Pakistan enter the Boxing Day Test against Australia from Monday, having lost their last 10 Tests in Australia. They will however, take heart from their fighting effort in the Brisbane Test, that saw them stretch Australia after scoring 450 in the fourth innings, the highest in the last innings of a Test Down Under.
Ahead of the second Test in the three-game series, Pakistan have devised a unique method to counter the fast and bouncy Melbourne Cricket Ground wicket.
During the nets session, the team trained with marble-coloured granite slabs placed on the practice pitches. The coaching staff bounced throw-ins off the slab at the batsmen.
“Players feel practising on the granite slab will help them on the bouncier pitches. Here the pitches themselves have so much bounce that I don’t feel I need to use a slab,” Pakistan opener Sami Aslam said during the pre-match press conference.
Pakistan have used the slabs extensively before, with Pakistan legend Javed Miandad and former coach Bob Woolmer credited with pioneering the method.
Sri Lanka had also used the method recently to train for their three-Test series in South Africa starting on Monday.
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