LAHORE, Pakistan and Australia will play their third and final One-Day International today (Saturday) in Lahore. With the three-match One-Day International series equal at 1-1, both sides will be looking to put up a dominant display and capture the series in the final match.
Pakistan completed their most successful run chase in One-Day Internationals and snapped a ten-match losing skid against Australia with victory in the second ODI. Having lost in the first game, the hosts were desperate for a comeback, and the batters did a great job to even the series at 1-1.
First, openers Fakhar Zaman (67) and Imam-ul-Haq (106) set the stage with a century partnership. Then captain Babar Azam hit an 83-ball century to help his team win.
Pakistan’s top-order batsmen have performed well throughout the series; Imam has already struck back-to-back hundreds in both ODIs, while the in-form Azam has also contributed, including a masterpiece in the second game. After Imam and Babar were out, the middle-order batsmen were able to lead Pakistan to victory. Mohammad Rizwan, who has struggled with the bat, will be expected to do better for Pakistan.
Pakistan’s hitters’ prowess in chasing the score, on the other hand, obscured their bowling deficiencies. There is plenty of space for improvement in the bowling department heading into the series finale, as they have failed to collect wickets in both ODIs. Spinners will need to bowl economically in Lahore, where another similar pitch is likely for the last ODI. The batsmen, on the other hand, will try to keep up their good form and hit well again.
Australia, on the other hand, is no slouch when it comes to generating outstanding performances. Their hitters have checked all the boxes, while their bowlers, particularly their spinners, have performed well to keep them in the game. When Travis Head rose to the top of the order, it was good for Australia. Ben McDermott’s century in the second one-day game after his half-century in the first made the visitors’ top-order look strong.
Only Aaron Finch’s form has caused Australia concern, as he has battled to establish his rhythm. Australia also benefited from the contributions of middle-order hitters Marnus Labuschagne and Marcus Stoinis.
Pakistan (Probable)
Fakhar Zaman (c), Imam-ul-Haq (wk), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Haris Rauf, Zahid Mahmood
The Australian continent (Probable)
Aaron Finch (c), Travis Head, Ben McDermott, Marnus Labuschagne, Marcus Stoinis, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Swepson
