Deadline: May 14, 2019 at 5:30 PM
Venue: County Ground, Briston
Pitch report
The weather will be partly cloud on Tuesday in Bristol, with the temperature hovering around 19 degrees.
The track at the County Ground has some good memories for the batters. Given the World Cup 2019 is less than a month away, the curators will dish out a hard and firm wicket. Expect the bowlers to get a beating like we witnessed in the previous match.
The average first and second innings scores read 239 and 210 respectively. The highest total registered is 373 for 5 by England Women against South Africa Women.
Probable XI for England: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Jos Buttler/James Vince, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Liam Plunkett/Jofra Archer
Probable XI for Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Asif Ali, Haris Sohail, Sarfraz Ahmed (c & wk), Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Shaheed Shah Afridi/Mohammad Hasnain, Yasir Shah
Fantasy team
We have opted for a fantasy cricket team on the basis of players’ impact, recent performances, and credit points.
Note that you can now change your team after the toss. You can also check players’ performances in the last 5 matches. Tap on the players’ names to get the data while making your fantasy team.
My XI: Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Fakhar Zaman (c), Babar Azam, Eoin Morgan, Jonny Bairstow (vc), Imam-ul-Haq, Ben Stokes, Imad Wasim, Jofra Archer, David Willey, Hasan Ali
Four of England’s top five batters scored in excess of 50 runs at Southampton. Openers Roy and Bairstow added 115 runs together. Root could not score big, but his 40 runs made sure the scorecard remains ticking. He walked back and Buttler took the crease at 35.1 overs. What followed was a carnage of 110 runs off a mere 55 balls. Buttler, who has the fastest hundred by an Englishman to his name, blasted the second-fastest. Morgan, who had already found his feet, played second fiddle and remained unbeaten on 71 off 48. Pakistan were set a titanic score of 374 runs.
Any team usually falters in such chases but not Pakistan. After Imam-ul-Haq walked back for 35, Fakhar made sure he does not let the foundation go in vain. He smashed his fourth hundred, and with the help of supporting half-centuries from Babar and Asif, he took Pakistan closer to an improbable victory. However, Willey’s death-over bowling broke Pakistan’s momentum, taking 2 for 17 in his last 3 overs. Pakistan fell tantalisingly short by 12 runs.
Pakistan have been so spectacular that they have not missed Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez’ services. They have found new match-winners in Asif and Haris Sohail at Nos. 4 and 5. With Wasim lower down the order, Sarfraz gets to bat at No. 6. To put things into perspective, Pakistan are slowly growing from dark horses into favourites for the World Cup.
England are likely to play both Rashid and Archer, who were rested in the previous match. Buttler’s hundred has given him enough game time and hence we might see Vince replace him.
Squads:
England: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan(c), Jos Buttler(w), Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, David Willey, Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett, Jofra Archer, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Mark Wood, Chris Jordan, James Vince
Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Asif Ali, Haris Sohail, Sarfaraz Ahmed(w/c), Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Yasir Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Junaid Khan, Abid Ali
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