NEW DELHI: It was the coldest of receptions for
Australia
on day one of the opening Test match against
Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday — their first Test series back since the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa in March this year.
Former Australia captain
Steve Smith,
David Warner and
Cameron Bancroft were handed bans for their role in the scandal.
First up on Sunday at the Dubai International
Cricket
Stadium, there seemed to be more umpires than spectators. No one turned up at the 25,000 capacity venue. In fact, a sole security guard stood watch as he faced away from the game towards the grandstand.
Add to this, the organisers mistakenly erected New Zealand flags instead of Australian.
The visitors named three debutants, with batsmen Aaron Finch, Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne coming into the team. The last time Australia played three debutants in the same Test was against South Africa at Adelaide in November 2016 — Matt Renshaw, Peter Handscomb and Nic Maddinson. None of the three feature in the Dubai Test.
For the 10th time, Australia conceded a double-century opening stand, as Mohammad Hafeez and Imam-ul-Haq piled on 205. No Pakistani wickets fell in the first 60 overs of their innings — the first instance since 2000 with Australia going wicketless for so long while bowling first in a Test.
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