*Official* Pakistan vs Australia in the UAE 2018

[NotMcKenzie]

It's annoying that we're already three down; but at the same time, seeing the Lineage bros both making ducks is oddly satisfying.

 

[trundler]

The fact that Muhammad Abbas has just taken 7 frickin' wickets in Dubai is not being highlighted enough. He's so damn good and massively underrated. Love him. Is there anything better to watch in test cricket than a minimalist trundler?

 

[Borges]

Abbas has bowled well; and he has been more than a mere minimalist trundler. The only bowler in this game, who got noticeable reverse swing.

 

[trundler]

Should have put in 'seemingly minimalist'. And yes, he got it to reverse. He's got the tools to be great everywhere. Got Finch in the first innings too. Abbas was our best bowler in England as well as here. What more could you ask for.

 

[Howsie]

Wow, that is definitely the worst Australian test XI I’ve ever seen. I mean I don’t believe Aaron Finch is anywhere near good enough to be a test match opener and yet he’s probably problem number six in this team.

Mitchell Marsh @ four, the young Saffa kid who averages 30 in FC cricket, Tim Paine, and the corpse of Peter Siddle. These guys seriously can’t be the best Australia have to offer yeah?

 

[Tangles]

Wow, that is definitely the worst Australian test XI I’ve ever seen. I mean I don’t believe Aaron Finch is anywhere near good enough to be a test match opener and yet he’s probably problem number six in this team.

Mitchell Marsh @ four, the young Saffa kid who averages 30 in FC cricket, Tim Paine, and the corpse of Peter Siddle. These guys seriously can’t be the best Australia have to offer yeah?

The best the selectors and Langer can come up with.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Abbass bowling like a boss.

Expect him to take 6 more Aussie wickets

 

[Burgey]

Glad Head is making a contribution. I don't think he's the answer to our batting problems but it's good to see someone on dayboo not do a Graham Gooch.

 

[smash84]

Glad Head is making a contribution. I don't think he's the answer to our batting problems but it's good to see someone on dayboo not do a Graham Gooch.

Australia need Head

but the openers doing fairly well in both innings is a bit of a pleasant surprise for Australia I reckon

 

[Burgey]

Very much condition dependent I feel. Little seam movement or conventional swing. With the unavailabilities and dud selections, they really need to stack the top order. Renshaw must play next test. I know he hasn't had much "time in the middle" but tbf neither have any of the blokes currently playing who aren't opening. I'd move Finch to three, purely because Khawaja coming to face spin from both ends is not worth thinking about. Such a **** show.

 

[smash84]

Very much condition dependent I feel. Little seam movement or conventional swing. With the unavailabilities and dud selections, they really need to stack the top order. Renshaw must play next test. I know he hasn't had much "time in the middle" but tbf neither have any of the blokes currently playing who aren't opening. I'd move Finch to three, purely because Khawaja coming to face spin from both ends is not worth thinking about. Such a **** show.

by whatever little i have seen (more from the scorecard) Khawaja has been doing fairly well against spin?

 

[Burgey]

You still sort of expect him to get out every ball, but he’s found a way, which he deserves a fair bit of credit for.

Apparently he’s the first Australian opener since Watto in 2010 to pass 50 twice in a test in Asia.

 

[Tangles]

If he opens the odds of starting vs spin are reduced and he seems to play better once he is in.

 

[GotSpin]

Yeah I wouldn’t say his spin demonss are behind him but he has done well here.

 

[quincywagstaff]

Like I said earlier, Khawaja is actually a pretty good player of leg-spin from what I’ve seen; he played Shah well in 2016/17 and looked pretty comfortable here.

His main problems have always been against off-spin. Pakistan made the right move by starting with Hafeez and he clearly troubled him a few times when he pitched the ball up on the stumps; for whatever reason Khawaja always looks so awkward against those deliveries. Reckon Pakistan made an error in not keeping him on more than 2 overs when Khawaja is still new to batting.

 

[Crazy Sam]

Would love to know the odds at the start of the year of Labuschagne a) taking a wicket in test cricket this year and b) taking more wickets than his runs scored in test cricket this year

add to this c) taking more wickets than Starc in a test

 

[NZTailender]

 

[Burgey]

Arun does.

Not the hero we wanted, but the one we need.

 

[Starfighter]

Khawaja's 43.7 feels a bit left out.

 

[stephen]

Future cricket forum posters will wonder why Australia persisted with Shaun Marsh for so long.