Pakistan v England 3rd ODI preview: Action shifts to Sharjah as both teams fight for an unassailable lead
After two one-sided games at the Sheikh Zayed stadium, wherein both the teams won a match apiece, the action now shifts to the iconic Sharjah Cricket stadium for the 3rd ODI of the series. Considering the fact that this ODI series consists of just 4 matches, the team winning a match at the stadium will ensure that they will not lose the series.
After a clinical performance from the home team in the first ODI, the Pakistani team were stunned thanks to an all-round performance from the visitors. They took full advantage of the pitch after winning the toss and bowled exceptionally well to ensure that Pakistan were well short of the target. The home team was left reeling early during their chase, and could never really recover.
England
After a contrasting performance from the batsmen in the first ODI, wherein the top order and the lower middle order failed miserably, the batsmen pulled up their socks and gave us an inspired performance in the 2nd ODI.
The top 3 of the English batting line-up came into the party and look in good shape ahead of the 3rd ODI. Alex Hales, known for his T20 skills, has showed his caliber in the ODI format with a calm and composed century. Joe Root and Jason Roy’s half-century gave the duo some much-needed confidence in finding their form in the shorter formats.
Captain Morgan would be slightly concerned about the form of the lower middle order. Though their lack of contribution in the 2nd ODI did not affect England’s chances, it can still play a huge part in the upcoming ODIs. Jos Buttler needs to be more proactive in the lower-middle order, and should act according to the situation of the team.
The team would be exceptionally happy with their new ball bowlers, Willey and Topley, and would play a crucial part in the upcoming ODIs. In both the matches, either of the bowlers ran through the Pakistani top order. Chris Woakes was exceptional, even though he was the 3rd pacer, and the captain would look for a similar performance from the pacers. As far as the spinners are concerned, they will be in a better frame of mind than they were going into the second ODI as both Rashid and Ali got one in the wickets column after a miserable performance in the first match.
England will be quite confident with their chances at Sharjah, and all they need to do is execute their game plans perfectly according to what the situation demands.
Pakistan
The much renowned Pakistani inconsistency came back to bite the home team, as they were severely trashed in the 2nd ODI.
Yet another top order failure eliminated Pakistan’s chances of chasing down the target. It was only with Sarfaraz’s gritty half century that Pakistan were able to put the total they succeeded to put up. Azhar Ali will be under pressure to perform after a string of modest scores. While Malik’s dull form has continued in the ODIs, the Pakistani middle order suddenly looks fragile considering their inconsistency. While the senior batsmen, Mohammad Hafeez and Malik, would be expected to be a bit more reactive with their responsibilities, their top order needs to sort out their issues.
The bowling was fairly good considering the flat track they were forced to ball on. The reputation Sharjah has of helping both the spinners and pacers equally, the Pakistani bowlers would be eager to make their mark in the 3rd ODI.
Stats
47.84 – Mohammad Hafeez’ batting average at Sharjah, in 14 innings he has played.
323/5 – Highest ever total between in a Pakistan – England match at the stadium, scored by Pakistan.
116 – Highest score by an English player at Sharjah, by Alec Stewart.
22 – Number of wickets Shoaib Malik has taken at the venue, in 22 matches he has played here.
21 – Number of runs Jos Buttler needs to get to 1500 runs in ODI cricket
1 – Number of Wickets Shoaib Malik needs to complete 150 wickets in ODI cricket.
Pitch
A pitch which has traditionally supported both the batsmen and the bowlers will play evenly for most part of the match. While the team winning the toss would prefer to bat first, considering the amount of spin the pitch has to offer, chasing down a target will be easier on this surface considering it’s even nature. Expect a cracker of a match.
Teams
England Squad
Moeen Ali, Reece Topley, Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Chris Woakes, Jos Buttler, David Willey, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Sam Billings, James Taylor, Eoin Morgan (C), Chris Jordan
Pakistan Squad
Ahmed Shehzad, Zafar Gohar, Azhar Ali (C), Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Irfan, Anwar Ali, Younis Khan, Sarfraz Ahmed, Yasir Shah, Babar Azam, Wahab Riaz, Rahat Ali, Aamer Yamin, Mohammad Rizwan, Shoaib Malik , Bilal Asif
The 3rd & Penultimate match of the ODI Series is on 17th November at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Sharjah. Catch live streaming at Cricketgateway.com
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