Pakistan is set to face England in the third and final Test match of the series, starting on Thursday, October 24, at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. After suffering a heavy defeat in the first Test in Multan by an innings and 47 runs, Pakistan made a remarkable comeback, winning the second Test by 152 runs to level the series.
Despite missing key players such as Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah, Pakistan's spin bowlers led the team to victory, ending a six-match winless streak in the World Test Championship. Sajid Khan and Noman Ali were instrumental with the ball, while Kamran Ghulam’s brilliant century helped Pakistan dominate the game.
England posted a record total of 823 runs in the first Test, but they struggled in the second, failing to cross 300 in their first innings and managing under 200 in their second. Pakistan capitalized on the spin-friendly pitch, which was reused from the first Test.
For the final Test, Pakistan has prepared the Rawalpindi pitch to favor spin even more by using giant fans and heaters to dry it out. However, Pakistan remains cautious, given their challenging head-to-head record against England in Test matches.
Head-to-Head Record:
In their 91 encounters, England leads with 30 wins, while Pakistan has 22 victories, with 39 matches ending in draws. In recent history, England has won four of the last five meetings, with Pakistan’s sole win coming in the second Test at Multan.
Pakistan has won 5 out of 15 matches at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, with 6 losses and 4 draws. England, in their only previous Test in Rawalpindi, posted 657 runs and won by 74 runs.
[embedpost slug="/icc-satisfied-with-pcbs-preparations-for-upcoming-champions-trophy/"]
