Australia is preparing to confront Pakistan in the second game of the Benaud-Qadir Trophy 2023 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on December 26th at 05:00 AM IST. Following a convincing 360-run victory in the series opener, the Australian team aims to secure a 2-0 lead at the iconic MCG. Mitchell Marsh was honored as the Man of the Match in the inaugural game of the series.

Head to Head - In the head-to-head record between Australia and Pakistan, out of the 70 matches played, Australia emerged victorious in 35, while Pakistan secured wins in 15. The remaining 20 matches ended in draws, reflecting a competitive and evenly contested series between the two cricketing nations.

Pitch Report - There's a fine balance between bat and ball on MCG. From the outset, pacers need to make use of seam and bounce; otherwise it'll be difficult for them to put pressure on batmen. But as the game goes on, it is expected that to favor batters more than at first. In the last 20 matches at MCG, the average score in each side's first innings is 268 runs.

Weather Report - Regarding the weather, there's a chance of rain on the first day of Test match. Fortunately, with the Test continuing this week temperatures will be staying in low 20s.

Where to watch - Those who want to catch the excitement can watch it being broadcast on Star Sports Network. Or tune in via live streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

Australia: 1 David Warner, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Mitchell Marsh 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Pat Cummins (capt), 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh Hazlewood

Pakistan: 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Shan Masood (capt), 4 Babar Azam, 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 7 Agha Salman, 8 Hasan Ali/Mir Hamza, 9 Sajid Khan, 10 Aamer Jamal, 11 Shaheen Shah Afridi

Picture Credit: NDTV Sports