Confident Pakistan keen to turn the tables on Australia

Despite a profusion of young faces in their team, Pakistan gave Australia a fright at Colombo. In the end though, they lacked the killer instinct, and ultimately choked in the face of relentless pressure to concede the first Test. But far from being down in the mouth, the team is raring to go again in the second Test in Sharjah from Friday. The mercury level is high, but so is the confidence level of the Pakistanis, who believe that they can turn the tables.

Steve Waugh believes that it is one of the most difficult series that Australia has played in recent times. Going into his 150th Test, Waugh played down the hype around his landmark appearance. "It's just another Test for me. The idea is to play well, score some runs, captain the side well and win the match for Australia," he said.

But it could take some doing, as Pakistan have worked out a strategy to make life hard for the beleaguered Australian captain and his twin brother Mark. "Steve is a great player, but we are in no mood to give him or anyone else an inch," said the Pakistan skipper Waqar Younis. "All I can tell you is, he is in for a hard time. Like every batsman, he has weaknesses and we plan to exploit those grey areas."

"Steve, like his brother Mark, is under pressure these days and we know that. We will try and go after them," said Younis. The rationale is that if you go after the Waugh brothers, who have failed to get to three figures in their last 11 Tests and are playing for survival, it takes care of the two most experienced batsmen in the Australian middle order.

The hopes and aspirations of the Pakistanis - and the fears and apprehensions of the Australians - are centred around the broad figure of Shoaib Akhtar, who the other day promised to treat Australia in a manner similar to Colombo, where he took three wickets in six balls in the first innings and five in 15 deliveries in the second.

The Australians plan to counter the Pakistan attack, Shoaib Akhtar in particular, through Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden, the two left-handed openers, exercising caution against him early on. But Akhtar can be most damaging in his second and third spell, when the ball is worn. And the myth that he was not as effective against the left-handers was exploded with his brute of a swinging yorker that cannoned into Adam Gilchrist's leg stump.

"We expect Shoaib to produce a similar spell, if not better, to swing the match in our favour," Younis said. "We lost the first Test by 41 runs, but it was a touch-and-go affair. The youngsters in the side stood up to the task well. It won't be easy for Australia; we will make them work hard for every run."

The Pakistan skipper is counting on his pacemen's remarkable ability to make the ball talk with reverse swing. "Though the sun is blazing, there isn't much humidity here. The dry weather will help us, and I hope that we can take on the Australians with our reverse swing," he said.

Pakistan are unlikely to repeat the mistake they made in Colombo, and will include leggie Danish Kaneria in the eleven this time. "Danish will return to the side (in place of pacer Mohammed Sami, to form a two-pronged spin attack with Saqlain Mushtaq) as the wicket here is a bit slow," said Younis.

Richard Pybus, the Pakistan coach, believes that the inclusion of youngsters has worked to the side's advantage. "They're not carrying any baggage against Shane Warne; they play the ball and not the bowler. The induction of youth has also added to the energy level of the side," Pybus said.

The toss will be crucial, said Younis, because he believed that it would be hard to bat in the latter part of the match. Steve Waugh, however, thought that the wicket was pretty good and would remain good till the end. The heat was obviously an area of concern for the Aussie captain: "I think some part-time bowlers will have to bowl due to heat."

One reprieve for Pakistan is the absence of Jason Gillespie, who had to return home because of a calf injury. Younis conceded that Gillespie had bowled really well at Colombo: "His absence was definitely a relief for us". To replace Gillespie, Australia have flown in Brad Williams, but Australia are more likely to choose between seamer Andy Bichel and rookie off-spinner Nathan Hauritz. Or they may rest Brett Lee, and include both Bichel and Hauritz. "We haven't decided yet on the final eleven, but we might go into the game with two spinners," Waugh said.

Probable teams:
Australia: Steve Waugh (captain), Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Andy Bichel, Glenn McGrath.

Pakistan: Waqar Younis (captain), Imran Nazir, Taufeeq Umar, Abdul Razzaq, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul Haq, Faisal Iqbal, Rashid Latif, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shoaib Akhtar, Danish Kaneria.

Officials: S. Venkatraghavan (India) and Steve Bucknor (West Indies). Match referee: Clive Lloyd (West Indies).