In Dubai heat, Australia take heart with post-Tea returns

Justin Langer summed up the new Australian team culture by stating before the Test series: "I've said it for years, you pick character over cover drives".

Langer's theory was tested thoroughly on the opening day as Mitchell Starc finished the day battling cramps and ended up limping into the dressing room at the close of play. Peter Siddle spent a brief period off the ground recovering from the heat and the Australian spinners looked hapless against the Pakistan batsmen. The hosts had finished the day on 255-3, and in the process, exhibited to the inexperienced Australian line-up the hardships of Test cricket.

Australia are no strangers to the sub-continent and over time have managed to script a template for the slow and low pitches. The fast bowlers attack the stumps with a majority of fielders employed in front of the batsmen's eye line while the spinners bowl to in-out fields.

It sounds simple enough, but in the fearsome heat of Dubai, concentration wavers and fatigue sets in. Langer had built his own regime on fitness and with Pakistan at 199 for no loss at tea, he would have had to reinstate his philosophies.

"Everyone around that last session bowled superbly. Building pressure, bowling in partnerships, things we've spoken a lot about in the lead up that last session summed up what we've been working on," Siddle told reporters at stumps.

One bowler Australia might have expected a touch more from is Lyon. The off-spinner had averaged 42.57 in Asia prior to the India series last year, but he felt he had discovered the magic formula after successful tours to Bangladesh and India in the last 12 months. On the opening day, however, it was quite evident that Lyon is still a one-trick pony and needs bounce for his over-spinning deliveries to trouble the batsmen. The pitch was benign, but Lyon's seventh stump line and length become far too predictable and easy to negotiate.

Lyon's partner in crime, Holland, also failed to live up to expectations. Holland has spent countless hours in the nets, but when it came to accuracy and simplicity, the left-arm spinner lacked the control. A couple of full tosses early in the spell didn't help, neither did the leg-stump line. Importantly, Holland had failed to build the pressure and work in partnership with Lyon, something that Tim Paine had spoken about many times.

Halfway through the middle session, just when it looked like Lyon had found his groove and bowled three maidens, Holland dished out a couple of half-volleys. No doubt Pakistan made a conscious effort to attack the left-arm spinner and Holland buckled under the challenge.

Speaking at the close of play, Siddle defended Holland and felt the outing will only help him improve as the match goes on. "I've played a lot with him over the years and watched him bowl, he wasn't far off bowling his best, but it did look like they were a lot more aggressive against him and sitting on Nath a little bit.

"Once we saw later in the day, there it was starting to grip a bit more, a little bit of spin and bounce, he started to trouble them. That showed with the wicket he got, a couple of close calls along the way, it isn't going to be as easy to do that in the rest of this match. The way he dug in, you have to, but sometimes it can be hard and you lose your way, but he kept going and to get that breakthrough at the end was a great reward for us," he said.

Siddle was the best of the Australian bowlers and executed his plans diligently. He bowled at the stumps and only conceded two boundaries. Siddle's accuracy evident in the fact that close to 66% balls would have cannoned into the stumps, a strategy suited on low, slow pitches with a reverse swinging ball.

Perhaps it was the experience that allowed Siddle to get the best of his weary body or maybe it was just his strong temperament. Maybe that is the reason he was picked for this tour, to show to the next breed the dedication and hardship it takes to play for Australia.

Pakistan will take a lot of confidence in watching the new breed of Australia cricket toiling in the heat and wilting under the Dubai sun on the first day. Langer, on the other hand, will need more than a pep talk and hope all the effort, the training, and mental toughness can be replicated from the third session into the second day. Australia need those strong characters if the team have to crawl back into the match.