Pakistan have reasons for optimism

Adnan Sipra, writing in the Daily Times, says Pakistan had several positives to take from the defeat in Melbourne. The confidence of Umar Akmal and the raw energy of Mohammad Aamer being the most notable among them. The visitors, he says, are also not short of options. Younis Khan remains a potential call-up, so does Shoaib Malik in place of Faisal Iqbal.

The problem, however, lies not merely in the options available but how best to utilise them. Had it not been for a poor first-day performance at the MCG, so desperately lacking in commitment and self-belief, the first Test wouldn’t have required Ponting’s obvious desire to make it more competitive and appealing for the large crowds present. The SGC and its spinner-friendly conditions should simply invite Yousuf to sit his team down at the pre-match team-talk and invoke a recent, popular slogan: “Yes, we can!”