 125kph swingers that were troubling the batsman on that Melbourne pitch would be deposited out the stadium on a dry SCG surface.
 
Weather situation not looking good for Sydney but ideally 3 days worth of cricket is good enough for a result when Pakistan play


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Sydney has the flattest pitch in Aus nowadays and draws are pretty common there
 
Rain might save Pakistan from a whitewash but the Aussie team will need just 3 days of play to pluck the win against Pakistan.
 
Changes should be made because this lot is unable to get something tangible, ideally Imam and Shafiq both should be dropped but lack of options means Shafiq will continue

Saim
Shafiq
Shan
Babar
Saud
Rizwan
Agha
Jamal
SSA
Hamza
Abrar
-----------
Not sure if Abrar is part of the squad if not go with WazJr
 
Changes should be made because this lot is unable to get something tangible, ideally Imam and Shafiq both should be dropped but lack of options means Shafiq will continue

Saim
Shafiq
Shan
Babar
Saud
Rizwan
Agha
Jamal
SSA
Hamza
Abrar
-----------
Not sure if Abrar is part of the squad if not go with WazJr
That is my team as well. You cannot drop Hamza for Abrar or Wasim. Abrar can replace Hassan if he is fit and ready to go. SCG does offer something for spin as well.
 
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2 changes
Saim for Imam ( The former should be dropped for good)

Abrar for Hasan ( though I would have liked to retain Hasan in the 11 but Abrar if fit has to come in and Hamza did reasonably well and needs another go irrespective of the pitch in Sydney)

Toss will be crucial and team winning the toss wd definitely bat first unless it’s a green deck with overcast conditions..

Pakistan won’t get a better chance to win a test down under.
That is my team as well. You cannot drop Hamza for Abrar of Wasim. Abrar can replace Hassan if he is fit and ready to go. SCG does offer something for spin as well.
 
Sydney historically requires 2 spinners. Australia used to pick both Warne and McGill here. What will be Pakistan's approach?
 
Abrar for Hasan ( though I would have liked to retain Hasan in the 11 but Abrar if fit has to come in and Hamza did reasonably well and needs another go irrespective of the pitch in Sydney)
hasan was bowling very accurately I would not drop him
 
As per reports, Imam-ul-Haq is likely to be dropped from the side with youngster Saim Ayub set to make his debut for 3rd Test against Australia.

Imam's batting has been slow during the series so far. The left-hander has scored 94 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 31.22.
 
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Get Saim to open.

It doesn’t matter if he scores two ducks as there is zero expectation on him. This is not his format nor does anyone expect him to be ready.

A one off test in a dead rubber in still challenging conditions is the perfect exposure to see what he is made of.
 
This is Warner's last game so Australians would definitely play hard to win convincingly, even if the weather interrupts play.
I'm not sure if we have any plans to celebrate with Warner and give him gifts.
 
If it's overcast then it would definitely swing and seam a bit in Sydney. The toss and first session is important from our perspective. Go with two seamers and two spinners. But then the way Pakistan has been playing recently against Australia, they can beat us even if the match was played at Bondi Beach.
 
We need to drop Saud for Abrar, i would have gone for dropping Agha but his 50 has gotten him favour above Saud.

Drop Hassan for Wasim Jnr, and drop imam useless for Saim.
 
hasan was bowling very accurately I would not drop him
I would want to keep him in the 11 too but if Abrar has to come in then someone has to sit out and it can’t be Hamza. It’s a tough choice to make but it unfortunately has to be Hasan Ali ..
 
Aus is still the face. 3-0 result. The gulf between the 2 teams is huge. As it's a dead rubber Imam should be dropped for saim. If abrar is fit he should walk in. Pak needs 2 spinners on sydney.. and if they can win the toss- need to bat first and put up a big score
 
Abdullah Shafique the catch dropper should be replaced with Saim
 
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This is Warner's last game so Australians would definitely play hard to win convincingly, even if the weather interrupts play.
I'm not sure if we have any plans to celebrate with Warner and give him gifts.
Gift wrapped drop catch incoming
 
Saim and abrar need to come in.

