Australia will have quality plans against Pakistan in second innings, says Aaron Finch

Australia made a lot of preparations before embarking on the tour of the United Arab Emirates this time to play Pakistan. Though severely dented in their ranks by the absence of some key players, the Aussies were careful about not allowing a rerun of the 2014-15 series in which they capitulated meekly before the Pakistani spinners. But they could not do much different in the first innings of the first Test in Dubai as yet another spinner – Bilal Asif – humbled them.

The visitors did fine with their opening stand after Pakistan put up a score of 482 in their first innings. But once opener Aaron Finch fell for 62 to Mohammad Abbas, the Australians fell like nine pins and lost their next nine wickets for a paltry sixty runs, thanks to 6 for 36 by off-break bowler Bilal Asif. It was the first Test for the 33-year-old and he became the 11th Pakistani to take a fifer in the debut Test.

“We watched a lot of videos of Bilal Asif but watching on a computer screen is different to being in a Test match. The bounce he got with the old ball was extraordinary. He bowled quality & we’re going to have to come up with some quality plans in 2nd innings,” Finch said in the press conference after the end of third day’s play.

Australia contained Pakistan batsmen in second innings but the lead was already too big

Pakistan had a less impressive outing in their second essay after they took a lead of 282 runs in the first innings by bowling Australia out for 202. They lost half their side for 110 on Day 4 but yet the overall lead of 392 was formidable enough to make the Australian toil hard in the fourth innings of the game.

In the 2014-15 series, the spin twins of Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah had floored Australia in a two-Test series, winning the games by 221 and 356 runs, respectively. Shah, however, did not get any wicket in the first innings of the ongoing Dubai Test.

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