Australian vice-captain Steve Smith will return to the crease battered and bruised on Sunday amid concerns a crack in the Perth Stadium pitch will make it increasingly difficult to bat on.
Smith, who was unbeaten on 43 as Australia extended its lead to 300 runs with eight wickets in hand on Day 3 of the Test against Pakistan, was struck twice late on Saturday.
The champion batsmen, who was treated on the ground for several minutes after being struck on the arm near stumps, said he had “a bit of a bruise but I’ll live”.
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Earlier Marnus Labuschagne, who was caught behind for two, took a nasty blow to the hand which caused him significant discomfort as the pitch showed signs of uneven bounce.
The No.3 will undergo scans on his right little finger on Saturday night as a precaution.
Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has no doubt the cracks in the pitch will make batting harder, noting; “The batting looks really tough there at the end.”
“As the game goes along, I think the cracks will come more into play,” he said.
“It is another hot day tomorrow, I believe. We haven’t seen a cloud since we got here, actually, so I think it will be hot tomorrow and the cracks will start to come into play.”
Pakistan’s batting coach Adam Hollioake, who grew up in Ballarat, noted a plate of concern about six to seven metres from the stumps when bowling from the northern end.
“I walked out there in between innings and there is an area on a good length — between six metres and seven metres — there is a spot where it might hit, it might not,” Hollioake said.
“It is for a right hander and it is not very wide — probably on the fourth stump line — but if you come wide you probably can bring the stumps into play.
“It is not as bad as some of the ones we have seen at the WACA. It is not alarming. But it is something to aim at and it will be in the batsmen’s mind a little bit.
“It is small at the moment, but let’s see if that opens up.”
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Hazlewood believes it will become tougher to play shorter-pitched balls as the Test progresses towards its conclusion based on what unfolded in Australia’s second innings.
“I think it’s probably going to be tougher to play the short ball than in the first innings,” he said.
“Probably in the last (innings) Pakistan just sort of ducked underneath and knew it was going over the top, (but) I think with the up and down movement, that could be a play, I guess, in the second innings potentially.
“But I still think there’s enough there on the front foot to take 10 wickets as well. It is hard work if the bowling team gets it right.”
