Australia are gearing up to host Pakistan in a highly anticipated three-match Test series scheduled for December 2023-January 2024. Pat Cummins, the captain who led the Aussies to victory in the World Test Championship (WTC) against India, will lead the home team in this series. Pakistan, on the other hand, will be under the captaincy of Shan Masood, who recently took over from Babar Azam.
Test series schedule and David Warner’s farewell
The first Test of the series is set to take place at Perth Stadium from December 14 to December 18, followed by the iconic Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) from December 26 to December 30.
The red-ball battle will conclude with the New Year Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) from January 3 to January 7. Notably, this will mark the final match of David Warner‘s red-ball career, as the star opener plans to retire after the New Year Test.
Historical challenges for Pakistan in Australia
Pakistan face historical challenges in Australia, having won only four out of 37 Tests played on Australian soil. Their last Test victory down under dates back to 1995. Despite the host team being the firm favorites, the unpredictability factor associated with Pakistan adds an element of intrigue to the series.
Also READ: Ex-Australian cricketer questions Glenn Maxwell’s exclusion from the first Test squad against Pakistan
Star-studded line-ups on both sides
Both Australia and Pakistan boast powerful line-ups, setting the stage for an exciting series. Australia’s squad includes cricket superstars such as Warner, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood. Similarly, Pakistan’s squad features renowned names in world cricket, including Babar, Masood, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, and Imam-ul-Haq.
Noteworthy statistics and records from Tests encounters between Australia and Pakistan:
AUS vs PAK Tests: Head-to-head records:
Matches: 69 | Australia Won: 34 | Pakistan Won: 15 | Draw: 20
Australia’s stats and records against Pakistan:
- Highest Test total for Australia against Pakistan: 624/8d, Melbourne 2016
- Lowest Test total for Australia against Pakistan: 80 all-out, Karachi 1956
- Most runs for Australia against Pakistan: Alan Border (1666)
- Highest individual score for Australia against Pakistan: David Warner (335*), Adelaide 2019
- Most wickets for Australia against Pakistan: Shane Warne (90 wickets)
- Best bowling figures for Australia against Pakistan: Shane Warne (11/77), Brisbane 1995
- Most hundreds for Australia against Pakistan: Greg Chappell (6)
Pakistan’s stats and records against Australia:
- Highest Test total for Pakistan against Australia: 624, Adelaide 1983
- Lowest Test total for Pakistan against Australia: 53, Sharjah 2002
- Most runs for Pakistan against Australia: Javed Miandad (1797)
- Highest individual score for Pakistan against Australia: Saleem Malik (237), Rawalpindi 1994
- Most wickets for Pakistan against Australia: Imran Khan (64 wickets)
- Best bowling figures for Pakistan against Australia: Fazal Mahmood (13/114), Karachi 1956
- Most hundreds for Pakistan against Australia: Ijaz Ahmed (6)
