FANTASY
Follow UsIt is the fourth T20I of the series and England have already shown their intent in the first three encounters. Harry Brook, who has been hyped immensely in the recent past has lived up to that expectations, with scores of 42*, 31 and 81* in the three T20Is. Alongside Brook, the left-handed Ben Duckett too has strengthened his claims to be a regular fixture in this English white-ball lineup.
So, heading into the last fixture in Karachi, expect yet another run-feast. Stacking up your team with a plethora of batters could possibly be one way of going about things. Will Pakistan after suffering a staggering 63-run defeat, make a comeback in the series?
Ground Details
We have seen enough of the National Stadium in Karachi by now in the series, haven’t we? Two out of the three encounters have been high-scoring ones, with the lowest one of them still having 158 on the board. So, if history is going to repeat itself, expect another high-scoring encounter here in Karachi. Over the last two years, the average score at the venue has been 193 in 12 innings.
Despite having played six encounters, there is no yet clear record which would suggest a team to chase here in Karachi. As England showed on Friday, batting first too could be a good ploy, with a 63-run win. All of it depends on how you utilize your resources.
At the venue, pacers have a clear-cut advantage, with 44 wickets, averaging 32.7, with an average of 3.7 wickets/innings. Spinners do get their wickets but not as much, with just 19 wickets at the venue since the start of 2020. So, expect the trend to continue through to the fourth T20I.
Suggested Team
Captaincy suggestions
For small leagues: Shan Masood (c), Ben Duckett (vc)
For grand leagues: Harry Brook (c), Mark Wood (vc)
Stats that matter
- Karachi has been one of the high scoring venues, with an average score of 193 in the last 12 T20Is for teams that are batting first. The lowest score came in this series, in the opener where Pakistan scored just 158
- Mohammad Rizwan is currently the leading run-scorer in the series, with 164 runs in three innings, averaging 82. For England, Harry Brook leads the run chart with 154 runs, at a strike-rate of 194.
- While traditionally the venue has favoured the pacers, it is the two spinners – Adil Rashid and Usman Qadir – who lead the bowling charts, with four wickets apiece.
- Only England have won an encounter defending a total here in Karachi thus far in the series after three matches, putting an end to the chase and win matches streak. It is still a 2-1 tilt in favour of teams chasing.
Grand League punts
- The whole world is talking about Harry Brook and why not. The right-handed batter has stormed the world with three back-to-back knocks for the Three Lions - 42*, 31 and 81* - and has clearly shown his attacking prowess. Brook is no stranger to Pakistan, with him scoring a hundred in the Pakistan Super League. He might have played just seven T20Is but an average of 43.8 and a strike-rate of 164, is surely screaming X-factor.
- Talking about taking a punt, Mark Wood’s return was something on the similar lines. England decided to play the speedster in the third T20I here in Karachi. And the right-arm pacer was breathing fire, literally. In his first spell, Wood clocked 97mph, and almost looked like he would crush the 100mph barrier. His pace troubled the Pakistani batters, with Wood ending with figures of 3/25 on the night. Expect the English pacer to continue his speedy tale.
Here are the Top 10 Criclytics Projections
Probable XIs
England: Philip Salt (wk), Will Jacks, Dawid Malan, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali (c), Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Reece Topley
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (c), Haider Ali, Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Shahnawaz Dahani, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Usman Qadir
