AUS vs PAK 2024/25, AUS vs PAK 2nd ODI Match Preview

Big picture: Pakistan out to keep series alive, last hit-out for several of Australia’s Test stars

After losing an incredible heist in game one at the MCG, Pakistan will need to regroup and conjure up a rare win at the picturesque Adelaide Oval on Friday to keep the series alive.

Pakistan’s quick bid to defend a modest score of 203, with fiery bowling from Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah on a fast and bouncy surface almost led to a dream start for new ODI captain Mohammad Rizwan.

The short tactic worked well and rattled Australia’s batters, but Pakistan will likely have to change their approach on a pitch with much shorter dimensions in the square of the wicket compared to the MCG. They will do well to focus on bowling a disciplined line and length against an explosive Australian batting order determined to stick to an ultra-aggressive approach.

To keep the series alive heading into Sunday’s decider in Perth, Pakistan will also have to defy a poor record against Australia, having won just twice in the last 14 ODIs between the two sides.

Australia were unconvincing in the first match but can wrap up the series with what will be the final hit-out for skipper Pat Cummins, Steven Smith, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Marnus Labuschagne before the first Test against India.

Starc has been in sizzling form at the start of the season, while Cummins was with ball and bat at the MCG. Smith’s crisp 44 allayed fears about his form, but Labuschagne is in the midst of a lean patch, scoring just 16 in the first ODI before being pressured by Rauf’s extra bounce.

Form guide

AustraliaWWLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
PakistanLLWWL

In the spotlight: Matt Short and Babar Azam

As the Test ‘bat off’ continues during the second Australia A match at the MCG, Australia also have David Warner’s shoes to fill in ODI cricket. With regular opener Travis Head on paternity leave, Matt Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk are trying to make convincing cases ahead of the Champions Trophy, but both fell cheaply in the opening game. Short has been considered to have the inside running after performing well against England in Britain recently, but made just one run in the series opener after edging Shaheen Shah Afridi to third man. He should enjoy returning to Adelaide Oval, where he has made heaps of runs in the BBL over the years for the Strikers. Short has a golden opportunity in front of him in conditions he knows very well.

Pakistan’s batters were exposed in challenging MCG conditions after being sent in. The exception was Babar Azamwas a class above his teammates with an elegant 37 off 44. He came through Australia’s quick until he tripped trying to accelerate the run rate against leg-spinner Adam Zampa. Babar’s recent struggles have been well documented and led to his controversial dismissal during England’s Test series. But he seemed well back at home in ODI cricket, his preferred format, where he averages 56.52 – the fourth highest ever – and is a century away from equaling Saeed Anwar’s Pakistan record of 20. He will have fond memories of playing at the Adelaide Oval had scored an even century against Australia in January 2017 – the last time the teams clashed in an ODI at the ground.

Team news: Hazlewood returns; Naseem is expected to be fit

Hazlewood is likely to replace Sean Abbott in the XI and play his only international before the first Test. After a month off following the UK tour, Hazlewood returned to New South Wales against Queensland in a Sheffield Shield match on Cricket Central that ended earlier this week. He went wicketless from 24 overs in Queensland’s only innings of the drawn match.

Australia (possible): 1 Matt Short, 2 Jake Fraser-McGurk, 3 Steven Smith, 4 Josh Inglis (wk), 5 Marnus Labuschagne, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Aaron Hardie, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh Hazlewood

Naseem was forced off the field in the first ODI due to cramps but is expected to be available. Pakistan may have to consider playing a frontline spinner in Adelaide.

Pakistan (possible): 1 Saim Ayub, 2 Abdullah Shafique, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 5 Kamran Ghulam, 6 Salman Ali Agha, 7 Irfan Khan, 8 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 9 Naseem Shah, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Mohammad Hasnain

Stand and conditions

Despite its reputation as a batting haven, Adelaide Oval has been difficult to beat, as was underlined in a low-scoring Sheffield Shield match between South Australia and Victoria that ended earlier this week, even though it was designed to help the home side’s spinners. The surface is usually considerably flatter for white-ball cricket with the short square dimensions leading to quick scoring. There has been rain in the run-up to the match, and a shower has been forecast for Friday morning. But play should be unaffected with sunny conditions expected throughout the afternoon.

Statistics and trivia

Mitchell Starc is six wickets away from becoming the fourth Australian to take 250 ODI wickets. He has the best strike rate by an Australian in ODI cricket (minimum 50 wickets).
Glenn Maxwell needs 66 runs to reach 4000 in ODIs.
Shaheen Shah Afridi (25.99) and Haris Rauf (26.23) are seventh and eighth respectively for bowling strike rates in ODI history (minimum 1000 balls).
Pakistan have beaten Australia just once from eight ODIs at the Adelaide Oval. Their only win was by 12 runs in December 1996.

Quotes

“The game is changing and we want to take the game forward in the first 10 overs. Instead of scraping for 240-250 which is unwinnable out here, getting towards the lofty 300 mark is more of a winning total we think .”
Australia’s opener Jake Fraser-McGurk

Tristan Lavalette is a journalist based in Perth