Pakistan vs New Zealand 2018, 3rd ODI – Dream11 Fantasy Tips

The three-match ODI series between Pakistan and New Zealand now moves into the deciding third ODI after the hosts won the second ODI by six wickets. With this win, Pakistan broke their 12-match losing streak against New Zealand in ODI format which began in 2014. This is also the first ODI win for Pakistan against a top-six ranked team in 2018. In the 16 ODIs Pakistan played before this game, they won only seven of them which were against Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Hong Kong.

Things won’t be easy for Pakistan in the final ODI while the Kiwis look to come back strong. However, the recent record of New Zealand in bilateral ODI series-deciders does make Pakistan feel better. The Blackcaps lost all the four ODI series-deciders in the last two years. Both the teams might step into the game with an unchanged playing XI having lost one player each from their squad (Junaid Khan and Todd Astle).

Match Details:

The third ODI match between Pakistan and New Zealand will be hosted by the Dubai Stadium in Dubai. The match starts at 3:00 PM local time (11:00 AM GMT) (4:30 PM IST).

Last five ODI matches:

Pakistan: W, L, L, L, W.

New Zealand: L, W, L, W, L.

Pitch Condition/Report:

The Dubai Stadium is no different to Abu Dhabi but has shorter boundaries compared to that of the latter. During the Asia Cup, the team batting second were at the ease under the lights as the ball came on the bat with dew around. Scores between 250 and 275 could be seen in the series-decider here.

Squads:

Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Haris Sohail, Sarfraz Ahmed (w/c), Asif Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Usman Khan, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi.

New Zealand: Colin Munro, George Worker, Kane Williamson(c), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Latham (w), Colin de Grandhomme, BJ Watling, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Ajaz Patel.

Probable XI:

Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed (W/C), Faheem Ashraf, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi.

New Zealand: Colin Munro, George Worker, Kane Williamson (C), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham (W), Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson.

Power Picks:

Imam-ul-Haq got starts in both the games of the series and showed that he can do well against big teams. The injury kept him away from converting his start in the second game but is expected to return for the final game. The pacers Shaheen Afridi, Lockie Ferguson and Trent Boult could make things tough for the batsmen with their pace.

Best Playing XI:

Sarfraz Ahmed, Kane Williamson, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Ross Taylor, Colin Munro, Mohammad Hafeez, Shadab Khan, Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi, Shaheen Shah.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Ross Taylor’s consistent outings in this series make him a reliable option for the multipliers. Babar Azam gained some form in the previous game and could come up with a big knock. Kane Williamson also hasn’t got a big score in this series. Shaheen Shah can also a reliable choice for captain/vice-captain due to his wicket-taking ability.

Expert Advice:

Hasan Ali retained his place in the playing XI thanks to an injury to Junaid Khan that ruled the left-arm pacer out of the series. Hasan took two wickets in the previous game but gave away 59 runs in only nine overs. Junaid’s replacement Faheem Ashraf was economical and could retain his place for the next game. Pakistan will be tempted to bring in Usman Khan in place of Hasan given Shaheen’s success.

Probable Winners:

Pakistan might just outplay New Zealand in the familiar conditions with the team batting second having an edge.

*Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.

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