steve smith misbah ul haq
Steve Smith and Misbah-ul-Haq pose with the trophy ahead of the first Test getty

Australia take on Pakistan in the first Test match – a day/night encounter – at the Brisbane Cricket Ground in Brisbane on Thursday (15 December).

Where to watch live

Match starts at 3am GMT. Live coverage of the game in the UK is available on BT Sport Europe.

Overview

After taking on South Africa at home, Australia welcome Pakistan for three Tests and five One Day Internationals (ODI). The hosts come into the series on the back of a brilliant display in the limited overs format against New Zealand, winning the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy by whitewashing the Kiwis 3-0.

However, in the longer format of the game their form seems to have been hit as they lost the home series against South Africa 2-1. While that would be a concern, the team management would be buoyed by an upturn in form as they have always performed well in day/night Tests.

Brisbane is hosting its first day/night Test where Australia's Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazelwood could be lethal. In Usman Khawaja, skipper Steve Smith and David Warner, the hosts have players who are in good form and capable of winning matches on their own.

younis khan
Younis Khan who is Pakistan's leading run-scorer in Test cricket is yet to score a ton on Australian soil getty

On the other hand, opponents Pakistan come into this series on the back of a disappointing 2-0 loss to New Zealand, a series marked by complete disintegration of their batsman who failed to deal with swing conditions.

But the Asian side, who were ranked the best Test team in the world earlier in the year, have a number of match-winners in their ranks. In Younis Khan, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah and skipper Misbah-ul-Haq the Men in Green have the talent, but how they deal with the bounce in Australia will most likely decide their fate.

Misbah-ul-Haq, who missed Pakistan's last game due to family reasons, is back in the squad and will lead the side. Yasir Shah has also recovered from a back injury and will join the playing eleven.

Prediction

Australia to win

Betting odds (betfair)

• Australia to win: 1/3
• Draw: 11/2
• Pakistan to win: 9/2

Team news

Australia

Squad: Steve Smith (C), Jackson Bird, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazelwood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Nic Maddinson, Matt Renshaw, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade (WK), David Warner

Pakistan

Squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (C), Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Imran Khan, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Rahat Ali, Sami Aslam, Sarfraz Ahmed (WK), Sharjeel Khan, Sohail Khan, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah, Younis Khan.

Australia Pakistan