Statistical Preview of Australia vs Pakistan, Boxing Day Test at Melbourne

The second Test of the three-match series between Australia and Pakistan will be played at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Boxing Day. Pakistan, who lost their first Test while chasing a mammoth 490, won hearts with the way they batted in the final innings. Australia have gained a 1-0 lead in the series after the win at The Gabba, but Pakistan have certainly finished the Test with significant momentum. Skipper Steven Smith has been facing some tough days in his captaincy career and will look to continue the winning spree, while a Misbah-ul-Haq-led Pakistan will be eyeing to bounce back. Ahead of this interesting clash, Abhishek Kumar presents some interesting numbers.

The second match of the series will be Australia’s 796th Test, 409th at home, 108th at MCG and 61st against Pakistan.

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For Pakistan, the second game of the series will be their 406th Test, 223rd overseas, 34th in Australia and 10th at the ground.

David Warner needs 51 runs to complete 5,000 runs in Tests. He will become the 18th Australian cricketer to reach this milestone. The last Australian to reach the landmark was Michael Hussey.

Full Cricket Scorecard, Australia vs Pakistan, 2nd Test at Melbourne

Australia’s first innings of their batting will be Warner’s 109th. If he reaches the 5,000-mark in the first innings he will become the 6th-fastest Australian to complete 5,000 runs after Don Bradman (56), Matthew Hayden (95), Neil Harvey (105), Greg Chappell (106) and Hussey (107).

Misbah needs 116 runs to complete 5,000 runs in Tests. He will become the 7th Pakistani cricketer to reach this milestone after Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad, Saleem Malik, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan.

If Misbah gets there in the first innings (his 123rd), he will become the 6th-fastest Pakistani to complete 5,000 runs after Younis (106), Miandad (107), Yousuf (108), Zaheer (116) and Inzamam (122).

Josh Hazlewood needs 3 more wickets to complete 100 wickets in Tests. He will become the 38th Australian to reach the landmark in Tests and 177th overall. Among pacers, Hazlewood will become the 107th bowler to achieve this feat.

Chadd Sayers and Hilton Cartwright of Australia and Mohammad Asghar and Sharjeel Khan of Pakistan are the four uncapped players in the two squads. There has been no instance of four players making their debut in a Boxing Day Test. The existing record was set on Boxing Day, 1968, when Charlie Davis, ‘Prof’ Edwards and Roy Fredericks, all by West Indies. Other than West Indies, only Australia have given caps to two debutants in a Boxing Day Test — Greg Matthews and John Maquire in 1983 against Pakistan.

Australia vs Pakistan, 2nd Test, Preview and predictions

Matthew Wade is one short of claiming his 50th dismissal as wicketkeeper in Tests. He will become the 15th Australian to reach this landmark. Wade also needs 5 catches to complete 50 catches as wicketkeeper. He will become the 12th Australian to do this.

Misbah need 1 catch to complete his 50 catches in Tests and Asad Shafiq 5 to complete 50 Test catches as a non-wicketkeeper. The first person to the landmark will become the 8th Pakistani to take 50 catches as a non-wicketkeeper in Tests.

Sarfraz Ahmed is 3 dismissals short of completing his 100 as wicketkeeper. He will become the 6th Pakistani to reach this milestone mark after Wasim Bari (228), Kamran Akmal (206), Moin Khan (147), Rashid Latif (130) and Saleem Yousuf (104).

Australia have played 108 Tests at MCG, winning 62 and losing 30. On the other hand, Pakistan have played 9 Tests at the ground, and have won 2 and lost 5.

Younis needs 85 runs to complete his 1,000 runs against Australia in Tests. He will become the 5th Pakistani batsman to do so after Miandad (1,797 runs), Zaheer (1,411), Malik (1,106) and Ijaz Ahmed (1,085). Overall, Younis will become the 81st batsman to score 1,000 runs against Australia.

Azhar needs 50 more runs to touch the 1,000-run mark in 2016. He is the leading run-scorer for Pakistan in 2016 and will become the 6th Pakistani batsman to score 1,000 runs in a calendar year after Younis (1,064 runs in 2014 and 1,179 in 2006), Yousuf (1,788 in 2006), Inzamam (1,090 in 2000) and Mohsin Khan (1,029 in 1982).

Smith needs 86 runs to complete 1,000 runs in 2016. He will become the 2nd Australian to score 1,000 runs in three consecutive years. Smith scored 1,474 runs in 2015 and 1,146 in 2014. Hayden is the first and only cricketer to do so till now and he has hit 1,000 runs in five consecutive years (1,391 in 2001, 1,160 in 2002, 1,312 in 2003, 1,123 in 2004 and 1,380 in 2005), which is a record by far.

Smith will also become the 6th Australian to score 1,000 runs in a calendar year thrice in his career after Allan Border (1,073 in 1979, 1,099 in 1985 and 1,000 in 1986), Mark Taylor (1,219 in 1989, 1,106 in 1993 and 1,112 in 1998), Ponting (1,064 in 2002, 1,503 in 2003, 1,544 in 2005, 1,333 in 2006 and 1,182 in 2008), Hayden (mentioned above) and Michael Clarke (1,063 in 2008, 1,042 in 2009, 1,595 in 2012 and 1,093 in 2013).

Yasir Shah needs 7 more wickets to complete his 50 wickets in 2016. He will become the 5th Pakistani bowler to do so after Imran Khan (62 wickets in 1982), Waqar Younis (55 in 1993), Saqlain Mushtaq (51 in 2002) and Saeed Ajmal (50 in 2011).