Paine preaches patience for UAE tour

Skipper Tim Paine says Australia will have to play the long game if they are to defy the odds in the UAE next month and end their seven-year winless drought on Asian soil.

Paine and his revamped Test squad jetted out to Dubai on Wednesday night for a two-Test campaign against Pakistan, who handsomely won the corresponding series 2-0 four years ago.

Pakistan have made their adopted home country a fortress since a terrorist attack in Lahore in 2009 forced them to play all matches at neutral venues; they have lost just four of 21 Tests in Dubai and Abu Dhabi since 2010.

The past six Tests at each venue have all lasted the full five days, but only three of those 12 matches have been drawn, a fact that Paine already has front of mind.

"I think games traditionally in the UAE take a long time so we are going to have to be really patient," he said.

"We have spoken about partnerships and patience and pressure, which is going to be a real key over there.

"Games ... sort of drag along for three or four days and it can happen really quickly on day five. So, it is about having your team in a position to strike late in the game.

"We know traditionally that they are long, low-scoring days and it takes time to score your runs. You just have to grind it out. So, we are going over there with that at the front of our minds.

"We are going to have to play really hard, tough cricket particularly from the batting side. And then in the heat over there, it's the same for our bowlers; it's going to be about patience, trying to wear them down and being in a position late in the game where we can make a move."

The opening Test of Australia's 2014 tour in Dubai followed the pattern Paine speaks about; Pakistan ground their way to 4-219 in 90 overs on a dour opening day and while the scoring rate quickened on day two, only 14 wickets had fallen by the time lunch was called on the third day.

But the game went into overdrive on days four and five as Pakistan slammed on 2-286 in their second innings before Australia were bowled out for 216 in 91.1 overs.

Much of the focus in this series will be on Australia's undermanned batting line-up, which has regularly stumbled on Asian soil in recent years even when the likes of Steve Smith and David Warner have been available.

While a hard-fought series defeat in India last year – which was built on Smith's stunning batting feats – was an impressive performance, the fact remains Australia have not won a Test series in Asia since 2011.

A key figure in ending that drought will be star quick Mitchell Starc, who will lead an attack that will be without fellow pace aces Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, who are missing due to injury.

Starc returned figures of 2-142 in the second Test of the 2014 UAE tour, but his record-breaking 24-wicket series in Sri Lanka in 2016 – which Australia lost 3-0 – underlines his ability to be a strike weapon in dry conditions.

But while Paine advocated the need to grind through some tough sessions of cricket in the UAE, he's also wary of overworking his star quick ahead of a crucial home series against India this summer.

"We have to be really careful with all our quicks over there," Paine said.

"It's going to be over 40 degrees and really high humidity so we're going to have to be clever about how we use our bowlers.

"Starcy, in particular, who is a strike weapon – I expect him to be bowling short spells and as fast as he can.

"We're hopeful – no, we’re sure – Starcy will have a really big series, and if he does, it will go a long way towards winning it for us."

Qantas Tour of the UAE

Australia Test squad: Tim Paine (c), Ashton Agar, Brendan Doggett, Aaron Finch, Travis Head, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc

Sep 29 - Oct 2: Tour match v Pak A, Dubai

Oct 7-11: First Test, Dubai

Oct 16-20: Second Test, Abu Dhabi