Pakistan charity in games needs to stop
 
Imam has to be done and dusted. Don't want to see him again
 
Hasan out Abrar in
Hamza out Wasim in

Conditions will be dry, and those 125kph swingers that were troubling the batsman on that Melbourne pitch would be deposited out the stadium on a dry SCG surface.

No ruling on Imam?
 
Pakistan cricket team update:

The Pakistan cricket team has arrived in Sydney from Melbourne. The Pakistan team will practice from 1 pm to 4:30 pm on the 1st and 2nd of January. The third and final test between Pakistan and Australia will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3rd to 7th.​
 
Excited for Saim to debut.

Shan seems like a captain under whom stroke makers can thrive, as he too is trying to be aggressive. And not strokegivers with their mind numbingly slow batting.

So hopefully we can expect Saim to get a long rope.
 
Australia stick with unchanged squad for SCG Test

There will be no surprise debutants in Sydney with selectors resisting the temptation to inject new blood

Australia won't blood speedster Lance Morris in the third Test against Pakistan, sticking with the same 13-player squad for Sydney.

Selectors confirmed on Sunday there would be no change from the group that won by 79 runs in Melbourne, as they pursue a 3-0 clean sweep of the NRMA Insurance series at the SCG starting on Wednesday.

It means Scott Boland stays in the extended squad as a fourth fast bowler, while allrounder Cameron Green also remains as part of the group.

Morris had been viewed as a chance to debut this summer, but if that is to happen it will need to be against West Indies after he was left to keep playing in the KFC BBL.

Australia squad for Sydney Test: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner

Coach Andrew McDonald had indicated that his battery of fast bowlers pulled up well from the win at the MCG, with a four-day gap between Tests.

"At this stage they have got through well," McDonald said on Saturday.

"As we sat down in the changeroom (on Friday), the feedback was good in terms of the bodies.

"In two days' time, we'll probably get a better handle on that."

A bigger call does await for selectors in the next fortnight, with a decision to be made on the retiring David Warner's replacement for the first Test against West Indies in Adelaide from January 17.

Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft and Matt Renshaw lead the list of contending openers, while selectors have not ruled out bringing in Green to fill the role or moving another player up the order.

"The NSP have retained the same squad from Melbourne to Sydney as we look to clean sweep the Test series," chief selector George Bailey said.

"We look forward to celebrating David Warner's final Test match and his incredible career at his home ground."

While the centrally-contracted Marcus Harris looms as the likely replacement, McDonald appeared to leave the door open for Cameron Green to move to the top of the Test order, refusing to limit the candidate pool to specialist openers.

"All options will be considered," McDonald said.

"We're not going to make the decision until the deadline, which would be the West Indies game.

"But yeah, Cameron Green, as a discussion around who are the best six batters, would definitely be in the discussion.

"(Warner is) going to be hard to replace, someone who strikes at 70 and averaging 45. He probably at the moment sits as probably our greatest all-three-format player.

"He'll be a loss. I know people have been gunning for him for a period of time, but for us internally we've seen the great value in what he brings to the table hence why we've kept picking him."

Harris hit a century in a Junction Oval tour match against Pakistan ahead of the Boxing Day Test, while Bancroft has been the Marsh Sheffield Shield's top run-scorer for the past season and a half.

Asked whether it would be an easier job for a specialist opener, Bancroft was adamant that was the case.

"Yeah, absolutely," he told AAP. "I've opened the batting in Shield cricket for over 10 years. It's not an easy place to bat.

"It comes with challenges, and my whole career I've problem-solved trying to find ways to flourish in those sort of circumstances.

"Some players have switched and gone and opened the batting and done really well. But not everyone puts their hand up to go and open the batting.

"I feel like it probably is a specialist position and it's certainly a really challenging one. But a very rewarding one as well.

"I've had some conversations (with selectors) over the last 12 months or so and asked some questions about what I can do to improve. I'm always looking to improve and get better. I wanted that feedback from them.

