Aussies defend batting tactics as they embrace the grind

Australia are banking on their bowlers' ability to exploit a wearing Karachi pitch after revealing captain Pat Cummins had flagged his intention to bat the entirety of the Karachi Test's second day from its outset.

Cummins' old-school thinking, which he publicly outlined before his first overseas tour as skipper got underway, raised eyebrows on Sunday as Australia elected not to declare before stumps and went to the close at 8-505.

"I’m honestly surprised," former Australia Test opener Simon Katich said on commentary.

"I know there's been a lot of talk about this Karachi wicket deteriorating, but what if it doesn't and it still plays like this for the next few days and Pakistan dig in?

"Australia are going to run out of time to set this Test up."

But Alex Carey explained that Cummins, who has previously flagged his desire to see the Aussies "embrace the grind" of Test cricket in Pakistan, had outlined a strategy of batting for all of day two and hope the National Stadium surface provides more turn and reverse swing during the back-half of the Test.

"I think we were pretty clear going into last night, the captain basically said to the batters to come to get your head around batting all day unless the message comes otherwise," said Carey, whose 93 was the highest score by an Australian men's Test wicketkeeper in almost a decade.

"It's not the easiest wicket to score quickly on. I know that might sound interesting but it's starting to be a little bit variable, inconsistent, there was reverse swing at times throughout the day and their off-spinner (Sajid Khan) bowls lots of ball in a good area with not a lot of pace on them.

"The more runs we can get in this first innings, it sets us up for the back end.

"But I think the wicket is starting to show a little bit of life now, or the opposite.

"It's inconsistent, there's some patches that are starting to open up a little bit so I think the game will move quicker going into the back end of tomorrow, day four and day five."

While Australia's approach somewhat contradicts Usman Khawaja's subtle dig at Pakistan's conservative batting during the first Test in Rawalpindi, it is entirely consistent with Cummins' pre-series edict.

His first series in charge of the Test side saw Australia vanquish England 4-0 at home on seam-friendly surfaces, with two of those victories (at the MCG and Hobart) being achieved with two full days to spare.

"This summer a lot of the Tests went three days. My first 15 to 20 Tests, I felt like every Test match went for five days,” Cummins said last month before leaving Australia.

"I really like getting into the grind and I think that’s going to be a challenge for our team and one we can hopefully embrace. That’s the reality of Test cricket. A hard-fought, five-day grind for a draw in the context of a three-match series might be as good as a win."

And, although Cummins will be safe in the knowledge no side has ever lost in Asia having posted at least 500 in the first innings of a Test, Australia have not resigned themselves to a drawn match.

Even with two wickets in hand and an expectation they will keep batting on into day three, the 180 overs faced so far marks Australia's longest first innings in nearly 30 years.

But that history may in fact provide their blueprint for winning in Karachi; twice in the space of a month during the 1993 Ashes (first at Lord's, then at Headingley), Allan Border's Aussies won the toss, batted into the third day, declared and then bowled England out twice after enforcing the follow-on.

This time around, Australia will rely on the reputation of subcontinental Tests bursting to life on days four and five, as well as the belief veteran Nathan Lyon and debutant leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson will prove difficult to counter on a worn surface. 

Pakistan have also gained a greater degree of reverse swing in Karachi than either side did in Rawalpindi, with Carey suggesting pacemen Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green will pose problems.

"Reverse swing is always difficult," said Carey. "I guess coming over from Australia, we probably don't experience those conditions a lot but obviously the home team will have.

"I think the beauty of having Mitchell Starc in our side, 145 (kph) with reverse swing is going to be difficult, Pat Cummins is the same and also Greeny.

"So we've got some weapons there when the ball starts to reverse swing.

"And then (we're) just super-excited to see the two spinners.

"We know Nath hits a beautiful area regularly, there's footmarks there and although they're not huge at the moment, I think our quicks will probably open those footmarks up a little bit more with the way they hit the crease, and also probably where they land on the wicket.

"Mitchell Swepson is the other one, I think there's enough there from the end he's going to bowl at, there's enough footmarks, there's enough variability, there's some cracks opening.

"It's all going to be difficult.

"I still think there's opportunities for us to take those 20 wickets going into tomorrow and days four and five."

Qantas Tour of Pakistan 2022

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc), Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Zahid Mahmood.

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner. On standby: Sean Abbott, Brendan Doggett, Nic Maddinson, Matthew Renshaw

First Test: Match drawn

March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi

March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore

Australia ODI and T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi

March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi

April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi

April 5: Only T20I, Rawalpindi

All matches to be broadcast in Australia on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports