Aussies get ready to face Pakistan in UAE’s heat

DUBAI: When Australia landed recently in Dubai for their two-Test series against Pakistan they were greeted by sweltering UAE heat.

But as soon as the series begins next month, the weather would be the least of their worries.Just like in the past couple of series, Pakistan are salivating at the prospects of unleashing their spinners against Australia and wrap up a 2-0 triumph in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

When the Aussies last faced Pakistan in the UAE for what was also a two-Test series they were blown away by spin twins Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babar. Together the duo picked up 26 wickets in the two matches as Pakistan cruised to landslide wins.

Pakistan do not have two of the batting heroes of that series as both then captain Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan have retired. But with batters like Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq and Babar Azam in the line-up, Pakistan look better off than a depleted Australian team that is without two of their best batsmen – Steve Smith and David Warner.

Without the disgraced duo who are serving a ban, the Australian batting line-up doesn’t seem to posses the ability to handle Pakistan’s spin attack on the slow and dusty wickets of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

They won’t even get any worthwhile opportunity to prepare themselves as Pakistan have opted against fielding any specialist spinner against them in a four-day warm-up game starting at Dubai’s ICC Academy from Sunday. The four-day game featuring a Pakistan A team skippered by Asad Shafiq will be followed by the first Test at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium from October 7-11. The second Test will be played in Abu Dhabi from October 16-20. The Aussies also play a three-match Twenty20 International series before heading for home.

In a bid to fight fire with fire, the Australians have brought three specialist spinners in the touring party including Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland and Ashton Agar. Lyon and Holland seem set to take the field in the opening Test in Dubai.

In the meantime, their batsmen have been sweating it out in Dubai facing one spinner after another in training sessions. But neither of those spinner is in the same league as Yasir or Shadab. Spin is going to be Australia’s biggest Test as they look to win their first series against Justin Langer. For the moment it seems they are unlikely to pass it.