Pakistan look forward to red ball, hard MCG pitch; Smith eyes series win

BOXING DAY TEST

PAKISTAN BATTING coach Grant Flower says hissideislookingforwardtoareturnofthered ball and a hard Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch for the second test against Australia beginning Monday.

The visitors lost the day-night first test at the Gabba by 39 runs, having made a bold bid at a come-from-behind victory. Former Zimbabwestarflowerbelievesthemelbourne conditions will give his side a better chance of taking early wickets and exposing Australia's middle-order with reverse swing.

“(The pitch) looks good. It looks hard. It's going to have good carry,'' he said this week. ``It's going to be hard work for the bowlers, but if we can get into them early and if the ball starts reversing then I'm sure we've got a good chance of making some things happen.”

Flower also expects the MCG pitch to benefit legspinner Yasir Shah, who was criticized by commentator and former legspin great Shane Warne for bowling too defensively in Brisbane. “Hopefully towards the end of the match, Yasir can come into it a bit more,” Flower said. “I'm sure if the ball is turning a bit more, there will be more attacking lines bowled.”

Australian batsman Usman Khawaja doubts that Pakistan has the momentum after its fourth-inning performance in Brisbane, nearly chasing down 490 runs. “I don't think that matters, it's a different ground, different conditions, and you can't really measure momentum, can you? I'm not sure if it exists,” Khawaja said. “There are always things we can do better, no matter what game, but ... we still won.''

Security has been increased at the MCG, where a crowd of 60,000 is expected on Monday, following the arrest of seven people over a terror-related plot in the city. Those charged Friday were allegedly planning to attack Melbourne's Flinders Street train station, nearby Federation Square and St. Paul's Cathedralonchristmasday.victoriapoliceand Cricket Australia were liaising over the appropriate security level. “

Smith has Warner's backing

Australia vice-captain David Warner has found it "bizarre" that pundits and fans continuetocriticisetheteamdespitewinningtheir last two Test matches after a run of five losses. Australia beat Pakistan by 39 runs in a thrilling finish in the first test in Brisbane last week.

Misbah-ul-haq's side were dismissed for 450onthefinaldayatthegabba,chasingavictorytargetof490,havingcounter-attackedlate on the fourth evening of the day-night test. They were within sight of the world's largest successful run chase when Mitchell Starc ended a 71-run ninth wicket stand between Asad Shafiq and Yasir Shah that effectively ended the game.

Critics, however, suggested that Australia captain Steve Smith was not ruthless enough when he failed to impose the follow on when Pakistan were skittled for 142 in their first innings, 287 runs short of Australia's total.

His cautious field settings on day five, with Pakistanstillneeding108runsforvictorywith onlytwowicketsinhand,werequeriedbyformer captains Michael Clarke and Mark Taylor and slammed as “ridiculous” by ex-england skipper Michael Vaughan.

“It's bizarre people are mentioning things about the way he went about the game with his field placements, his bowling changes, the way he used Gazza (Nathan Lyon),” Warner told reporters ahead of the second test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. “At the end of the day we did win the game. There would be a lot more talk if we didn't.”

Thevictorywasthesecondforarevamped side after selectors swung the axe following a run of five successive test losses and Warner dismissedanynotionthevisitors'fifth-dayperformance had given them the momentum heading into the test. “Pakistan played very well," Warner said. "They backed themselves and played their shots. They got into a fantasticpositiontowinthegame.butweknowthat testmatchcricketcomesdowntothatlastday, that last hour ... and that delivery from Starcy was right on the money. "But if they can take confidence out of losing I don't know. We won the game."

Warner did not give any hints as to the make-up of the side,

AP Smith has drawn flak from former players for “insipid” captaincy.