Dubai - Pakistan sit comfortably at the cusp of another series win at home when they take on Australia here at Dubai International Cricket Stadium today (Friday).
Pakistan won't have too many selection decisions to ponder, certainly not in the bowling department. Their batting looked solid at the top with Babar Azam (68*) and Mohammad Hafeez (39) stringing together a fine 73-run stand for the second wicket, but there wasn't much to write home about after that.
The likes of Asif Ali, Hussain Talat, Faheem Ashraf and captain Sarfraz Ahmed all suffered failures, but it would be a little harsh to judge them since they didn't have the luxury of time to get their eye in. If Australia can prise out early wickets, it will be interesting to see how the middle order then responds.
Having tasted defeat in the Test series, the belief was that Australia would come out strong in the first T20, but as it turned out, they imploded, just like they did in the Test series against a full-blooded Pakistan attack. Now, as the attention shifts to the second T20, Australia find themselves once again chasing a series and look to avoid a series defeat during the second T2wenty 20.
Even with a different captain, Australia address the same issue, batting. Chasing 156, they were shot out for 89 with Imad Wasim and Faheem Ashraf shredding the top order like it was some school team. Aaron Finch termed in a car crash in a slow motion, with Glenn Maxwell, Chris Lynn, Darcy Short and the captain himself getting dismissed in single digits. This was exactly what Australia did not need after their bowlers – Billy Stanlake and Andrew Tye (three wickets apiece) had fought back well to restrict Pakistan to 155. One match and it can be another scarring defeat ahead of the South Africa and India series. Something has got to give.
All-rounder Faheem Ashraf has enjoyed much success in international cricket with his disciplined brand of right-arm seam bowling, and he took two top-order wickets in the first game. The 24-year-old is also a capable batsman, and Pakistan will want him to also contribute in that discipline, should the need arise.
Australia’s captain Aaron Finch may have fallen for a duck in the first T20I, but Finch is the No.1 ranked T20I batsman on the MRF Tyres ICC T20I Rankings for a reason. He is fully capable of turning things around, and as shown in the Tests, he can also tackle spin bowling well. After the failure in the first game, he will only be more motivated to excel.
True to its usual self, Dubai weather on Friday is forecast to be hot and dry. As for the pitch, it tends to be conducive towards spin bowling, but fast bowlers too have enjoyed success on the wicket, thanks to an element of variable bounce. Batsmen will have to work hard for their runs.
“Opening the batting, it’s my responsibility to get us off to a good start and set up the chase there. I take full responsibility for that. I think any time that you’re chasing a total like that it’s important you have a solid start and for me to get out in the first over and not give us that was not good enough,” said Australia captain Aaron Finch following the team’s collapse inside the Powerplay.
PAKISTAN: Sarfraz Ahmed (c, wk), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Asif Ali, Hassan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Babar Azam, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Hafeez, Shadab Khan, Shoaib Malik, Waqas Maqsood, Usman Khan Shinwari, Hussain Talat, Imad Wasim, Fakhar Zaman.
AUSTRALIA: Aaron Finch (c), Mitch Marsh (vc), Alex Carey (vc), Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Darcy Short, Peter Siddle, Billy Stanlake, Mitch Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa.