Less than 48 hours after completing a whitewash over Sri Lanka at the MCG, Australia will be lining up at the SCG to welcome another Asian side, potentially a stiffer opponent, for a fresh series. Sri Lanka were swatted away with relative ease in all three games by the hosts as they began their preparations for a home World T20 in style. But in Pakistan, they would ideally love a better challenge.
Australia look a lot stronger after welcoming back David Warner, Steve Smith and a fully-fit Mitchell Starc. But they have also incorporated a few changes that haven't been put to the test. They have managed to fit two spinners in their playing XI even if that requires Ashton Agar to bat at number 7. Even though Agar has shown in the BBL that he is more than capable with the bat in the format, to unleash him against an international opposition in a crucial phase would be a test. In Glenn Maxwell's absence, Ashton Turner will have to shoulder more responsibility in the middle order even though he appears to be not 100% fit.
But how much of a challenge will Pakistan pose? Sri Lanka, who had a miserable series now, recently paid them a visit with a depleted squad and went on to shock them with a 3-0 result. One more drubbing here will most likely see them surrender their top spot in the T20I rankings. Pakistan have made changes in personnel by dropping Sarfaraz Ahmed and handing over the reigns to Babar Azam. Sarfaraz's replacement Mohammad Rizwan can prove to be an exciting option in the middle order but the onus will be on Babar every time they step out to bat.
And how about David Warner? He made 217 runs in the Sri Lanka series without getting dismissed and Pakistan will have to come up with something special to stop a man who seems to have mastered this format. In Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Irfan and Wahab Riaz, they definitely have a pace attack good enough to cause problems.
Pakistan themselves are a rejuvenated lot, with fresh plans - stemming rom their domestic structure revamp - to experiment with. The captaincy has changed hands, and the performances from the domestic T20 tournament have been rewarded. The return of the 37-year old Mohammad Irfan being a case in point. The domestic tournament was scheduled in a way that the standout players get to tour Australia. How well does this stand up against the test Down Under, remains to be seen.
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