Pakistan vs England 3rd Test:
Date: 24th of October, 2024
Time: 08:00 AM PKT
Location: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Match: Pakistan vs England, 3rd Test
Series Status: 1-1 (Decider)
So far, the Pakistan vs England Test series has been an exciting rollercoaster ride as Pakistan bounced back to level the series at 1-1 after a complete domination victory in the second Test at Multan. And come October 24, when the third and final Test is all set to kick off, expect this one to be a high-stakes affair with both teams fighting for series victory.
On to the big details and storylines ahead for the match below.
England Announces Their Playing 11 Forthwith
England, without a doubt, went ahead and announced their playing 11 two days prior to the third Test. There are notable changes in this lineup, primarily due to the Rawalpindi pitch, known to favour pace on the field, ahead of which this Test is being played.
Interestingly, even though the conditions are pace-friendly, England has decided to go in with three spinners with Rehan Ahmed’s inclusion. Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts drop out for the return of Gus Atkinson, who comes back into the side.
This raises a good question-since England is still looking to capitalise on the conditions to serve its pacers the respite, they are all set to put up a sterner Test against Pakistan’s spinners, who at least badly rattled them at Multan.
England Playing 11 for the 3rd Test:
- Zak Crawley
- Ben Duckett
- Ollie Pope
- Joe Root
- Harry Brook
- Ben Stokes (C)
- Jamie Smith (W)
- Gus Atkinson
- Rehan Ahmed
- Jack Leach
- Shoaib Bashir
Pakistan’s Playing 11: To Be Announced Soon
But England has already released their playing eleven and Pakistan will release their closer to the day of the match. Pakistan will now look to carry the momentum they gained after breaking their three-year winless streak at home with the second Test victory into the series decider.
Pakistan are at their strongest with their pace bowling and would look to make the most of the Rawalpindi pitch that has generally been conducive for fast bowlers. But they need to be cautious about the batting line-up, which hasn’t come good as a unit in the series.
Pakistan Probable Playing 11
- Saim Ayub
- Abdullah Shafique
- Shan Masood (C)
- Saud Shakeel
- Mohammad Rizwan (W)
- Agha Salman
- Kamran Ghulam
- Aamer Jamal
- Shaheen Afridi
- Naseem Shah
- Abrar Ahmed
Pakistan’s Win in Multan
There was a sound ground to believe that the situation would remain very much the same when Pakistan locked horns with England in the second Test at Multan. And, indeed, Pakistan did end an 11-match streak at home without a win by forcing the English team to suffer a 152-run loss. The spin-friendly pitch in Multan didn’t really play to England’s batters’ advantage, and all 20 of England’s wickets were taken by Pakistan’s spinners. Hence, the occasion could now turn either way as the two teams were levelled at 1-1 and the decider was still due for Rawalpindi.
However, the conditions in Rawalpindi will be a different test altogether. This is a pace-friendly track, and both teams will need to test their fast bowling as well as bat deep if required. England will be more than happy to get out of the spin-friendly Multan conditions, and Pakistan’s pace attack will look forward to capitalizing on this.
Rawalpindi Pitch Report
Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium is one of Pakistan’s more pace-friendly venues, quite in contrast to the spinning tracks of the first two Tests. While here the fast bowlers might be expected to get some lateral movement and bounce early on, both teams will try to exploit their pace attacks to the fullest.
While that surface at Rawalpindi does look like one that may respond to the fast bowlers to their advantage, the two teams’ batting line-ups will have to contend with the vagaries of bounce and movement, which can cause problems in general, though it may be particular concerns for Pakistan’s sometimes unpredictable middle order.
Bazball and England’s Aggressive Approach
“Bazball,” as broadly referred to by most people as the aggressive, hard-hitting style of England’s recent Test cricket strategy, has been characterized by the speedy scoring of runs and the great level of intensity that can be expected from the team throughout the match.
With the Rawalpindi surface that enjoys a decent pace, Bazball approach surely will work to England’s benefit. The flat surface will let them play out their shots unlike Multan where spin clogged the scoring. Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, and Ollie Pope form England’s top-order against Pakistan in a bid to dominate the bowlers.
While Pakistan’s bowling attack has been one of their strengths, batting has not been the same. Shan Masood should lead from the front while Mohammad Rizwan being a stabilizer in the middle order is a real critical role.
More, hopes are there in the form of Saud Shakeel and Agha Salman who may take the side on to victory. Pakistan’s batmen would be cautious as the English pacers will enjoy bowling at a wicket that can give them some movement.
Head-to-Head in Test Cricket
So far in their long history of Test matches, England has had a generous lead over head-to-head encounters with Pakistan:
Total Matches: 91
Pakistan Wins: 22
England Wins: 30
Draws: 39
According to the general numbers, England, no doubt, looks better poised. Still, for Pakistan, their recent win in the Multan test puts them right back into contention, especially since they’re bound to react stronger on home turf.
Where to Watch: Live Telecast and Streaming Details
Fans can track live action of the Pakistan-Eng 3rd Test with updates. The match will not be available for telecast live in India. Fans can follow the live score and update on various online cricket platforms that provide ball-by-ball commentary and analysis.
Match Date: Tuesday, 24 October 2024
Toss Time: 10:00 AM IST
Match Timing: 10:30 AM IST
Match Venue: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium
It therefore promises to be an enthralling end of the Test series between Pakistan and England as the decider at Rawalpindi looks to be an action-packed game with both teams having much to content for when they take to the pace-friendly pitch in the last Test.