Australia vs Pakistan Boxing Day Test Preview

The Boxing Day test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is a traditional fixture in Australian cricket, and one that the ACB would not do away with, even though there is currently structural renovations taking place at the venue in preparation for the Commonwealth Games.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> The tradition goes back to 1990 when the first Boxing Day test was played in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Melbourne, and there is always a boisterous and unique atmosphere. In these thirteen years and matches, only twice have Australia been beaten and the last of these was back in 1998 in Dean Headley's finest hour for England. All of the top sides have been involved and beaten, and we can only envisage another Aussie win in this one. The best price to be found for that is 1/3 with Pakistan at 12/1 and the draw at 9/2. This will be the second game of a three test series. The first game was in Perth last week, and there was really very little of a positive nature for the tourists to take from the occasion. Their bowlers were poor and did little to stem the bountiful flow of Australian runs, whilst the two efforts with the bat were miserable. 179 was the first innings total, and then just 72 were added in the second knock. Australia are used to having things their own way, but their hunger for victory remains as gluttonous as ever and we do not envisage a way back in for Inzumam Ul Haq and his battered men. The star of the Australian batting line up in Perth was Justin Langer, who made 191 in the fist innings, and then 97 in the second. The effort earned the opener the man of the match award, and the left-hander has been made the 9/2 joint favourite to top the Australian batting market once again in Melbourne. English fans may well remember his 250 in the corresponding Melbourne test during the Ashes Tour of 2002. This may have been his only century at the ground, but it is enough proof of an ability to play well at the cavernous venue, as are two scores in the 80's in four innings since then. A ground average of 42.57 is not as high as that of his opening partner Matthew Hayden or skipper Ricky Ponting but such is his current hot streak which includes a match total of 261 runs in the second test against New Zealand last month, that we feel he should be backed. Hayden is also at 9/2, and the fact he has plundered centuries in the first innings of the Boxing Day test for the last three years is tempting. However, he has now gone 13 innings without a 100, his longest run since 2000 and so we feel Langer offers better value. Ponting has also done well here, averaging a massive 78.44. Last year he scored 257 against India, his second double hundred of the series. However, not a single century has been made by him since that innings, which also coincides with the time that he took over as captain from Steve Waugh. Ponting is also 9/2, but once again, Justin Langer holds much more appeal at this priceBet for free on Australia vs Pakistan with BettingChoice preferred bookmakers:VCBetBlue Square andBet365