Alex Doolan’s run out in Australia’s first innings of the first Test against Pakistan impressed no one, especially within the change rooms.
“Conditions are quite tough but we look at the run out. You shouldn’t be giving run out chances in Test match cricket,” Australia opening batsman David Warner said of Doolan’s demise for five.
Worse was to come for Doolan in Australia’s second innings. A fifth-ball duck, lbw to left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar, was part of Australia’s top-order collapse of 4-5 on Saturday evening after being 1-44.
Doolan’s four-Test career has yielded 191 runs at 23.87. They’re modest figures, but Test cricket is full of examples of players who take a while to get going.
The No.3 position is arguably the most-difficult role in the top six and ideally should be held by the best batsman in the side.
Skipper Michael Clarke is that man and sits at No.4, with the in-form Warner opening.
Emerging star Steve Smith is at No.5 and Chris Rogers is looking solid alongside Warner.
The option appears to be to persist with the 28-year-old Tasmanian Doolan.
Back-up batsman Phil Hughes looked solid with a second-innings score of 65 in Australia’s four-day game against Pakistan A in Sharjah earlier this month. But then again Doolan made a hundred in that match and that didn’t seem to help much in the first Test.
Australia’s bowling attack conceded scores of 454 and 2-286.
On a Dubai pitch where Pakistan’s spinners looked dangerous, Australia’s slow bowlers were swept away by century-makers Younis Khan (twice), Sarfraz Ahmed and Ahmed Shehzad.
Debutant left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe claimed match figures of 4-219 and offspinner Nathan Lyon took 2-220.
The twin-spin option is less prevalent in Australia and O’Keefe would need an enormous performance in Thursday’s second Test in Abu Dhabi to challenge Lyon’s spot for the first Test against India starting on December 4 in Brisbane.
“I was really impressed with the way Younis swept, especially against left-arm orthodox bowling,” Clarke said.
The sweep looms as the shot Australia’s top order needs to master in a hurry.
Pace-bowling allrounder Mitchell Marsh made 30 runs and failed to take a wicket on debut.
Raised on the bouncy Perth pitch, Marsh has fallen twice to Zulfiqar’s spin.
The 23-year-old is a long-term replacement for Shane Watson, who’s set to return in Brisbane.
