Fallen legend's blueprint for unlikely Aussie win

Marnus Labuschagne remains hopeful of victory over Pakistan despite recent history suggesting Australia would need to channel the heroics of their fallen leg-spin legend to stand a chance.

Shane Warne's 'Amazing Adelaide' performance during the 2006-07 Ashes, when he willed his country to a final day win in improbable circumstances, marks the last time an Australia side has won after conceding as many runs in the first innings of a Test as they did during the Rawalpindi series opener.

Pakistan piled on 4-476 before declaring late on day two, with Azhar Ali (185) and Imam ul-Haq (157) proving difficult to dislodge on a placid surface.  

England had gone even bigger in Adelaide during the '06-07 second Test, amassing 6-551 in their first dig and still held a 97-run lead with nine second-innings wickets in hand going into the final day before Warne famously spun his magic.

No Australian team has ever won a Test in Asia after conceding a score of more than 450 in the first innings of the match, while a comeback from Pakistan's 476 to win would be Australia's fourth-best fightback anywhere.

Labuschagne, who admitted "feeling special" bowling leg-breaks like Warne on day two amid the outpouring of grief for the cricket legend who died on Saturday, said Australia had not given up hope of victory.

"We need to bat well – obviously two days are out of the game now and we've got a really big day tomorrow where we need to set a really big platform as a batting group, and go big and put some pressure back on Pakistan," the 27-year-old told reporters after play on Saturday.

"And then obviously day four is going to be the moving day, where if we bat really well on day four we can give ourselves an opportunity potentially on day five.

"I'm looking so far ahead, they are just match scenarios playing out in my head.

"But I think the only way we get ourselves into that situation is by taking it a ball at a time and by making sure we don't leave it up to anyone else."

Pakistan's tally could have swelled much larger had it not been for a disciplined bowling effort that Azhar admitted was the main factor in the hosts' scoring rate remaining under three-runs-an-over.

There was criticism from some quarters for Australia's decision to field just the sole specialist spinner in Nathan Lyon, though his economical but modest return of 1-161 (from 52 overs, nearly a third of the 162 Australia bowled) suggested there was little assistance for bowlers of any kind across the first two days of the game.

Labuschagne, who ran out Babar Azam for 36 with a direct-hit run out, pointed to Alex Carey's dropped catch of Mohammad Rizwan as the only missed opportunity during Pakistan's innings.

But Azhar, who joined Younis Khan, Javed Miandad and Ijaz Ahmed as Pakistanis to have scored at least four Test centuries against Australia, warned his side's spinners would become more threatening in the coming days.

"There can a big discussion on the run-rate but we have to give credit to the (Australia) bowlers the way they bowled on this pitch," the right-hander said when asked if Pakistan had scored too slowly.

"They came in with a plan and in the morning session we were a little slow in our batting but we tried to make up for it before lunch (on day two). And it is natural when the wicket is slow it is difficult to score runs on a slow pitch.

"Where bowling to the Australian team is concerned, we will have to bowl very well to get them out and utilise the conditions as use reverse swing as well.

"The pitch may favour the spinners after the third day and we hope it favours us. But getting the Australian cricket team out twice is never easy but the plan is to build pressure on them."

Labuschagne, who made his Test debut against Pakistan in the UAE in 2018, prepared for his return to the subcontinent by batting on a rubber mat with cut-up strips of aluminium and metal taped to its surface.

While the Rawalpindi pitch may not become as challenging as the surface in his Brisbane backyard, the Queenslander also expects batting to become more difficult in the coming days. 

"I think the wicket has played like some subcontinent wickets that I've seen where, as the game wears on, there's a little bit more spin and the wicket goes a bit lower and reverse swing comes into the game," said Labuschagne.

"And I think you saw those things happen.

"I felt Nathan Lyon did a beautiful job on a wicket that probably didn't give him too much on day one and day two, but hopefully at the back end of the game we'll get some spin."

- with AAP

Qantas Tour of Pakistan 2022

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc), Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Zahid Mahmood.

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner. On standby: Sean Abbott, Brendan Doggett, Nic Maddinson, Matthew Renshaw

March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi

March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi

March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore

Australia ODI and T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi

March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi

April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi

April 5: Only T20I, Rawalpindi

All matches to be broadcast in Australia on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports