Australia v Pakistan: Test cricket betting preview, free tips & where to watch

Cricket tips, best bets and predictions for Australia v Pakistan in the first Test in Brisbane.

Where to watch

Live on BT Sport 2, midnight Wednesday night

Best bet

Over 23.5 Asad Shafiq first-innings runs
2pts 5-6 Betway

Match preview

Australia are long odds-on to beat Pakistan in Brisbane, where the mercurial tourists gave the Aussies a real scare in 2016.

Chasing a victory target of 490, Pakistan fell only 40 runs short thanks to some spirited lower-order batting marshalled by Asad Shafiq's 137.

The vastly experienced Shafiq clearly enjoys his trips to Oz and he warmed up for the first Test with scores of 119 and 101 not out in two prep innings, the first of which came against a high-quality bowling attack.

A first-innings runs line of 23.5 looks too low for a player of his calibre. His two 2019 Test matches in South Africa included scores of 88 in Cape Town and 65 in Johannesburg.

Fast bowler James Pattinson is suspended after a foul-mouthed breach of the code of conduct but Steve Smith and David Warner are looking forward to his first home Test match since completing their 12-month bans for ball-tampering.

Smith's runs line is as high as 55.5 in places but it would take a brave punter to oppose a man whose last four first-innings scores at the Gabba are 133, 48, 130 and 141 not out.

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