3 reasons why Pakistan can beat Australia in Sydney Test

Pakistan have made two changes to their playing XI for the third and final Test against Australia to be played in Sydney from Wednesday, January 3. Shaheen Afridi has been rested and a genuine off-spinner Sajid Khan comes into the side.

In the batting department, young Saim Ayub will be making his debut in place of Imam-ul-Haq. The visitors came close to beating Australia in Melbourne but dropped catches and missed opportunities ensured the hosts took an unassailable 2-0 lead.

However, there's still hope for Pakistan in terms of ending their wait for a Test win on Australian soil. On that note, let's take a look at three reasons why they could spoil Australia's party in Sydney:

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#3 Babar Azam is due a big knock

Pakistan's batting has collectively failed to fire in the series so far. However, star batter Babar Azam did show signs of getting back to his best with a promising knock of 41 before getting an absolute peach of a delivery from Josh Hazlewood.

Skipper Shan Masood has also led by example in his positive batting approach. The likes of Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, and even the talented Saim Ayub could together put on a solid first-innings score that could help the visitors compete better.

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#2 Sydney's conditions could suit Pakistan

The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) traditionally has offered a lot more turn and lesser seam movement than other pitches in Australia. The bounce is also closer to what the subcontinent teams get back at home, which could certainly give Pakistan's batters a lot of confidence.

The visitors also have a specialist off-spinner in Sajid Khan and he could get a lot of purchase from the pitch as the game goes on. If the visitors can bat well and if there's help in the pitch for the spinner as well as some reverse swing on offer, Masood and co. could certainly make life difficult for the Aussies.

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#1 Pakistan showed great fight at MCG

After being battered in the first Test at Perth, not many would have expected Pakistan to give Australia a run for their money in Melbourne. However, the visitors made the brave decision of bowling first and were in the game until the final session of Day 4.

They have shown that if they work on their fielding and take their catches, they can ruffle a few feathers in the Australian camp. Also, given the fact that the visitors have nothing to lose with the series already gone, it could free them up and give them the best chance of expressing themselves.

Australia will know that despite winning the series, there are still World Test Championship (WTC) points at stake. It is the unpredictability of the visitors that will keep them in the game.