Pakistan vs Australia, 2nd T20I Match Summary

Match intro - A quick turnaround for the two sides, with just a day's break between games. Heading into the second of three T20Is, Pakistan hold the lead. While results may not matter as much for a depleted Australia side, they will still be keen to put in a much-improved performance. Roles taking shape - With their win in the series opener, Pakistan ended a long losing streak against Australia in the format, having last beaten them in a T20I back in 2018. The hosts are at full strength for this series, and the first game offered some clarity around Pakistan's batting order. Skipper Salman Agha has confirmed himself at number three for the World Cup, with Pakistan expecting to face a lot of spin and backing his ability to dominate spinners in the powerplay. That shift has pushed Babar Azam down to number four. He has previously found it challenging to maintain a high tempo outside the powerplay. How he adapts to that role remains to be seen. Fakhar Zaman also failed to make an impact in the middle order, and Pakistan will want this duo to find some runs. On the bowling front, Pakistan went with a two-pronged left-arm pace attack featuring Shaheen Afridi and Salman Mirza. With the short turnaround and Afridi only recently returning from a knee injury, Naseem Shah could come into contention for the second game. Australia eye improvement - The tourists will not want to dwell too much on the defeat, having been without several senior players. Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, and Josh Inglis all missed the opening game, with Marsh and Inglis coming off the Perth Scorchers’ BBL title win last week. Against Pakistan’s four-man spin attack, the first match also served as a useful trial run for Sri Lankan conditions, where Australia will play all their group games and are likely to be tested by spin. There isn’t much to read into their bowling performance either, as the make-up of the attack is very different from the one expected to take the field in their opening game against Ireland on February 11. Among the positives, though, was Adam Zampa back doing what he does best with a four-wicket haul. Team form (Last 5 completed T20Is, most recent first) - PAK - WLWWL | AUS - LLLWW. Another spin test in store? The series opener served up a dry surface, with the pitch slowing down as the game wore on. Scoring was easier with the hard new ball, but as it lost its hardness, run-making became increasingly challenging. It will be interesting to see what kind of surface is on offer for the second game.