"But I guess it always comes down to scoring runs, so I've just tried to go out and do the best I can no matter what format of the game that I've been playing."

SOURCE: https://www.cricket.com.au/news/3844510/australia-stick-with-unchanged-squad-for-scg-test
 
Salman Butt speaking on his YouTube channel:

“He can be replaced by Saim Ayub for the last Test. As many innings I have seen of Imam, I have also seen some long innings of him; he does not have strokes in his innings; he just flicks the ball on the middle and leg, that is all. He will not go on pull because he was struggling even in India with slow switches and short boundaries. He got out on a short ball against the Netherlands, so he knows that he has a problem there, so he will not go for short balls. The cut shot is also not his strong area, and there is no one who is going to ball him in front of his face. Every bowler knows where he is vulnerable, so unless he plays shots in Australia, it's not like you have to hit every ball, but you have to pick and choose. If the ball is slightly off-line, you should be able to score runs on it, especially in Australia. Shan was batting in front of him against the same bowlers. You can see a lot of fluency in Shan's batting, but Imam was lacking run-making shots, the range of stroke is not present for him; runs are there for him, and he kept scoring them consistently, but in these conditions, you have to score runs towards the square of the wicket, but Imam cannot do that.”​
 
iA boys become men and can release their inner tiger, it'll be a huge introspection, granted, but they simply have to avoid defeat. Problem with Pakistani cricketers is it's all or nothing. Should've won the last test and wilted.

Shaheen is finding his groove after huge turbulence since his injury, new kids have performed and the ever-fickle batsmen need to display some swordsmanship they desperately and peculiarly lack.
 
I think the final XI for this test will be quite different, I expect we'll see something like this:
Saim
Abdullah
Shan
Babar
Agha (may come up the order)
Rizwaan
Faheem
Shaheen
Wasim
Abrar
Possibly Sajid although I'd prefer a third pacer but I think they will opt for a second specialist spinner.
 
Since it is Sydney, will Pakistan play 2 spinners?

Would be surprised if Pakistan go with 1 spinner.
 
Looks like Haris Rauf has joined the squad.

Surely he won't be playing?
How was he even allowed to join the squad when just a fortnight ago he didn’t want anything to do with test cricket. Has he changed his mind over night??? How badly Pakistan missed his pace in the 2nd test!!!
 
SCG curator Adam Lewis Adam Lewis told Sydney Morning Herald:

"We really have a lot of time for David Warner. He really looks after the curators around Australia. And he's gone into bat for us a lot of the time."

"He knows what we go through, and he knows how tough it is. We've got a lot of respect for him. I know my whole team here would love nothing more than to see him get a hundred in his last Test. That would be great."
 
I expect big scores possibly from both team in the first innings making 2nd innings crucial.
 
I think the final XI for this test will be quite different, I expect we'll see something like this:
Saim
Abdullah
Shan
Babar
Agha (may come up the order)
Rizwaan
Faheem
Shaheen
Wasim
Abrar
Possibly Sajid although I'd prefer a third pacer but I think they will opt for a second specialist spinner.
You can't drop Hamza after his last match, he even caught well!!
 
Wicket will be flat to aid David Warner for a signing off ton, ideal chance for Pakistan batsman to score 500+ and let Abrar dictate the game. However in reality Aus will win again Pakistan lacks the depth & temperament for Test cricket
 
Weather situation not looking good for Sydney but ideally 3 days worth of cricket is good enough for a result when Pakistan play


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this could well be a Draw . Pakistan should go with a decent 5th bowling option which is not Agha , drop Imam & Hasan from 11 .
 
They will need 4 seamers and a spinner. What this series has shown is that Pakistan can't go into the matches in Australia with only 3 seamers; this time they had 4 seamers and were much more effective. Pakistan bowlers don't have the stamina and resilience to bowl as a 3 they get tired end up getting flayed all over the park. In 2019 they went in with only 3 seamers last time in Australia and Warmer smashed 335 and the spinner Yasir Shah was bowled into the dust. 4 seamers gives the bowlers a break and the captain can rotate. Pakistan may need a slightly longer tail if they want 4 seamers and a spinner but it's worth it. The seamers have shown they can be quite effective as a 4. Pakistani bowlers natural style is short explosive spells rather than long ones.
 
