‘They have weapons to dismiss Pakistan twice’, says Alex Carey

By our correspondent

KARACHI: Australia put a huge total of 505-8 on the board in their first innings at stumps on the second day of the second Test against Pakistan here at the National Stadium on Sunday. As the pitch has started deteriorating and a reverse swing has also been seen so the next three days will not be too good for the batsmen.

And Australian wicket-keeper batsman Alex Carey feels that they have the weapons to take Pakistan’s 20 wickets in the next three days.

“I think reverse swing always is difficult,” Alex Carey said in a post second day’s news conference on Sunday.

“We have Mitchel Starc in the side who bowls with 145kmph and negotiating reverse swing will be difficult. Pat Cummins is in the side and so Cameron Green so we have the weapons if the bowl starts to reverse. So, we hope to utilize that,” Carey said.

“And we also have two spinners. Nathan bowls at a great area and we have also Mitchel Swepson and he has the ability to do well. There is an opportunity for us to take those 20 wickets tomorrow and on day-4 and day-5,” Carey said.

It was Alex Carey’s day as he hammered 93, his career-best knock in his seventh Test, to propel Australia to a decent total at close of the second day.

“I had worked hard and had full trust in my ability. I played today with patience. I missed the century, was just otherwise, but I came back to the dressing room amid applause and I am comfortable. Three days of the game are left and then there is a Test in Lahore and I will continue to improve my game,” Carey said.

Carey, the left-hander, played some delightful strokes during his fine knock before being bowled by Babar Azam towards the end of the day while going for a sweep which he missed completely.

Carey is a bit disappointed by missing his maiden hundred.

“Absolutely, I am disappointed,” Carey said. “I was so close to the three digits, unfortunately it did not happen but the innings has instilled in me a lot of confidence and I will learn from it,” Carey said.

He said that the wicket was not so easy to score runs quickly on.

“It’s not the easiest wicket to score quickly on. It started to be a little bit variable and inconsistent. There was a reverse swing at times throughout the day. The off-spinner bowled at the good area and he also put some pace too. The more runs we can get in this first innings it will help at the back end. The wicket is inconsistent and patches have started to open,” Carey said.

Pakistani bowlers tried to use reverse swing as a tool to tear apart the Australian batting but it did not succeed probably due to the slow nature of the pitch where bowlers also had to struggle hard.

“We handled the reverse swing pretty well throughout the innings,” Carey said. Carey was happy to see Australia reaching 500 runs.

“Tomorrow we will see what the skipper does but it`s great to have 500 runs on the board,” Carey said.  “So, the more runs we get now, the better position we will be in if we have to bat again,” Carey said.