SYDNEY: Pakistan will be searching for their first Test win in Australia in almost 15 years when they take on Ricky Ponting’s men in the second Test starting here from Sunday with their hopes hinging on fit-again leg-spinner Danish Kaneria.
Kaneria missed the Melbourne Test because of an injured finger but is now fully fit and is looking forward to the sort of performance, which he believes will be able to give the Pakistanis a rare win here at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) that was soaked by heavy rain on Saturday.
However, Pakistan suffered a major blow less than 24 hours before the start of their match when in-form fast bowler Mohammad Aamer was ruled out of the match because of stiffness.
Intikhab Alam, the Pakstan coach told Arab News here at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday that the team management has decided against fielding Aamer in the second Test in order to shield him from a serious injury.
It was here in 1995 that Pakistan last won a Test in Australia. They’ve lost 10 consecutive Tests against the Aussies since then including the series opener in Melbourne on Wednesday.
Though SCG curator Tom Parker has made it clear that wet weather in Sydney means that the pitch will have a lot of juice for fast bowlers and will only offer ample turn to spinners on the last two days, Pakistani management is hoping that Kaneria will click.
“He is one fine spinner, who has been taking wickets consistently for Pakistan in the last eight, nine years,” Yousuf told Arab News ahead of a nets session on Saturday.
“I’m actually surprised that he doesn’t get enough respect back home because I believe he is a matchwinner,” said Yousuf.
Ricky Ponting, Yousuf’s Australian counterpart, had similar views about Kaneria, the 29-year-old from Karachi with 245 wickets from 56 Tests at 33.84.
“He’s a very good bowler. I saw his record come up against some of the great spinners of the last 10 years and it stacks up very well against the best of them,” said Ponting. There is additional responsibility on Kaneria because another potential matchwinner – Mohammad Aamer – has been ruled out of the Test.
Aamer bowled a sensational second innings spell in Melbourne, picking up five wickets and was expected to shine again in Sydney.
With him out, Pakistan will be hoping that comeback pacers Umar Gul and Mohammad Sami will add firepower to their attack.
Sami has not played a Test since 2007 while Gul has been going through a lean patch. Sami can excel if he bowls fast enough while Gul will have to reproduce the sort of reverse that made him one of the heroes of Pakistan’s title-winning triumph in the ICC World Twenty20 in England last summer.
In such circumstances, the one man who can actually deliver for Pakistan is Mohammad Asif. He picked up 19 wickets on the Test tour of New Zealand but was unable to really click in Melbourne.
The pacer, who made a wicketless debut at the SCG in 2005, is confident of doing much better this time. “I’m much more experienced now and my form is good which gives me a lot of confidence ahead of the match,” he told this correspondent.
Yousuf, meanwhile, said that Pakistan have decided to stick with a three-man pace attack because of the SCG green top. “There is plenty of grass on the wicket for which we will need three pacers.”
He ruled out playing five bowlers, saying that it will leave his brittle batting line-up even more fragile. “We cannot afford to leave out a batsman because already we have been struggling with the bat,” said Yousuf.
The mood in the Pakistan camp, according to Yousuf, remains upbeat in spite of the Melbourne defeat.
“I’ve been telling the boys to fight and to learn from their mistakes,” he said. “It’s not about winning or losing it’s about how we play. I think he had some good sessions in Melbourne and that’s a good sign.
Ponting, meanwhile, is not ruling out a Pakistan backlash.
“We know what to expect from them, we know they have some very talented players. Last week we had their measure, up to us to make sure we start well again,” he said.
The conditions, like Melbourne, could help Pakistan. Its hot and humid in Sydney and the track will eventually offer enough turn.
But can the tourists make full use of it?
“We will have to,” said Yousuf. “The conditions favored us even in Melbourne where it was quite hot and the wicket was dry. I hope this time we will do better.”
Pakistan: (likely) Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Faisal Iqbal, Mohammad Yousuf (captain), Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal (wk), Mohammad Sami, Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif, Danish Kaneria.
Australia: (likely) Shane Watson, Simon Katich, 3 Ricky Ponting (captain), Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Marcus North, Brad Haddin (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Peter Siddle, Doug Bollinger.
