PAKISTAN v AUSTRALIA: Our cricket tipster The Edge previews the 2nd Test on Saturday between PAKISTAN v AUSTRALIA with a recommended BETDAQ bet.

MATCH OVERVIEW:

The Pakistan v Australia Test series continues on Saturday with the sides moving to Karachi. Hopefully we get a better match than the 1st Test which was pretty much a 1.01 train on BETDAQ Betting Exchange on the draw once the second innings starter and everyone saw how easy the wicket was playing. After all the build-up to this historic tour, the 1st Test was a real let down. Early on, it looked like Pakistan might have the advantage as they declared on 476/4 but once Australia started batting we all knew it was just easy conditions rather than good batting from Pakistan.

There has been a lot of talk about the wicket since, but basically what happened was the wicket was made to order to nullify the fast Australian attack. Ramiz Raja the PCB chairman more or less confirmed this in other words. I mentioned that Pakistan would request a slow and low wicket to have the edge on Australia, but what they were given was a completely lifeless wicket which was no good for Test cricket. It was an exceptionally boring Test match. One wonders what type of conditions we will get here – I would suggest Pakistan have basically ordered the same wicket for each ground, and the groundsmen will take as much life out of the pitch as possible.

What this wicket needs is spin and lots of it. That’s the only way we’ll see a winner here. Either way it’s not good news for Australia who looked pretty toothless given there is no pace in the wicket. They will likely opt for two spinners here and hope for a better outcome, but at the moment it looks like it could be a long tour for them.

WEATHER AND PITCH WATCH:

Given everything that’s come out after the Rawalpindi draw, it seems obvious that Pakistan would have asked each ground for a wicket without pace. How the head groundsman will deliver that wicket is going to be different at each venue, however I would expect more spin here given the outcry after the 1st Test. The 1st Test was very boring, and Pakistan can’t really have that again. There won’t be any pace in this wicket again though, and that will leave Australia with a lot of work to do. Australia are a product of their own achievement – their pace attack is so good it’s all Pakistan care about, and to be fair that’s what home advantage is! If we were in Australia you see a green wicket. When South Africa toured last year, Pakistan won by seven wickets – South Africa were bowled out for 220 and 245 but Pakistan scored 378 in the second innings. I would expect more big scores here and it’s going to be hard work for the bowlers.

RECOMMENDED BET:

I’m surprised to see the draw trading as high as 3.65 here. I’m sure the order for the wickets went in well before the series started, and even with the outcry after the 1st Test there wouldn’t be that much time to change it. Nevertheless, I can see more spin here to favour Pakistan. As I said above, I would be amazed to see any pace in the wicket which means Australia will struggle to take wickets again. I feel there is value in the draw here, but the stand out position is an Australian lay at 3.0. Before the series started I felt they could do well here, but having seen how their attack performed in the conditions I just can’t see them winning a Test now. They seemed bitter about conditions too, so their heads could easily go down after a slow start. I would back the draw, but I expect more spin so it’s nice to have the Pakistan win on our side too. I was that unimpressed by the Aussie attack, I feel they are a Max Lay.

The Edge Says:
Five points lay (liability) Australia to beat Pakistan at 3.0 with BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE.

View the market here -> https://bit.ly/BDQPakAus2

IN-RUNNING STRATEGY:

Despite a 1.01 train with no stops when Australia started to bat in the second innings of the 1st Test, we did see some nice market moves in the first innings as Pakistan went odds on. I can see the opening two innings being very high scoring here too, so I wouldn’t rule out laying the side who batted first after they posted a big score, also backing the outsider then. Although this might provide an edge, the draw will likely take a lot of the margin there to be fair. For example if Pakistan scored 400+ and Australia responded well, the draw would be big favourite so I would rather look for a trade on that. I feel the draw will be in the mix for the whole Test and that will take a lot of the interest trading wise. Perhaps the best trading opportunity in this Test might be if Australia bat first – they will likely put up a big score and the market might overrate them. You’d have to expect this wicket is good for batting and hard to take wickets again, so we could see Australia drift a lot when Pakistan come in to bat second.