Cricket tips / Editor / 25 December 2009 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market

Despite wins against the West Indies, the Australian side will have to lift its game if it is to beat an in-form Pakistan, writes Tony Keen.

Australia may have recorded a 2-0 win over the West Indies, but it wasn't as easy as some might have expected before the commencement of the three-Test series.

After an innings and 65-run win over the Windies at the Gabba in the first Test, Australia was more than matched by the men from the Caribbean in the second, where the West Indies had the better of play in Adelaide, eventually resulting in a draw.

In the third Test atWACA, Ricky Ponting's men scraped to a 35-run win to take out the series.

For the Boxing Day Test, however, Australia will need to elevate their game to the next level if they are going to overcome a Pakistan side that, when switched on, is capable of tearing apart the best in world cricket.

Bowlers in form

The Australians will not only be hoping that Ponting overcomes an elbow injury, but also that New South Wales paceman Doug Bollinger continues his recent run of good form.

Bollinger was instrumental in the narrow win in Perth with match figures of 8-141, and has been the pick of the bowlers since coming into the side for the second Test to replace an injured Ben Hilfenhaus.

The passionate 28-year-old has snared 13 wickets at 19.84 so far this summer and will be keen to back it up with a big performance in the biggest Test of the Australian cricketing calendar.

The beauty of Bollinger is that he is a never-say-die competitor who is always at the batsmen, so is thus always in with a chance of taking a decent haul.

While Bollinger has been the form bowler for the Australians, impressive quick Mohammed Asif and world-class leg spinner Danish Kaneira were the most productive bowlers for Pakistan in the recent tied series against New Zealand.

Asif took 19 wickets in three Tests, while Kaneira managed 13 wickets for the series after missing the opener.

Kaneira will have fond memories of the MCG, having taken 5-125 in the first innings of the Boxing Day Test back in 2004.

Given the form of the aforementioned trio, it would be fair to suggest the distinct possibility that at least one bowler will snag five wickets in an innings.

Australian openers getting off to good starts

While Pakistan has plenty of talent in their bowling line-up and a collection of destructive batsmen, such as Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Imran Farhat and Mohammad Yousuf, their top two struggled to fire in the first innings of all three Tests against the Kiwis.They managed scores of just 11, 60 and 14 in their first innings opening stands.

In comparison, Shane Watson and Simon Katich combined for two century-plus first innings partnerships during the series against the West Indies.

In the event that Ponting fails to prove his fitness, one of Watson or Katich is likely to be dropped down the order to make way for Phil Hughes, with logic suggesting it will be Watson because Hughes and Katich have been a successful opening combination for Australia in the past. In the series against South Africa earlier in the year the pair averaged a touch over 80 in the first innings.

With these stats in mind, the smart option would be to put money on Australia to have the highest opening partnership in the first innings.

All will be revealed at the great 'G' on the 26th!