Ian Chappell discusses first Test and debuts of Mitch Marsh and Steve O’Keefe

PAKISTAN said swing and spin were Australia’s Achilles heel and so it proved to be, but there was some good news to drift out of the desert.

Australian batsman Mitchell Marsh plays a shot during the third day of the first test cricket match against Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai on October 24, 2014. AFP PHOTO/ MARWAN NAAMANI

PAKISTAN were right. They said the twin devils of swing and spin were Australia’s Achilles heel and so it proved to be in Dubai

Michael Clarke’s team now has one remaining option — bat well to save the game, something that has generally eluded them during his reign.

Batting stoically in difficult conditions to thwart the opposition has become a lost art to all teams other than South Africa.

However, there is some good news to drift out of the desert. Australia’s precarious position hasn’t revealed anything they didn’t already know and swing and spin isn’t going to bedevil them at home against India.

The other good news from Dubai was the continued good form of the enforcer, Mitchell Johnson, and the potential displayed by debutant all-rounder Mitchell Marsh.

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Mitchell Johnson was Australia’s best bowler on the dead desert deck.

Even on a slow wicket, Johnson was difficult to play and the Pakistan batsmen refused, or were incapable of, tackling his short-pitched stuff head-on.

The Indian batsmen are better equipped to attack Johnson, but they will also be confronted by a more lethal version on faster, bouncier pitches. If the Indian batsmen don’t attempt to dent Johnson’s confidence, they will face the same fate as the English batsmen last summer.

While the latest Marsh to enter the Test arena didn’t set the world on fire with a wicketless bowling debut and a moderate score of 27, he did display enough skill to suggest he will be a permanent fixture.

His lively pace bowling with a hint of swing will be enhanced by home conditions and the fact he’ll be the fourth, rather than the third seamer.

His batting was tentative at first, but once he settled in there were glimpses of the bold stroke play which captured everyone’s attention on the recent tour of Zimbabwe.

Mitch Marsh hangs onto a catch to dismiss Asad Shafiq.

He’s developed the modern trait of swivelling his back foot in the crease, which in defence causes the bat to come from off to leg and leaves him vulnerable to the ball moving in the opposite direction.

Nevertheless, this won’t be such a problem on Australia’s firmer surfaces and his ability to strike the ball powerfully and score quickly will be an asset if the preceding batsmen can set the scene for his entrance. In time, he could play a similarly devastating role to that of Adam Gilchrist in the middle order.

If he can stay fit under the strain of providing a two-pronged assault on the opposition, he’ll fulfil the role that has been set aside for, but never quite been fulfilled, by Shane Watson.

The gifted Watson could still play an important part in this team, as the No.3 spot is far from the sole property of Alex Doolan. The tall Tasmanian was too passive against Pakistan and eventually ran himself out in an attempt to get off strike.

If it hadn’t been for the magnificent batting of David Warner, who blazed his ninth Test century, Australia would be in even greater trouble.

Unlike many of his teammates, Warner has improved against spin and, despite his aggressive approach, he provides a consistency that is only matched by his captain.

The early part of this Test also confirmed one other unsurprising fact; the Australians will rely heavily on their pace attack in the home series.

The experiment with two spinners didn’t reveal much we didn’t already know.

Nathan Lyon continued to baffle as an off-spinner who doesn’t reap the rewards his sharply spun deliveries promise and debutant, left-arm orthodox Steve O’Keefe, has a tendency to “put” the ball there rather than deliver it with venom.

Given the successful history of wrist spinners in Australian conditions, young Adam Zampa may be the man for the future.

However, a debut against the fleet-footed Indian batsmen needs to be carefully orchestrated and a match-up at the SCG may suit him best.