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Australia v Pakistan: First Test

Ponting likely to play

AGENCIES, Melbourne
Peeling "better" after Friday's practice session, Ricky Ponting is confident of leading Australia in the Boxing Day Test, the first of a three-game series, against Pakistan today.
Ponting batted without guard on the injured elbow, facing teammates Peter Siddle and Doug Bollinger with the new ball.
"It went well today. I had a bit of pain in the nets yesterday. 1 was always going to bat two days into the game. I'm really confident that I can play the game," Ponting said.
However, New South Wales' Phillip Hughes will stay with the team as standby until the match starts.
Ponting had suffered the elbow injury in the third Test against the West Indies in Perth, when he was struck by a delivery from Kemar Roach, which caused tendon damage.
Ponting said Nathan Hauritz was also recovering fast from his groin problem and chances are that the off-spinner may also play.
However, it's hard to know what to expect from a contest between the team that has played the most Tests over the past two years
and the side that has played the fewest. Australia's hectic schedule means they've played 27 Tests since this time in 2007, while Pakistan's home circumstances have limited them to eight Tests in the same period. Australia are coming off a 2-0, though tightly-fought, series against West indies. Pakistan have just drawn 1-1 in New Zealand.
In years gone you could confidently predict not just an Australian win, but a rout, so dominant have they been against Pakistan since the mid-90s. But this is a different Australia side and as the series against West Indies proved, one closer back to the pack than ever before. This Pakistan side retains the essence of all Pakistan sides and thus capable of anything.
What can be expected for sure is some high quality pace bowling. After a decade of batting riches, cricket suddenly finds itself with good fast bowlers floating around and few are more exciting than the ones Australia and Pakistan have; between them, Doug Bollinger, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Johnson, Mohammad Aamer, Mohammmad Asif and Umar Gul are likely to determine the fate of the series.
If Pakistan feel they have the better spinners in Danish Kaneria and Saeed Ajmal, Australia will be more than confident that their batting is
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by far the stronger. But if all goes well, it could be the most closely-fought series between the two sides since the 1994-95 tussle in Pakistan.
Bollinger has become Australia's newest cult bowling hero. He entertains his teammates with his antics, thrills the fans with his whole-heartedness and good humour, and worries the opposition with his pace, swing and consistency. Chris Gayle made no secret of the fact that he felt Bollinger was the most dangerous of Australia's fast men during the recent Test series and Bollinger will be desperate to ensure his place in the attack becomes permanent.
On the other hand, three hundreds on an impressive Pakistan A tour to Australia in July brought Umar Akmal into the national side and he hasn' t stopped scoring since; he already has two international hundreds and a spate of fifties. He was hugely impressive in his maiden Test tour against New Zealand and his clearheaded aggression and a
steady technique should win him more fans down under.
TEAMS
AUSTRALIA (probable): Shane Watson, Simon Katich, Ricky Ponting (captain), Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Marcus North, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz/Steve Smith, Peter Siddle, Doug Bollinger.
PAKISTAN (probable): Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Faisal Iqbal, Mohammad Yousuf (captain), Misbahul Haq, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Aamer, Umar GuI / Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Asif, Danish Kaneria.