Pak spin to plot Aussie coup

Under-strength Pakistan will be guided by the success of their Asian rivals India and Sri Lanka as they attempt to spin out Australia in the...

Under-strength Pakistan will be guided by the success of their Asian rivals India and Sri Lanka as they attempt to spin out Australia in the first Test starting here tomorrow.

Both India and Sri Lanka used spin to defeat the world champions in their previous home series, and Pakistan hope the Australians will be equally vulnerable against wily off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq and leggie Danish Kaneria.

Both slow bowlers will take the field even on the damp Tamil Union ground wicket with captain Waqar Younis sharing the new ball with speed king Shoaib Akhtar and all-rounder Abdul Razzaq.

Younis has not forgotten that Australia crumbled for 162 against Sri Lanka in the Champions Trophy one-day semi-final here last week with Muttiah Muralitharan and his spinning partners picking up seven wickets.

8220;I believe the wicket will dry out giving both Saqlain and Kaneria a chance,8221; said Younis. 8220;If there is a chink in Australia8217;s armour, it is spin.8221;

Pakistan are more worried about their depleted batting resources in the absence of the seasoned trio of Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul Haq and Yousuf Youhana.

Anwar, like Wasim Akram, opted out of the series for unspecified reasons, while both Inzamam and Youhana were sidelined with injuries.

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That has left newly-appointed vice-captain Younis Khan the most experienced batsman in the side and he has played only 20 Tests. None of the other specialist batsmen have played more than six.

Left-handed Taufiq Umar will open the batting with either Imran Nazir or Imran Farhat with Misbah-ul Haq, who has played just one Test, and Hasan Raza, who has played two, expected to shoulder the middle-order.

Pakistan could miss the hard-hitting batting and leg-spin bowling of Shahid Afridi, who was surprisingly axed by the selectors after the Champions Trophy.

Its the gaping hole in the middle that Australia8217;s dreaded pace attack, led by Glenn McGrath, will exploit in the hope of gaining the early advantage in the three-Test series.

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8220;There is a lot of pressure on the young ones coming into Test cricket,8221; said McGrath, the spearhead with 389 Test wickets.

TEAMS

Australia from: Steve Waugh capt, Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, Damien Martyn, Darren Lehmann, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Nathan Hauritz, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath, Andrew Bichel.

Pakistan from: Waqar Younis capt, Taufiq Umar, Imran Nazir, Imran Farhat, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul Haq, Hasan Raza, Faisal Iqbal, Abdul Razzaq, Rashid Latif, Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq, Danish Kaneria, Mohammmad Sami, Mohammad Zahid, Rana Naveed-ul Hasan.