Pakistan will subject an unchanged eleven for the decisive third Take a look at in opposition to England on the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, marking the primary time underneath captain Shan Masood that the facet has remained constant throughout matches. The transfer comes within the wake of Pakistan’s resounding 152-run victory within the second Take a look at in Multan, the place their triple-spin assault outmanoeuvred England. Whereas there had been hypothesis a few doable change, particularly after legspinner Zahid Mahmood bowled simply six ineffective overs in Multan, the staff’s administration, headed by Masood, determined to put their religion in the identical lineup. An damage to quick bowler Mir Hamza, Pakistan’s most well-liked seamer possibility, additional solidified the choice to stay with the present squad.
The unchanged lineup indicators Pakistan’s confidence within the drastic efforts being made by the Rawalpindi curators to duplicate the spin-friendly circumstances of Multan. Traditionally, Rawalpindi has not been recognized to take a lot spin, with quick bowlers discovering extra success on its historically onerous, bouncy floor. As not too long ago as August, Pakistan opted for an all-pace assault in opposition to Bangladesh on this identical pitch.
Nonetheless, the success of the spin-heavy method in Multan has prompted a sequence of bizarre preparations in Rawalpindi, with the groundsmen pulling out all of the stops. Days earlier than the second Take a look at concluded, curators had been already on web site, aided by the presence of choice committee members Aleem Dar and Aqib Javed.
Since then, the pitch has been subjected to industrial-sized followers, wedding-style heaters, and protecting windbreakers to artificially dry out the floor and encourage spin.
Regardless of these efforts, questions stay about whether or not the Rawalpindi pitch will behave as unpredictably because the one in Multan. Some footmarks have already appeared, notably outdoors the left-hander’s off-stump on the media finish, which might supply help to Pakistan’s spin trio of Nauman Ali, Abrar Ahmed, and Zahid Mahmood. Each side, actually, are set to subject related triple-spin assaults, with England adjusting their very own bowling mixture to match Pakistan’s.
With the sequence tied 1-1, Pakistan are aiming for his or her first house Take a look at sequence win since a 2-0 win over South Africa in February 2021. A victory in Rawalpindi would additionally mark their first sequence win since their success in Sri Lanka earlier this yr.
England, in the meantime, might be trying to bounce again after the setback in Multan, and their determination to match Pakistan’s spin-heavy method signifies they’re anticipating one other trial by spin.
Pakistan enjoying XI for the third Take a look at vs England:
Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (c), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Agha, Aamer Jamal, Sajid Khan, Noman Ali, Zahid Mahmood
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