First clear and obvious change is Saim in for Imam. I’d also go with Nawaz in place of Salman because he’s the better spinner and both are equally bad with the bat.
 
Pakistan practice for the SCG Test

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Haris Rauf reportedly made a deal with Wahab Riaz three weeks ago that he would make himself available for the Third Test.

My preference would be:

1. Abdullah Shafique
2. Shan Masood
3. Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
4. Babar Azam
5. Saud Shakeel
6. Agha Salman
7. Mohammad Nawaz
8. Sajid Khan
9. Hasan Ali
10. Shaheen Shah Afridi
11. Haris Rauf
 
Probably the friendliest venue for Pakistan. Not as bouncy as other venues. Not quick as well. very close to subcontinent pitches.

It has been that way in recent history- the spin reputation is well in the past now.

However this year the groundsman claims the pitch has been "revitalised". New pitches have been laid (new clay, new grass)
and teams have struggled to score even 250 in Sheffield Shield. Scores <100 have been common!

I assume they will have it drier and grass cut shorter than those very very spicy shield pitches but I honestly have no idea how the Test pitch will play this season.
 
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As per reports, Haris Rauf, Usama Mir and Zaman Khan who were initially in Australia for the Big Bash League (BBL), have joined the Pakistan cricket squad.

As per report, a spokesperson has stated that three players will be practicing with the Test squad despite not being a part of the Test squad for Australia series.
 
Imam has to go,! if Abrar is fit then he plays otherwise Waseem deserves as game
 
Haris Rauf reportedly made a deal with Wahab Riaz three weeks ago that he would make himself available for the Third Test.

My preference would be:

1. Abdullah Shafique
2. Shan Masood
3. Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
4. Babar Azam
5. Saud Shakeel
6. Agha Salman
7. Mohammad Nawaz
8. Sajid Khan
9. Hasan Ali
10. Shaheen Shah Afridi
11. Haris Rauf
I don’t get it.

Why should Rauf get a chance though? And what is M Wasim Jnr’s fault?

Asif Mujtaba at the current age of 60 has a better chance to taking a wicket in Australia than M Nawaz.
 
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese organized a ceremony in Sydney on Monday in honor of the Pakistan and Australian cricket teams. In addition to the two teams, Pakistan Cricket Board Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf was present in the ceremony. Chief Operating Officer Salman Naseer also attended. High Commissioner of Pakistan in Australia Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry and officials of Australian Cricket Board were also present on this occasion.

He also praised the exemplary behavior of the Pakistan cricket team in this tour and hoped that good cricket will be seen in the Sydney Test as well.

Pakistan cricket team captain Shaan Masood expressed his gratitude to the Australian Prime Minister for inviting the Pakistan team. He said that both the teams are playing positive cricket in this series. Shaan Masood said that such tours give us opportunities to play the role of ambassador of the country not only through sports but also through our behavior.

IMG-20240101-WA0032.jpg
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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese organized a ceremony in Sydney on Monday in honor of the Pakistan and Australian cricket teams. In addition to the two teams, Pakistan Cricket Board Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf was present in the ceremony. Chief Operating Officer Salman Naseer also attended. High Commissioner of Pakistan in Australia Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry and officials of Australian Cricket Board were also present on this occasion.

He also praised the exemplary behavior of the Pakistan cricket team in this tour and hoped that good cricket will be seen in the Sydney Test as well.

Pakistan cricket team captain Shaan Masood expressed his gratitude to the Australian Prime Minister for inviting the Pakistan team. He said that both the teams are playing positive cricket in this series. Shaan Masood said that such tours give us opportunities to play the role of ambassador of the country not only through sports but also through our behavior.

