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AUS vs PAK Pitch report: How will surface at Melbourne Cricket Ground play in 2nd Test?

Iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground hosts Australia's second Test match against Shan Masood-led Pakistani team in the Boxing Day fixture. Pat Cummins' Australia are leading the three-match series 1-0 after a dominant 360-run win in Perth.

Written By: Sumeet Kavthale @sumeetkavthale New Delhi Published on: December 24, 2023 23:34 IST
Melbourne Cricket Ground
Image Source : GETTY Melbourne Cricket Ground

AUS vs PAK Pitch report: Iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground venue will be hosting a crucial  Boxing Day Test between Australia and struggling Pakistan from Tuesday. The hosts took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series with a dominant 360-run win in the opening match in Perth and are favourites to seal the series in Melbourne.

Pakistan struggled to stand their ground against the mighty Australian side in the Perth Test and are facing injury issues ahead of the Melbourne match. Bowlers Noman Ali and Khurram Shahzad are ruled due to injury and Pakistan have added Mohammad Nawaz to their team for the second Test.

Australia have released pacer Lance Morris from their squad and are unlikely to tinker with their playing eleven for the upcoming Boxing Day clash.

MCG, Melbourne Pitch Report

Melbourne Cricket Ground offers a balanced surface in red-ball cricket. Pacer bowlers get excellent help with bounce and seam with a new ball but it's the batters' game after lunch. Spinners will struggle to find any turn and fans can expect some grass on the pitch. Team captains are expected to bat first with bowling-first teams winning only 42 of 116 Test matches played at MCG.

Melbourne Cricket Ground - The Numbers Game

Test Stats

Total Test matches - 116

Matches won batting first - 56

Matches won bowling first - 42

Average 1st Inns scores - 307

Average 2nd Inns scores - 313

Average 3rd Inns scores - 252

Average 4th Inns scores - 171

Highest total recorded - 624/8 (142 Ov) by Australia vs Pakistan in December 2016

Lowest total recorded - 36/10 (23.2 Ov) by South Africa vs Australia in February 1932

AUS vs PAK, 2nd Test Squads:

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

Pakistan Test squad: Shan Masood (c), Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-HaqBabar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Agha Salman, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Aamer Jamal, Saim Ayub, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Mohammad Nawaz

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