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ENG vs PAK | 3rd ODI Preview: Hosts look to test bench strength; visitors eye consolation

England had suffered a huge blow after their key players were ruled out of the three-match ODI series against Pakistan following a Covid-19 outbreak within the side. 

While seven members were tested positive, others were considered to be in close proximity and as a result the whole team was isolated which forced the selectors to name a new squad for the bilateral tie against Pakistan. 

But necessity is the mother of invention. 

England’s new 18-man squad led by all-rounder Ben Stokes showed the mettle and thumped Pakistan in the first two ODIs of the series to take an unassailable lead. The pace bowlers, especially Saqib Mahmood has thoroughly dominated the Pakistan batting lineup and in the company of Lewis Gregory and Craig Overton formed a formidable force for the skipper Ben Stokes.

Pakistan have been abysmal with the bat and could not cross the 200-run mark in both games. Fakhar Zaman looked on song in the first game but apart from that solitary batting effort, none of the Pakistan batsmen has put their hands up to steer the team to some sort of respectability. The tourists have also suffered due to the complete failure of their star batsmen in Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan. 

In the last match where the visiting team was handed a target of 248 runs, Babar could only manage to score 19 off 15 before getting trapped in front of the stumps by Mahmood. 

Another cause of concern for Pakistan has been the form of opener Imam ul Haq. The left-handed batsman has only scored 1 run and faced a total of three balls in the series so far. Imam’s disappointing patch with the bat has prevented Pakistan from getting a steady start in both matches. 

But there are positives for them as well. Fast bowler Hasan Ali scalped a fifer in the second encounter and later chipped in with 31 off 17 that included three maximums. But overall, the Pakistan side has a lot of concerns to negotiate before they take the field in Birmingham. 

England, too, have some sort of issues at hand as well. They have struggled to find a good start in both games and could reach a defendable total only on the back of valuable contributions from the lower-order batsmen. 

They will have to be at their best as Pakistan's blowing attack showed they are more than capable of compensating for their batsmen's inabilities in the series. Shaheen Shah Afridi took a stern examination of their technique with hostile bowling with the new ball while Hasan Ali bowled immaculate lengths to claim a five-wicket haul.

Match Details

England vs Pakistan, 3rd ODI

Venue: Edgbaston, Birmingham

Date & Time: July 13th, at 5:30 PM IST and 1:00 PM Local Time

Live Streaming: Sony Sports Network

Pitch and Weather Report

There is a chance of some rainfall in the afternoon in Birmingham. The overcast conditions in the initial phase of the game might help the quick bowlers. There is a chance of swing and seam movement in the early part of the match but as the match progresses, the track might have something to offer to the batsmen. So, if you win the toss, bowl first. 

Team News

England

The home side is looking in some fine form at the moment. The only cause of concern is the fall of early wickets that needs to be taken care of by the team management. 

Nevertheless, the new recruits have done incredible work to help the side take an advantageous 2-0 lead in the series. England might make few changes in this last encounter to test the bench strength. 

Pakistan 

Pakistan, at the moment, is probably struggling in every department. The fast bowlers, Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali have picked few wickets for the team but their efforts have gone in vain. 

Moreover, the failure of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan with the bat has proven to be a curse for the team in this series. Now, Pakistan have nothing to lose in this match and would probably look to make few changes in the playing XI for this game. 

Probable Playing XI

England

Philip Salt, Dawid Malan, Zak Crawley, James Vince, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Duckett, Lewis Gregory, Craig Overton, David Payne, Saqib Mahmood, Danny Briggs

Pakistan 

Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Sohaib Maqsood, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Hasnain, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf

Fantasy XI 

Philip Salt, Babar Azam, Sohaib Maqsood, Dawid Malan (c), Fakhar Zaman, Ben Stokes, Lewis Gregory (VC), Shadab Khan, Craig Overton, Saqib Mahmood, Hasan Ali 

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WI vs AUS | 3rd T20I Preview: T20 'specialist' West Indies eye series win

West Indies bowlers have been in some brilliant touch in the on-going five-match T20I series against Australia after they unleashed a couple of riveting performances to hand the side a 2-0 lead at St Lucia. The hosts scalped six wickets in a span of 29 runs in the second match to bundle out the Aussie side for 140 in reply to West Indies’ 196/4. But this wasn’t the first instance that the home side unveiled something similar in the first encounter when they stole away a win from the jaws of defeat, courtesy some fine work from the bowlers. The visitors were chasing 146 in 20 overs and were 108/5 when the Caribbean bowling unit pushed them on the backfoot and picked up the last five wickets in a span of just 10 runs to bowl them out for 127. While the West Indies bowling setup is in some incredible form, their middle order showed some skills with the willow in the last outing. Shimron Hetmyer notched up a half-century while Andre Russell’s unbeaten 8-ball 24 that included a couple of sixes and as many boundaries to take on the Australian bowling and help his side post a big total of the board. Australia, on the other side, are facing some issues with their line up. The bowlers were able to restrict the opposition for a smaller total in the first class but that changed in the second match, courtesy Hetmyer and Russell’s onslaught and a responsible knock from the experienced Dwayne Bravo. But the batting is much more a bigger concern for the team management at the moment. With the key players not in the side, the visiting team has been facing issues with the batting unit, especially the middle-order. Barring Mitchell Marsh, none of the batsmen have looked in the groove and with the series at stake now, the Australian think tank needs to fix the problems. Match Details West Indies vs Australia, 3rd T20I Venue: Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia Date & Time: July 13th, at 5:00 AM IST and July 12th, at 7:30 PM Local Time Live Streaming: Fancode Pitch Report The track at St Lucia seems to be a favourable one for the side that bats first. The ball comes easily on to the bat in the initial stage of the game while the pitch gets slower a bit as the game progresses. The instance of this was visible in the first two matches after West Indies defended the target successfully in both the encounters. So, if you win the toss, bat first and post a big total on the board. Team News West Indies: The home side is in some lethal form especially the way the bowlers have fared so far in the series. West Indies don’t really need to make many changes in the line up. They didn’t really score many runs in the first match but turned the tables for themselves in the second with the bat. The presence of Hetmyer, Russell and Bravo in the ranks is a boon to the side. Overall, the Calypso team is in good form and is pretty steady at the moment and should stick to the basics and what they have been doing so far. Australia: Australia are in all sorts of trouble at the moment. From leaking runs to batting failures to dropping catches, you name the issue and the Aaron Finch-led side is struggling with it. The batsmen need to get back in form, especially the middle and lower middle order as their failure has been one of the major reasons for Australia’s unsuccessful run so far in the series. Apart from this, Finch’s form with the bat is also concerning and the skipper needs to end his run drought and should lead from the front. The bowlers have failed to restrict the opposition from scoring runs while they haven’t got any good help from the fielders either. The team management has a lot of work to do before the players take the field in the next match. Probable Playing XIs West Indies Andre Fletcher, Lendl Simmons, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Andre Russell, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Dwayne Bravo, Fabian Allen, Hayden Walsh, Sheldon Cottrell, Obed McCoy Australia Matthew Wade, Aaron Finch (c), Mitchell Marsh, Josh Philippe, Moises Henriques, Alex Carey, Daniel Christian, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood Fantasy XI Matthew Wade, Moises Henriques, Lendl Simmons, Aaron Finch, Shimron Hetmyer, Dwayne Bravo, Mitchell Marsh (c), Andre Russell (vc), Josh Hazlewood, Obed McCoy, Hayden Walsh