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Why does Zaka Ahsraf feel he has the right to be on every tour
 
Australia needs to prepare a track that is as flat as a pancake.

Pakistan's worst suit is their bowling. By preparing seaming tracks in both Perth and Melbourne, Pakistan managed to get 35 out of 40 wickets and that allowed them to remain in the game for long periods.

If they produce a pitch that is 500+, Pakistan with their dibbly dobbly bowlers would not be able to get wickets at all thus shutting the team out of the match. And we all know that Pakistani batsmen would collapse even on a cement track if the opposition has racked up 500+.

If Australia again produces a green track ala Sydney 2010, then Pakistan will be in with a chance of competing especially if they bowl first. Anything other than a green pitch will ensure a heavy defeat for Pakistan.
 
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese organized a ceremony in Sydney on Monday in honor of the Pakistan and Australian cricket teams. In addition to the two teams, Pakistan Cricket Board Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf was present in the ceremony. Chief Operating Officer Salman Naseer also attended. High Commissioner of Pakistan in Australia Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry and officials of Australian Cricket Board were also present on this occasion.

He also praised the exemplary behavior of the Pakistan cricket team in this tour and hoped that good cricket will be seen in the Sydney Test as well.

Pakistan cricket team captain Shaan Masood expressed his gratitude to the Australian Prime Minister for inviting the Pakistan team. He said that both the teams are playing positive cricket in this series. Shaan Masood said that such tours give us opportunities to play the role of ambassador of the country not only through sports but also through our behavior.

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The Australian Prime Minister acknowledges the spirit of camaraderie between Team Pakistan and Australia.

 
As per reports, Haris Rauf, Usama Mir and Zaman Khan who were initially in Australia for the Big Bash League (BBL), have joined the Pakistan cricket squad.

As per report, a spokesperson has stated that three players will be practicing with the Test squad despite not being a part of the Test squad for Australia series.
Why join now especially Rauf? Test series is done.
 
It has been that way in recent history- the spin reputation is well in the past now.

However this year the groundsman claims the pitch has been "revitalised". New pitches have been laid (new clay, new grass)
and teams have struggled to score even 250 in Sheffield Shield. Scores <100 have been common!

I assume they will have it drier and grass cut shorter than those very very spicy shield pitches but I honestly have no idea how the Test pitch will play this season.
Sydney will be a flatter track than Perth or mcg
 
My X1 for sydney

1 Saim
2 Abdullah
3 Shan(C)
4 Babar Azam
5 Saud Shakeel
6 Rizwan (WK)
7 Salman Ali
7. Mohammad Nawaz
8 Aamir Jamal
9 Wasim Jr
10 Abrar if fit (Sajid)
11 Mir Hamza

shaheen Afrdi rested as he s got T20s to lead and the series in Aus is gone.

This attack gives good variey with Left arm swing, Right arm pacers who hit the deck, Leg spin, Left arm spin and off spin and some batting depth as we havent scored enough runs yet.

Saim has the potential to be our Warner.
 
Australia needs to prepare a track that is as flat as a pancake.

Pakistan's worst suit is their bowling. By preparing seaming tracks in both Perth and Melbourne, Pakistan managed to get 35 out of 40 wickets and that allowed them to remain in the game for long periods.

If they produce a pitch that is 500+, Pakistan with their dibbly dobbly bowlers would not be able to get wickets at all thus shutting the team out of the match. And we all know that Pakistani batsmen would collapse even on a cement track if the opposition has racked up 500+.

If Australia again produces a green track ala Sydney 2010, then Pakistan will be in with a chance of competing especially if they bowl first. Anything other than a green pitch will ensure a heavy defeat for Pakistan.
Pakistan is currently hopeless against Australia on any wicket. They even lost a WC warmup game where Warner and other part-timers were giving them pies to hit. If somehow Pakistan can dominate the first two sessions of this Test then they can be competitive but if Australia takes the early initiative then it would be hard to come back. And Australia is not Pakistan, they would not make the same mistakes they did while batting at the MCG.
 
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