Things went the way of the Aussies in Perth and now we shift our focus to the Boxing Day Test.
It just feels bizarre that this is the second Test of the summer doesn’t it?
Historically we’ve seen the MCG as the third or even fourth Test of the summer but we can probably thank the World Cup & The Ashes for pushing everything back.
It’s easily one of the greatest traditions in Australian sport playing Test Cricket on Boxing Day and I cannot wait!
I’ve checked the forecast, run my eyes over the markets, here is my preview of the 2nd test between Australia and Pakistan.
My Predicted Australia XI
- D. Warner
- U. Kwahaja
- M. Labuschagne
- S. Smith
- T. Head
- M. Marsh
- A. Carey (WK)
- P. Cummins (C)
- M. Starc
- N. Lyon
- J. Hazelwood
It’s not broken, so it doesn’t need fixing.
David Warner shut all of the critics up with his massive 164 in the first innings, his knock in the first dig saw Davey become the highest scoring opening batsmen in Australian Test Cricket history which is a huge effort.
He’s been spoken about incredibly poorly in the media recently but people have genuienly forgotten just how much David Warner has done for this test team.
We were a garbage cricket team for about four summers in between the mass exodus of 2008 and a lot of our current stars debuting around the 2012/2013 mark and David Warner changed the way a nation of batsmen opened an innings.
His influence as an opening batsmen, just like Matthew Hayden’s will be seen for decades to come.
Other than that, our bowlers did a pretty good job.
Gaz got his 500th and our fast bowling cartel must’ve gone alright, they all got massive IPL contracts this week.
Results Markets
The Aussie’s are even shorter price than they were for the first Test at $1.20.
This is a stacked team of generational talent and I don’t believe that Pakistan will get close.
The weather is something worth monitoring as we get closer to play.
The 14 day forecast suggests a 40%-50% chance of rain each day between the 26th and the 30th so a play on the draw at $7 might be worth a unit or two while we are still far out but if the boys get on.
Australia will win.
Australia to win @ $1.20
Run Scorer Markets
We took Marnus and Smith last game but Warner and Marsh was where the money was.
Has Warner found a patch of form against these Pakistani bowlers? It’s hard to say given his 5 ball duck in the second innings.
Warner is paying $2.50 for a first innings 50 and $6.00 to make it back to back hundreds.
He’s one to back if you like the narrative bet but for me, I’m with his opening partner Usman Khawaja for a first innings 50.
He’s $2.38 to get it done and Usman was an anchor for us once again in both innings.
Uzzie was an incredible supporter in that opening stand in the first effort and then steadied the ship for us in the second after early wickets to Warner and Marnus.
Usman is $5.00 to make it triple figures but I will be taking him for 50 and sticking with Steve Smith for a century at $4.33
Usman Khawaja 50+ 1st Innings Runs @ $2.38, Steve Smith 100+ 1st Innings Runs @ $4.33
Wicket Taker Markets
It’s hard to look past the bloke that fetched the highest ever price in the IPL auctions isn’t it?
Mitchell Starc, the $4.5M man finished with five wickets for the match and absolutley terrorised Pakistan.
Historically, the ‘G hasn’t been Starcy’s best ground, he has 21 wickets in six tests at an average of 30.00 flat but the big man really troubled Pakistan in Perth.
He’s $3.50 for top Australian wicket taker and that’s where my money is.
The young Pakistani bowler Aamir Jamal was huge on debut for Pakistan, he took 6/111 of his first 20.2 overs in Test cricket including an absolute seed to Alex Carey, finishing with seven wickets for the match.
Jamal is $4.00 for top Pakistan wicket taker in the first innings and looks a bit of value, especially with how Shaheen Afridi underperformed in Perth.
Mitchell Starc Top Australian Wicket Taker @ $3.50, Aamir Jamal Top Pakistan Wicket Taker @ $4.00