England vs Pakistan – 3rd T20 International Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is England vs Pakistan taking place? Tuesday, July 20th, 2021 – 18:30 (UK)
Where is England vs Pakistan taking place? Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
What is the expected weather for England vs Pakistan? 22-27c, with sunshine and light winds
What channel is England vs Pakistan on? The match will be televised live on Sky Sports
Where can I stream England vs Pakistan? The match can be streamed live via SkyGo
LAST MEETING
England beat Pakistan by 45 runs
THE TEAM NEWS
ENGLAND
- England bounced back from defeat at Trent Bridge to level this three-match T20i series at Emerald Headingley, beating Pakistan by 45 runs after accruing a score of 200 all out batting first.
- Wicketkeeper batter Jos Buttler starred with the willow on his return to the side, smashing 59 from 39 balls opening the innings, whilst Liam Livingstone once again demonstrated his brute force in the middle order with some lusty blows.
- Spin-bowlers Adil Rashid and Matt Parkinson worked well in the same team on a spinning Headingley wicket, however it may be less likely to spin at Old Trafford which could lead to one of the two sitting out and on the batting front, captain Eoin Morgan may return to the team after not playing in the second T20i.
PAKISTAN
- After a fine start to their run chase, Pakistan came unstuck in the middle overs trying to maintain the high run-rate required and losing regular wickets, which ultimately saw them restricted to just 155/9 from their 20 overs.
- Whilst both captain Babar Azam and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan got starts at the top of the order, unlike in the first T20i neither of the two could convert them into big scores, which went a long way towards their chase being unsuccessful with the rest of the tourists’ batting order not nearly as strong.
- Despite the defeat, Pakistan won’t be expected to change their side after fielding the same team in the last two matches of the series, with Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Hasnain spearheading their pace bowling attack.
THE PREDICTION
Whilst England have home advantage, the atmosphere at Emirates Old Trafford is likely to be at fever pitch for the deciding match of this T20i series, with a large contingent of Pakistan support expected in the crowd. Both teams have strong bowling attacks for this format of the game, although England’s spinners are superior to those of Pakistan. The openers for each side can be explosive in the powerplay. However, the key difference between the teams has been the middle order hitting. With the likes of Bairstow and Livingstone, England’s depth of batting within their line-up is far stronger than that of Pakistan, who are incredibly reliant on their openers and this should ultimately lead to England coming out on top in this third T20i.
