Home Pitch Report
Established: 2009
Capacity: 25,000
Floodlights: Yes
Ends: Emirates Road End, Dubai Sports City End
Home Team: Pakistan
Test history: 11 Tests (6 home wins, 2 losses, 2 draws)
Tosses: 11: 10 batted first (5 wins, 2 draws, 3 defeats), 1 bowled first (1 win)
Overview
One of four planned or completed stadiums in the ever-evolving Dubai Sports City, the world’s first ever purpose-built athletic metropolis, Dubai International Cricket Stadium weighs in with plenty of impressive numbers.
Flanked by football, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, handball and netball facilities, the 25,000-seater boasts an unsurpassed 350 floodlights across its ‘ring of fire’.
Unique in that its lighting is lavished entirely across the stadium’s stands rather than individual pylons, the ground brags arguably the best playing visibility across the planet.
A 30-floor, five-star hotel, state-of-the-art electronic scoreboard, shaded rafters for every single spectator, oversized dressing rooms, a voluptuous media centre, gymnasiums, swimming pools and a world-class drainage system – the plush, excessive desert oasis has it all.
Reuters news agency has quoted “informed sources” suggesting the PCB are remunerated 800,000 pounds for each event in Dubai, so it’s little wonder they are happy to act as pseudo ‘hosts’ while their real home grounds are without international cricket.
This will be the first ever pink ball day/night Test played in Dubai as well as the first for either nation.
The pink ball presents a few unknowns for both sides but we can be certain that more grass will be left on the pitch than normal to preserve the ball.
Last Time Out
Sri Lanka set up a win with a big first innings total of 482 powered by a big innings of 196 from Dimuth Karunaratne that put Pakistan under pressure early.
In reply Pakistan managed just 262 all out as Azhar Ali and Hari Sohail were the only batsmen to pass fifty while the Sri Lanka spinners dominated.
Sri Lanka’s second dig gave Pakistan a chance , they were knocked over for 96. Wahab Riaz took 4 for 41.
A hundred from Asad Shafiq got Pakistan close but they couldn’t get over the line.
Happy Hunting Ground
Azhar Ali leads the way in the current group having scored 1007 runs in nine Tests including a triple century.
Yasir Shah is level with Saeed Ajmal (37) as the all-time leading wicket taker in Tests at the venue.
They Said
Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq after they beat England in 2015 said: “It was tough to play [for England] on a last-day Dubai pitch, in the last innings, when the ball was turning from the rough and two quality bowlers were bowling.”
Ex-Australia coach Darren Lehmann said after his sides loss in 2014: “This is a very good cricket wicket and we didn’t adapt well enough and didn’t play well enough. When you are talking about learning how to play in these conditions we got beaten on the other side – with less spin.
“You would think it would spin more. We got beaten with straight balls, I think five or six dismissals throughout the game.”
Weather
Should be clear and hot as per usual in Dubai.
Conclusion
Pakistan should have the edge regardless of the toss but neither side would be overly eager to bat last on the Dubai surface.
Knight has recovered from a lengthy lay-off after hip surgery to lead this month’s white-ball tour of the West Indies.
The Yorkshireman struck an 80-ball ton.
Crawley was one of four England batters to make a century on the opening day of the first Test in Rawalpindi
Zak Crawley claimed the fastest century by an England opener as four players celebrated tons.
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook all made centuries.
Crawley scored the fastest ever Test hundred by an England opener, from 86 balls.
Crawley went into the break unbeaten on 91 from 79 balls.
The batting-all rounder was called up in the absence of wicketkeeper Ben Foakes.
The match will get under way on Thursday at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The batting all-rounder’s eye-catching shots in the shorter formats have earned him his Test chance.