On Monday, Australia announced an unchanged XI for the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, aiming to secure the series against Pakistan, who excluded veteran wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed.
Australia had a convincing victory over Shan Masood’s side by 360 runs in the first Test in Perth. The pace spearheads Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood, who played a crucial role in that victory, remain in the team.
Scott Boland, who had an impressive debut at the MCG against England in 2021 with figures of 6-7, misses out this time. Captain Pat Cummins expressed their admiration for Boland and stated that he remains ready to play if needed.
Showers and potential thunderstorms are expected on the first day of play, but the weather is forecasted to clear by Wednesday afternoon. Despite the weather, Cummins is confident that there will be plenty of time to finish the game.
The pitch at the MCG has some grass but is reportedly not as green as the previous year. Cummins believes the conditions are suitable for a good match.
Pakistan has faced challenges due to injuries since the Perth Test, with fast bowler Khurram Shahzad and their two leading spinners, Abrar Ahmed and Noman Ali, ruled out of the Melbourne match. The 12-man squad includes Mohammad Nawaz as the wicketkeeper, and Mir Hamza and Hasan Ali are in contention for Shahzad’s place in the attack. Sajid Khan is the only spin option.
Australia XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (capt), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
Pakistan XI: Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (capt), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Agha Salman, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza, Aamer Jamal, Sajid Khan.