Head set for rise after Dubai effort

Travis Head looks set for a move up the order in Abu Dhabi as Australia ponders "tweaking" their batting line-up in their bid for a first series win in Asia since 2011.

Australia played three debutants in the drawn Dubai Test, with Head and Marnus Labuschagne each scoring ducks in the first innings in the midst of Australia's collapse of 10-60.

Head's improved second-innings batting where he gritted out 72 from 175 balls in a crucial fourth-wicket stand with Usman Khawaja sees him a candidate to move up the order and split Marsh brothers Shaun and Mitchell, who each recorded second-innings ducks in Dubai.

For Head, that second innings knock has given Australia the confidence to consider moving him up the order, while it capped a memorable debut that began with the presentation of Baggy Green caps to the South Australian alongside Labuschagne and Aaron Finch.

Cricket.com.au cameras captured a rare insight into the Australian Men’s Cricket Team's inner sanctum as Nathan Lyon choked on tears of pride as he delivered Head Baggy Green cap No.454.

"I was there for your SACA debut, cap No.609. I've looked at you as my little brother that I never had," said Lyon in his presentation speech.

Head later revealed he had approached Lyon in the days leading up to the Dubai Test about doing the honours on the outfield.

"I sighted it with him (Lyon) probably a week before, we were sitting next to each other on the bus and he said, 'You don't want me to do it' and brushed it off," Head told ESPN.

"And I didn't want to ruin his preparation, so (Langer) asked and I said I wouldn't mind Nathan doing it, because we'd always spoken about playing Test cricket together.

"He'd always looked after me. It was probably him, Hughesy (Phillip Hughes), Coops (Tom Cooper), Maxy Klinger, there was that core group of older guys who just took me in and I absolutely loved it.

"Nathan's playing Test cricket, Hughesy's playing Test cricket. I'm 18, and Gaz would ring me, Hughesy would ring me in the morning and I'm just in awe hanging out with these blokes. It was just amazing.

"One thing we always spoke about when we'd bump into each other, before even playing international cricket at all, he'd say, 'Keep nailing it, keep doing it, keep being consistent, backing it up and working really hard, because I want to play Test cricket with you, I want to tick that off. I want you to play Test cricket and I want to be there to experience it.'

"So we'd talked about it for a few years. He's been amazing, he's always pushed me, rides me pretty hard sometimes, but he just wants me to do as well as I can, and it was nice he could present it to me.

"Nice he took that up, and he actually got a bit croaky, and he got me going. He's been amazing to me, and he's a good mate, so it was nice."

The second Test begins today at 5pm AEDT in Abu Dhabi, live on Fox Cricket.

Qantas Tour of the UAE

Australia Test squad: Tim Paine (c), Ashton Agar, Brendan Doggett, Aaron Finch, Travis Head, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc

Pakistan Test squad: Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Usman Salahuddin, Yasir Shah, Shadab Khan, Bilal Asif, Mohammad Abbas, Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz, Faheem Ashraf, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Hafeez

Oct 7-11: First Test, drawn

Oct 16-20: Second Test, Abu Dhabi