The final T20I is set to unfold at London’s Kennington Oval on Thursday as hopes are high for clear skies from both camps, England and Pakistan who are gearing up for their last opportunity to fine-tune their best combinations before the crucial ICC T20I World Cup kicks off in the West Indies and USA early next month.
In Thursday’s match, England may see the return of their captain, Jos Buttler, who was on paternity leave for the third T20I. Meanwhile, Babar Azam‘s Pakistan will be eager to level the series, knowing that England, with a lead of 1-0, cannot lose the series at this point.
It will be intriguing to observe whether both teams stick with the same XI or opt for changes in their line-up as both sides will not be playing a warm-up match in the host countries of the 2024 ICC T20I World Cup.
What have they done so far?
England’s last T20I encounter was against West Indies in December 2023 and the English lions put on a brave display in the Caribbean Islands but ended up losing the series decider after launching a comeback from being two games down in the midst of the series.
On the other hand, Pakistan is currently on a European tour before the Men in Green travel to the United States of America. Against Ireland, Azam’s men fell to a defeat on the penultimate ball of the first T20I but bounced back to launch a comeback by securing two comfortable wins before travelling to Leeds.
In the ongoing series, the persistent rain played the role of villain, dampening the proceedings of the first T20I in Leeds and the penultimate Cardiff T20I in the series sandwiched by the Edgbaston encounter where the hosts took a 1-0 lead in the series courtesy of a 23-run win.
Head to Head Record
Looking at their head-to-head record, England and Pakistan have faced off 32 times in T20Is, with the former emerging victorious on 20 occasions, while Pakistan has claimed victory 9 times. Additionally, rain has intervened on three occasions, resulting in matches being declared as no results.
Key Players
Jos Buttler (England): The T20I World Cup-winning captain and opener for England, Jos Buttler, displayed remarkable skill but narrowly missed a century in Birmingham. Despite this, his confidence remains high. Buttler, who scored 84 runs off 51 balls with a strike rate of 164.71 in the second T20I, became the first English batsman to surpass 3000 T20I runs.
The 33-year-old right-handed batsman, who represented Rajasthan Royals in the 2024 Indian Premier League, amassed 359 runs in 11 innings, with an average close to 40 and a strike rate of 140.78. His performance included two breathtaking centuries, both achieved during run chases. Although Buttler skipped the last rain-affected match, he will rejoin the squad ahead of the final match in London.
Babar Azam (Pakistan): Pakistan’s leading T20I run-scorer and captain, Babar Azam, faces a crucial opportunity to deliver an impactful knock before the World Cup and to help his team level the series. The stylish right-handed batsman recently surpassed Indian captain Rohit Sharma to become the second-highest run-getter in T20Is.
Babar, with 502 T20I runs in 13 innings, is currently the highest run-scorer for Pakistan in 2024
Azam’s run tally in the shortest format stands at 3987, leaving him just 13 runs short of becoming the second male cricketer to reach 4000 T20I runs. Additionally, the 29-year-old cricketer is only 50 runs away from surpassing the legendary Virat Kohli, who currently holds the record for the most runs in this format. Moreover, should Azam secure another fifty in the upcoming match, he will become the first cricketer to achieve 40 fifties in T20 Internationals.
Predicted XIs
England: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler © (wk), Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Moeen Ali, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley
Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Babar Azam ©, Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Amir
Prediction
With the home team holding the current lead, they could potentially clinch the series 2-0 but the hosts must remain vigilant against Pakistan’s formidable top-order batters who have the potential to deliver courageous performances on any given day.
The conditions at Kennington Oval, situated in South London traditionally favor spinners but such factors might not play a significant role in a 20-over game which could yet again benefit the hosts.