Australia is looking to build on its advantage after a commanding win in the first Test in Perth, while Pakistan desperately needs to find form to get back into the series.
Scroll down for live updates from what’s sure to be a rammed MCG on an iconic day in Australian sport.
10AM – TOSS
with Jacob Kuriype
Australia will bat first after Pat Cummins lost the toss was sent in by Pakistan captain Shan Masood.
Defying tradition somewhat, Masood opted to take the ‘risk’ of bowling first after spotting a decent amount of grass on the MCG wicket. The tourists have gambled on a seam-heavy attack, naming four quicks alongside the part-time spin of Agha Salman.
Australia named an unchanged lineup from the XI who demolished Pakistan in the first Test in Perth – meaning hometown hero Scott Boland will not get a chance to repeat his Boxing Day Test heroics of years gone by.
Cummins said he was eager to have a bowl also under overcast skies, but admitted he wasn’t too disappointed to give David Warner and Usman Khawaja an early shot at setting the tone on Boxing Day.
“(Winning in Melbourne) would be the cherry on top,” Cummins said of the prospect of finishing 2023 with another victory.
TEAMS
Australia XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
Pakistan XII: Imam-Ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Agha Salman, Hasan Ali, Aamir Jamal, Mir Hamza, Shaheen Afridi
SKULL BACKS PAKISTAN TO BOUNCE BACK
Former Australia spinner Kerry O’Keeffe believes Pakistan is better set-up for success in the Boxing Day Test than it was for the series opener.
The touring side has rung the changes for the MCG encounter, with wicketkeeper Safaraz Ahmed dropped for Mohammad Rizwan after a lean outing in Perth. All-rounder Faheem Ashraf has also been omitted, while seamer Khurram Shahzad has been ruled out through injury. Replacing the duo will be two of Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza and spin-bowling all-rounder Sajid Khan.
“I think Pakistan look stronger (than the first Test),” O’Keeffe told Fox Sports News. “They’ve omitted Sarfaraz Ahmed, and brought in Mohammad Rizwan – that’s a plus, Rizwan has form against Australia.
“Faheem Ashraf leaked far too many runs last Test, Hasan Ali will probably play, he’s a striker, he gets people out.
“And Sajid Khan is their spinner… can he bowl Australia out on the last day? That’s the question. He’s a 30-year-old journey man, he’ll support the quicker bowlers, but it’ll be the seamers that determine whether Pakistan win this Test match.”
Australia has confirmed an unchanged XI.
HEAD EYES DUAL MILESTONE
If this year has belonged to any Australian cricketer, it’s Travis Head.
Head etched his name into cricketing folklore with a match-winning century in the World Cup final, but it’s against the red ball he has truly made his presence felt.
The southpaw is Test cricket’s second highest run-scorer in 2023 (902 at 45.10) and will achieve a career first if he tallies 98 runs in the Boxing Day match. That would take him to 1000 Test runs in a calendar year for the first time and past 3000 career runs.
The one batter to have enjoyed a more prolific Test year is Usman Khawaja (1168 at 55.61). Speaking to the vastly differing roles they play for the side, Khawaja has faced more than double the deliveries Head has in 2023 – 2689 to 1183.
Steve Smith with 852 runs at 42.65 rounds out an all-Australian top-three for Test run-scorers in the calendar year.
Despite a stint on the sidelines with an injured calf, Nathan Lyon is top of the tree for Test wickets with 43 at 23.62.
INDIA-PAKISTAN BLOCKBUSTER WOULD BLOW BOXING DAY AWAY
Waqar Younis has backed the idea of a blockbuster Pakistan-India Test at the MCG.
“Why not? That would be awesome,” the former Pakistan captain told ESPN.
“We played Australia back in the days, I think, in England and that was really happening because England has got a lot of Pakistan (community).
“It was a packed house.
Just imagine Pakistan-India playing here at the MCG with 100,000, over 100,000 people.
“It’d be awesome.
The push for the MCG to be used as a neutral venue to host the two countries in a one-off Test or series gathered momentum after more than 90,000 fans watched the rivals in Melbourne during the T20 World Cup.
The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Victorian Tourism Industry Council and State Government all threw their support behind the concept.
Wasim Akram told this masthead in September: “I think the MCG as you saw in the last World Cup would be the perfect venue.
“Pakistan would also be an ideal venue if India wants, but if India wants a neutral venue, then I think Australia would be an ideal place.”
Originally published as Boxing Day Test live: Follow the action from Australia v Pakistan second Test
