The Pakistan team have been hit by injuries and made several changes to their lineup for the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, including dropping veteran wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed.
Meanwhile, Australia has named an unchanged XI, as they look to seal the series after their emphatic win in Perth.
The hosts thrashed Shan Masood's side by 360 runs inside four days at the first Test, with pace spearheads Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood all bowling brilliantly. This has led to Australia naming an unchanged team for the Boxing Day Test, with Scott Boland, who took 6-7 on debut at the MCG against England in 2021, missing out.
Australia captain Pat Cummins said that Boland is still very much in their plans and will get his chance at some point in the series. He also said that he is confident of a result in the Boxing Day Test, despite the expected showers and potential thunderstorms on the first day.
Pakistan have had a torrid time with injuries since the Perth Test, with fast bowler Khurram Shahzad and their two leading spinners, Abrar Ahmed and Noman Ali, all ruled out of the Melbourne match. They have also made some changes to their batting lineup, with Mohammad Nawaz taking over the gloves from Sarfaraz Ahmed and Sajid Khan their only remaining spin option.
Pakistan captain Shan Masood said that the decision to drop Ahmed was a tactical one, based on the conditions and what they can get out of each player. He also backed Mohammad Rizwan to take over the wicketkeeping duties.
The Boxing Day Test is set to be a fascinating match, with Australia looking to wrap up the series early and Pakistan desperate to get back on track. With both sides evenly matched, it is sure to be a close contest.
Australia XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (capt), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
Pakistan XII: Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (capt), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Agha Salman, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza, Aamer Jamal, Sajid Khan
Here are some of the key takeaways from the story:
- Australia have named an unchanged XI for the Boxing Day Test.
- Pakistan have been hit by injuries and have made several changes to their lineup.
- Scott Boland misses out for Australia, while Sarfaraz Ahmed is dropped by Pakistan.
- Showers and potential thunderstorms are expected on the first day of play.
- Australia are confident of a result, while Pakistan are looking to get back on track.
