Against South Africa in Adelaide, Australia made five changes and named three debutants in one of the most comprehensive overhauls of the national side since World Series Cricket. They won, but a dead rubber only, and now face the expectation of winning a series against Pakistan. But Steven Smiths men have much schooling ahead of them in international cricket, with many lessons to learn. And if Mickey Arthur has taught the Pakistanis anything, they will punish Australia if they havent done their homework. So, here are six subjects that Australias new-look squad might (or might not) benefit from studying.Ancient historyOne of the most enduring records in Australian cricket is the teams unbeaten run at the Brisbane Cricket Ground - nicknamed the Gabbatoir for their slaying of opposition dreams at the venue. Last time Australia lost a Gabba Test was in 1988. Smith wasnt even born then, and nor were half of his team. Not to mention this will be the first Gabba Test played with a pink ball under lights, and the first Gabba Test full-stop for up to five of Australias XI. And so, like most students, Australias cricketers will view this ancient history as irrelevant. We might as well be discussing who won the Punic Wars.Weve got a great record here and hopefully we can keep that up, but its a little bit different this year - the pink ball compared to the red ball, Smith said. Im not really paying much attention to that, its about going out here and making sure weve got our processes right and were playing good cricket. And if were doing that then hopefully the result will take care of itself.Modern historyAustralia and Pakistan have both been ranked No.1 in Tests this year, but have fallen to No.3 and 4 respectively after losing campaigns. Australia lost away to Sri Lanka and at home to South Africa, and Pakistan lost on the green seaming pitches in New Zealand. It is also worth noting that only four in Australias side - Smith, David Warner, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc - have played Tests against Pakistan. By comparison, 10 of Pakistans squad have played Australia. One of those is fast bowler Mohammad Amir, who skittled Australia for 88 at Headingley in 2010. That Test marked the beginning of an era in which Australias batsmen often suffered humiliating collapses against swing - an era that remains ongoing. Under lights with the pink ball, Amir could be a serious threat.I remember watching out in Australia in 2010 he bowled with really good pace, said Smith, the only current Australia player to have faced Amir in Tests. I think he was hitting 145-150 and in England he slowed it down and got his wrists right and swung the ball, so its great to have those sort of gears and those skills. No doubt he could potentially be a handful if its swinging around. Guys are just going to have to identify those difficult periods and adapt and show some resilience and things will get easier from there.GeographyIn 2014, Australia learnt a lesson about deserts. On the dry pitches of the UAE, Pakistans batsmen handled Australias fast men with ease, and their spinners with contempt. Pakistans slow bowlers were dominant, including legspinner Yasir Shah. On debut in that series, he claimed 12 wickets at 17.25 across the two Tests, more wickets than all of Australias spinners combined. But in Australia, where the pitches will offer far more bounce and pace, Smith hopes that the threat of Yasir will be diminished.I guess the Gabba, youll get a bit of extra bounce as a spin bowler, Smith said. I guess that can play in your favour, and can also play against you. Your length has to be spot on. Generally there isnt too much turn - its more bounce, so length is crucial. And if youre slightly off your length, you can really cash in down the wicket and square of the wicket as well. So hes going to have to be pretty accurate. Physical educationAustralias new-look side boasts some fine fielders - Peter Handscomb pulled off a super catch at gully in Adelaide - but some aspects of working together require improvement. Australia will, for example, hope that wicketkeeper Matthew Wade and first slip Matt Renshaw have no further disagreements over who should go for a catch. Still, Australia will likely have the edge over Pakistan in the catching department. Pakistans batsmen might also find themselves up against some bouncer barrages as Australias fast men try to exploit the pace and bounce in the pitches, although the likes of Wahab Riaz are more than capable of returning the favour.Weve watched a little bit of the New Zealand series, just recently, and I think traditionally sub-continent sides that come over to Australia dont handle the pace and bounce, or arent as comfortable with the pace and bounce of our wickets, Smith said. You need to try and find ways to exploit that as much as possible and at times Im sure were going to see some short-pitched bowling to mess with their feet and be possible ways to get them out as well. We watched New Zealand pretty closely and they obviously did a good job, so hopefully our bowlers can replicate that.MathsCalculations are always important for a captain, whether setting targets or juggling bowling spells. But in day-night Test cricket an extra dimension is added, with the knowledge that batting can become harder as the floodlights kick in. In Adelaide, Faf du Plessis even declared South Africas first innings before