Australia vs Pakistan 2016: 1st Test - 5 focus areas for Pakistan
Pakistan have had a great time in Test cricket in recent times, with a brief stint as the World's No.1 side before slipping below their neighbouring country, India. That said, most of their victories have come in their adopted home.
They are on the back of an unimpressive series against the Kiwis in their backyard and are now faced with the daunting task of facing the Aussies Down Under. The sheer weight of the task before them has got lighter given Australia’s terrible form in Test match cricket.
The first Test at Brisbane is a day-night affair and Pakistan will be playing under lights with the pink ball for the second time in international cricket. The warm up against CA XI was not so ideal as the Pakistani batsmen found the prodigious swing and seam generated from Australia's second string pacers difficult to handle.
The encouraging factor is that their own bowlers did a fine job with the ball and helped them win the Test. That said they will have to bat way better than they did against a better attack to have any chance of beating Australia.
Have a look at the focus points for team Pakistan ahead of the Brisbane Test.
#5 Posting totals above 250
It is imperative that Pakistan’s batsmen summon their inner spirits and find some formidable form with the willow. They need a total of 250 and above to put Australia under any sort of pressure.
With the likes of Starc, Hazlewood and Bird running in and Lyon finding some form in Australia's last Test, their task is cut out. The Pakistani batsmen struggled to cope with the swing generated by Kiwi newbie, Colin de Grandhomme, last month, and facing the searing pace and late swing from Starc seems daunting at the moment.
For Pakistan to run Australia close, they need totals that put their batsmen under pressure when facing Mohammad Amir and co. Unless they put up good totals they can't expect to win Test matches in this part of the World.