Australia to remain unchanged for 2nd Test against Pakistan

ADELAIDE: Australian team will remain unchanged for the day-night second Test against Pakistan after beating them in Brisbane.

The Australian team won the first Test by an innings and five runs inside four days.

However, selectors resisted the urge to rest one of their strike bowlers or add a fourth to help share the load at Adelaide Oval.

That means swing bowler Michael Neser will be 12th man when the Test starts tomorrow, with paceman James Pattinson and batsman Bancroft released to play domestic cricket.

The skipper Tim Paine said, “We are unchanged, obviously we thought we played a pretty good game of cricket last week in Brisbane.”

The decision comes just days after Bangladesh was forced to use two concussion substitutes in one day, with Liton Das and Nayeem Hasan both forced out of their day-night Test against India in Kolkata.

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Australia previously won all five pink-ball Tests they have played since the concept was launched four years ago, with Paine warning his pace attack was relishing the chance to bowl under lights on a home wicket.

Australia will go into the match with a settled top order spearheaded by David Warner, Joe Burns and Marnus Labuschagne, who all fired at the Gabba.

Steve Smith was the exception, out cheaply to leg-spinner Yasir Shah who has now dismissed him seven times in Test matches.

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Pakistan’s Mohammad Abbas is expected to be called into Pakistan’s side for Friday’s second Test at the Adelaide Oval, with the pink ball under lights likely to aid his movement.

The right-arm ran through Australia the last time the two teams met, taking 17 wickets at the lowly average of 10.58 as Pakistan swept the two-match series. Abbas does not appear as dangerous as modern-day quicks given he does not bowl at high speed.