Severe battle awaiting!

Expecting a good days cricket at the Lords Cricket Ground!

Before the start of the test series between Pakistan and Australia starting tomorrow at the Home of Cricket, keep note of these facts!

# Pakistan have not beaten Australia in a Test since November 1995

# This is the first neutral Test in England since 1912

# Ricky Ponting's record at Lord's is poor - he has 109 runs at 18.16 with a highest score of 42. It is his worst average at any venue where he has played at least three Tests.

Things not looking hopeful for Pakistan as now Aussies have their major skipper back in the business and so on some mystery in inclusion of Steven Smith which gives them an option of having added batsman in lower middle order, who can chip in some runs as well, and as the facts clearly mentions, Pakistan didn't won against the Aussies since November 1995 SCG test!

As I am not a superstitious person I don't think the last fact do give us an advantage as a team as Punter is a world class player and has a reputation with him. Pakistan team is also having some new faces in the middle order, where other than Junior Akmal, none touches the 40 Avg mark, so slightly new mid order in absence of MoYo and Younus, and we've to rely on Malik, Jnr. Akmal, Umar Amin, Azhar Ali, and so its relatively a new look Pakistan side it could open the door for Amin and Azhar to make their Test debuts. From the side that lost in Hobart, Khurram Manzoor, Sarfraz Ahmed and Mohammad Yousuf are gone, with Afridi recalled and Kamran Akmal back in favour with the gloves.

Form guide

(with the recent performance at the left)

Australia WWWWW

Pakistan LLLDW

This clearly shows where the two teams stand and so I need not to say much about it!