Australia and Pakistan have both slipped from the top Test spot this year. Now both teams are coming after series losses and will have lots to do under lights at the Gabba
Brydon Coverdale in Brisbane14-Dec-2016Against South Africa in Adelaide, Australia made five changes and named three debutants in one of the most comprehensive overhauls of the national side since World Series Cricket. They won, but a dead rubber only, and now face the expectation of winning a series against Pakistan. But Steven Smith’s men have much schooling ahead of them in international cricket, with many lessons to learn. And if Mickey Arthur has taught the Pakistanis anything, they will punish Australia if they haven’t done their homework. So, here are six subjects that Australia’s new-look squad might (or might not) benefit from studying.Ancient historyOne of the most enduring records in Australian cricket is the team’s unbeaten run at the Brisbane Cricket Ground – nicknamed the Gabbatoir for their slaying of opposition dreams at the venue. Last time Australia lost a Gabba Test was in 1988. Smith wasn’t even born then, and nor were half of his team. Not to mention this will be the first Gabba Test played with a pink ball under lights, and the first Gabba Test full-stop for up to five of Australia’s XI. And so, like most students, Australia’s cricketers will view this ancient history as irrelevant. We might as well be discussing who won the Punic Wars.”We’ve got a great record here and hopefully we can keep that up, but it’s a little bit different this year – the pink ball compared to the red ball,” Smith said. “I’m not really paying much attention to that, it’s about going out here and making sure we’ve got our processes right and we’re playing good cricket. And if we’re doing that then hopefully the result will take care of itself.”Modern historyAustralia and Pakistan have both been ranked No.1 in Tests this year, but have fallen to No.3 and 4 respectively after losing campaigns. Australia lost away to Sri Lanka and at home to South Africa, and Pakistan lost on the green seaming pitches in New Zealand. It is also worth noting that only four in Australia’s side – Smith, David Warner, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc – have played Tests against Pakistan. By comparison, 10 of Pakistan’s squad have played Australia. One of those is fast bowler Mohammad Amir, who skittled Australia for 88 at Headingley in 2010. That Test marked the beginning of an era in which Australia’s batsmen often suffered humiliating collapses against swing – an era that remains ongoing. Under lights with the pink ball, Amir could be a serious threat.”I remember watching out in Australia in 2010 he bowled with really good pace,” said Smith, the only current Australia player to have faced Amir in Tests. “I think he was hitting 145-150 and in England he slowed it down and got his wrists right and swung the ball, so it’s great to have those sort of gears and those skills. No doubt he could potentially be a handful if it’s swinging around. Guys are just going to have to identify those difficult periods and adapt and show some resilience and things will get easier from there.”GeographyIn 2014, Australia learnt a lesson about deserts. On the dry pitches of the UAE, Pakistan’s batsmen handled Australia’s fast men with ease, and their spinners with contempt. Pakistan’s slow bowlers were dominant, including legspinner Yasir Shah. On debut in that series, he claimed 12 wickets at 17.25 across the two Tests, more wickets than all of Australia’s spinners combined. But in Australia, where the pitches will offer far more bounce and pace, Smith hopes that the threat of Yasir will be diminished.”I guess the Gabba, you’ll get a bit of extra bounce as a spin bowler,” Smith said. “I guess that can play in your favour, and can also play against you. Your length has to be spot on. Generally there isn’t too much turn – it’s more bounce, so length is crucial. And if you’re slightly off your length, you can really cash in down the wicket and square of the wicket as well. So he’s going to have to be pretty accurate.”Steven Smith is the only current Australia player to have faced Mohammad Amir in Tests•Getty ImagesPhysical educationAustralia’s new-look side boasts some fine fielders – Peter Handscomb pulled off a super catch at gully in Adelaide – but some aspects of working together require improvement. Australia will, for example, hope that wicketkeeper Matthew Wade and first slip Matt Renshaw have no further disagreements over who should go for a catch. Still, Australia will likely have the edge over Pakistan in the catching department. Pakistan’s batsmen might also find themselves up against some bouncer barrages as Australia’s fast men try to exploit the pace and bounce in the pitches, although the likes of Wahab Riaz are more than capable of returning the favour.”We’ve watched a little bit of the New Zealand series, just recently, and I think traditionally sub-continent sides that come over to Australia don’t handle the pace and bounce, or aren’t as comfortable with the pace and bounce of our wickets,” Smith said. “You need to try and find ways to exploit that as much as possible and at times I’m sure we’re going to see some short-pitched bowling to mess with their feet and be possible ways to get them out as well. We watched New Zealand pretty closely and they obviously did a good job, so hopefully our bowlers can replicate that.”MathsCalculations are always important for a captain, whether setting targets or juggling bowling spells. But in day-night Test cricket an extra dimension is added, with the knowledge that batting can become harder as the floodlights kick in. In Adelaide, Faf du Plessis even declared South Africa’s first innings before the close of the first day, such was his desire to test Australia under the lights.”I think if you look at all the pink-ball stats that have come out, most wickets have been lost in that final session so I guess it adds another dimension to the game,” Smith said. “Captains have to be switched on and possibly figure out different times to have a crack. If we get the opportunity and it might be about going out and trying to score a little bit quicker to get 10 overs with the new ball under lights, because we’ve seen it can do quite a lot. It throws some different strategies into the game.”ScienceThis is where the lessons get complicated. At about 5pm on match eve, the Australians gathered around the 22-yard strip in the middle of the Gabba and tried to work out how it would perform. At Adelaide Oval, the curator had left six millimetres of grass on the surface to help protect the pink ball; at the Gabba, only two millimetres will be left on. Perhaps only in cricket do agriculture and sport combine to hold the attention of so many. The Gabba curator, Kevin Mitchell jnr, believes the pitch will perform like a typical Gabba Test surface. Whatever the case, Australia’s uncertainty was such that Smith was unable to confirm whether spinner Nathan Lyon would play.