Pakistan have won the toss and will bat first in hot conditions in Thursday’s second Test against Australia.

Pakistan also won the toss and batted in last week’s Dubai Test and claimed victory by 221 runs.

Australia have made two changes, dropping batsman Alex Doolan and in-form spinner Steve O’Keefe.

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O’Keefe was on debut in last week’s first Test, claiming a team-high four wickets.

No.3 batsman Doolan made a duck and five runs in Dubai and has a career average of 23.87 in four matches, all in 2014.

Offspinning allrounder Glenn Maxwell and left-arm quick Mitchell Starc have been recalled with Maxwell expected to bat at No.3, despite a batting average of just 9.75 in two Tests.

Australia have retained No.1 spinner Nathan Lyon who claimed 2-220 in Dubai.

Starc will join Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle in a three-pronged pace attack for Australia, on a pitch which is expected to play low and slow, suiting Pakistan’s spinners Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babar.

Pakistan have named an unchanged side.

“It’s great for batting early on,” Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq said after winning the toss.

“Maybe a little bit of low bounce in the second innings.”

Australian captain Michael Clarke said he would have liked to have batted first.

On Thursday after calling “tails” and seeing the coin land on heads, Clarke tried to put on a brave face by saying conditions should be good for batting for both sides in their first innings.

Pakistan are chasing their first Test-series win over Australia since 1994.

Teams:
Australia: Michael Clarke (capt), Chris Rogers, David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon.

Pakistan: Misbah-ul Haq (capt), Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Rahat Ali, Imran Khan, Sarfraz Ahmed, Zulfiqar Babar, Yasir Shah.

-AAP