Australia vs Pakistan second Test day two: Tips and suggested bets

Australia will likely be the happier of the two sides after day one of the second Test having reached 187 for the loss of three wickets.

David Warner's dismissal ended the first session of play, and he was one of three Australians to get a start and then get out with no batters reaching fifty on day one, albeit with only 66 overs bowled on the opening day in Melbourne.

Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head were at the wicket at stumps and will resume the innings on the second morning with the former six runs shy of being the first Aussie to break fifty.

For Pakistan, Salman Ali Agha was underutilised on a day when the pacemen were made to work very hard to keep the batters honest. The spinner returned figures of 1 for 5 from three overs and showed signs that he could be tough to handle for Australia.

 

Australia vs Pakistan second Test day two: Suggested bets

Out of the gate Labuschagne to score over 124.5 is offered at attractive odds at the time of writing and he is a batter who could really go big once he gets in on this MCG wicket.

Australia look likely to bat on for some time and the longer the innings goes on the more chance Ali Agha will have to get into the game for Pakistan.

Shaheen Shah Afridi brings an early leg before decision in to play tomorrow morning and could be a good player to back alongside taking LBW to claim the fourth wicket of the innings. Labuschagne survived a few close calls on the first evening and if he is to be dismissed Pakistan will fancy trapping him in front.

Australia look set to score just over 400 runs if the pattern of their innings continues. A big innings or a collapse might see things end up otherwise but a first innings total between 400 and 430 looks to be a high likelihood in the current circumstances.

 

Predictions

Australia to score between 400 and 430 in innings 1.

Marnus Labuschagne to score over 125 runs.

Salman Ali Agha to take the most wickets for Pakistan in innings 1.