Pakistan sit comfortably at the top of the standings after dispatching England in Rawalpindi earlier this week, driven by a standout 6-wicket haul from young spinner Arafat Minhas . England, meanwhile, arrive under serious pressure despite Harry Brook ‘s record-breaking 202 off 116 balls against Sri Lanka on Thursday. England’s bowling unit crumbled as they ended up on the wrong side of a historic 430-run chase.
Pakistan vs England, 4th ODI Tri-Series, LIVE Score Updates: With the tri-series shifting to Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, the Pakistan vs England clash carries plenty of narrative weight for both sides. Brook’s men need to quickly tighten up their middle-overs discipline, while Shaheen Afridi ‘s side will look to exploit any residual defensive jitteriness on a Lahore surface where winning the toss and managing the evening dew often prove decisive. A win for Pakistan takes them to the final of the tri-seres, while for England, a defeat could mean curtains to their campaign. ( LIVE Scorecard )
Against England, they were in a spot of bother before Hasan Nawaz held the innings together and Arafat Minhas added a counterattacking fifty, with Faheem Ashraf’s quick runs at the end carrying them past 300. A bowling attack on a roll – The bowling has found a new match-winner in Arafat Minhas, who finished with 6/40 as England were bowled out for 215 and became only the third Pakistan player to score a fifty and take a five-wicket haul in an ODI. Haris Rauf backed him up with a tidy spell, and the attack as a whole did well in Rawalpindi, where the conditions were challenging for bowlers, and they were the only team not to concede 300. A bowling attack in search of answers – Sri Lanka chased down 430 with a ball to spare, which put the spotlight on England’s execution with the ball in challenging conditions, and on their planning. Form (Last 5 completed ODIs, recent first) – PAK – WWWLW | ENG – LLWLW.
Because it shows depth right down the order, that fightback is the good news,. Because the same line-up was bowled out cheaply a few days earlier, with Brook falling early, so England have shown the best and worst of their batting in a matter of days, the worry is consistency,. Lahore awaits – Tri-series cricket does not come around often these days, which makes it all the more fun when one gets going the way this one has. Every game so far has had something to talk about, and the table is already taking shape. Pakistan are the only unbeaten team, England are the only side without a win, and Sri Lanka have made their only win count, pulling off the second-highest successful chase in ODI history. The caravan has now moved from Rawalpindi to Lahore for the second half of the round robin stage, and it begins with Pakistan taking on England at the Gaddafi Stadium. What is at stake – A win for Pakistan will seal their place in the final, while England, winless so far, no longer have their fate in their own hands. If they lose to Pakistan, a Sri Lankan win over Pakistan in the penultimate game of the round robin would knock Harry Brook’s side out of the race for the final. Opening woes – Pakistan’s batting has not always started well, but it has shown real character. The concern is how often the middle order is being asked to rescue things. Both Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub have been out inside the first Powerplay in both games so far, and they will be keen to step up. Headlines and hiccups – England’s batting has produced the headlines of the series. Harry Brook smashed England’s first-ever ODI double hundred, the fastest in the format’s history, and Joe Root, Will Jacks and Tom Banton all contributed as England piled on a mammoth total. Banton also scored well against Pakistan, so the top order is clearly firing. Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson have had their moments, and Sonny Baker took wickets against Pakistan, but the attack has not found any consistent control. Adil Rashid being left out against Sri Lanka raised a few eyebrows, with Liam Dawson picked ahead of him. England missed a breakthrough-giving option through the middle phase against Sri Lanka, and Rashid could return for this key clash. From run-fest to grind – If the first round in Rawalpindi was a batters’ carnival, Lahore could be a very different proposition. So the teams that have been smashing the ball around in Rawalpindi may have to rethink their approach. The toss will be an important call, with captains likely to lean towards chasing under lights, with the possibility of dew. Will England finally open their account, or will Pakistan march towards the final? We shall find out together.
The Gaddafi Stadium hosted two ODIs against Australia earlier this year, and both were low-scoring grinds.