the close of the first day, such was his desire to test Australia under the lights.I think if you look at all the pink-ball stats that have come out, most wickets have been lost in that final session so I guess it adds another dimension to the game, Smith said. Captains have to be switched on and possibly figure out different times to have a crack. If we get the opportunity and it might be about going out and trying to score a little bit quicker to get 10 overs with the new ball under lights, because weve seen it can do quite a lot. It throws some different strategies into the game.ScienceThis is where the lessons get complicated. At about 5pm on match eve, the Australians gathered around the 22-yard strip in the middle of the Gabba and tried to work out how it would perform. At Adelaide Oval, the curator had left six millimetres of grass on the surface to help protect the pink ball; at the Gabba, only two millimetres will be left on. Perhaps only in cricket do agriculture and sport combine to hold the attention of so many. The Gabba curator, Kevin Mitchell jnr, believes the pitch will perform like a typical Gabba Test surface. Whatever the case, Australias uncertainty was such that Smith was unable to confirm whether spinner Nathan Lyon would play. Authentic Saints Jerseys . Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, announced Wednesday that the team would assign Swedish forward Elias Lindholm to his nations team for the upcoming tournament. Cheap Saints Jerseys . They reached the 100-point plateau for the fourth time in five games, bested the visiting Trail Blazers by 34 in the paint and scored 19 of the final 25 points in regulation. http://www.cheapsaintsjerseyselite.com/ . PAUL, Minn. Cheap Saints Jerseys China . Shot outdoors against the stunning backdrop of Banff, Alta., the networks 30-minute original production airs tonight at 8pm et/5pm pt on TSN2. The four All-Star teams will play for $100,000 in prize money during TSNs annual skins game, airing live this weekend on TSN from The Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre. Cheap New Orleans Saints Jerseys . Bradwell was scheduled to become a free agent Tuesday. Born and raised in Toronto, Bradwell is entering his sixth CFL season, with all six played for his hometown Argonauts. SALVADOR, Brazil -- Leave him alone.Brazil coach Rogerio Micale has leapt to the defense of misfiring star striker Neymar before the decisive game against Denmark at the Olympic football tournament on Wednesday.With Brazil facing another embarrassing elimination at home, Neymar has come under fire for his poor performances and lack of leadership, but Micale said he deserved respect.Brazil needs a victory to keep alive its hopes of gold -- or even any medal.Neymar will become the best player in the world, we need to respect him, Micale said. He is young. I know that at times he behaves in a way that we may not like, but at his age, wouldnt we do the same things that he does, having everything that he has?Micale said the criticism could hurt future generations of Brazilian players who dream of the national soccer team.If we dont respect our best players, they might not want to be with us anymore, Micale said.Neymar, one of the biggest stars at the Rio Games, was far from his best when Brazil was held to scoreless draws against South Africa and Iraq, results that left the title favorite in danger of being eliminated in the group stage. Two years ago Brazil was thrashed 7-1 by Germany in the semifinal of the home World Cup.Neymar, Brazils captain, was also criticized for not taking a more active role as the one of the teams most experienced players. After Sundays draw against Iraq, he declined to talk to the media, leaving the younger players to try to explain the teams struggles.Brazilian fans heckled Neymar during the game against Iraq, chanting the name of womens star Marta, the five-time world player of the yearr who has been thriving at the womens tournament.ddddddddddddThis week, many photos surfaced on social media with fans replacing Neymars name by Martas on Brazils jerseys.They are two great Brazilian players, Micale said. Neymar is a young 24-year-old who still hasnt fully matured. Generally, a player will peak at 28, physically and mentally. Neymar has had to deal with the pressure of being a leader since he was 17 years old.Midfielder Renato Augusto said Brazils struggles at the Olympic tournament have upset Neymar.He remains confident, but he is not happy with what has been happening, Augusto said. He knows of his importance to this group. Everyone is supporting him.We only need a simple victory to reach the next round and remain alive in the fight for a medal, Micale said. We need to stay calm. We only depend on ourselves.Micale said he also relies on the fact that despite not being able to score, Brazil created plenty of opportunities. Things will be different when the balls starts going in, Micale said.Brazil may also be able to advance with a draw, but then would rely on the result of the game between South Africa and Iraq, which also play on Wednesday. Brazil and Iraq are tied with two points each, two less than Denmark. If the teams remain level on points, goal differential and head-to-head results, a drawing of lots will determine which nation advances.---Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoni. 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