Pakistan Looks Series Level

Abu Dhabi: Pakistan find themselves in a familiar situation - behind against Australia, and needing a victory to keep the series alive.

Following Australia's travails against spin in the first match, Pakistan can be expected to call in the left-arm spin of Abdur Rehman, perhaps at the expense of Aizaz Cheema, who struggled for impact as the second seamer.

Xavier Doherty will be hopeful of a recall to the Australian XI, but the success of a deep batting line-up and the use of part-time spinners in the opening match may mean Clarke sticks with the combination that gave him a 1-0 series lead.

Michael Clarke has challenged one of Australia's top-order batsmen to score a century in the second one-day international against Pakistan.
Australia comfortably accounted for Pakistan in the series opener in Sharjah on Tuesday, though opening batsmen David Warner and Matthew Wade and second-drop Michael Hussey all fell cheaply.

Warner was bowled by Mohammad Hafeez for five, while Wade was caught trying to slog Shahid Afridi for 10 and Hussey was trapped lbw by Saeed Ajmal for 10.

Clarke, batting at number three, made 66, with lower-order batsmen George Bailey (57 not out) and Glenn Maxwell (38) proving pivotal as Australia successfully chased down the target of 198 runs with 10 balls to spare.

Teams from:

Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez, Nasir Jamshed, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal (wk), Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Saeed Ajmal, Aizaz Cheema, Abdur Rehman, Anwar Ali, Imran Farhat, Junaid Khan, Shoaib Malik

Australia: David Warner, Matthew Wade (wk), Michael Clarke (captain), Michael Hussey, David Hussey, George Bailey, Glenn Maxwell, Daniel Christian, Mitchell Johnson, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Xavier Doherty, Callum Ferguson, Alister McDermott, Steven Smith, Clint McKay

Pitch and conditions
Abu Dhabi's surface is known to offer more pace than those of Sharjah or Dubai, but with the temperature forecast to touch 44C during the day there is unlikely to be much moisture to be found in the surface.

Stats and trivia

• Australia won both the previous two meetings between the teams in Abu Dhabi, by 27 runs then eight wickets in April and May 2009
• Michael Clarke was dominant in both matches, making 66 and taking 3-15 in the first game, before notching an unbeaten century in the second

Match facts
August 31-September 1, 2012
Start time 1800 local (1400 GMT)