This article will talk about the probable XIs for both teams and continue with the Dream11 predictions & the winning fantasy team for the Third T20I between England and Pakistan that is scheduled to take place on the 20th July 2021.
After losing the first game quite convincingly. the hosts England led by Jos Buttler came back pretty strongly in the 2nd game at Leeds. Inserted to bat first Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, England lost the way by losing 2 quick wickets but found a way to put 200 on the board. The stand-in skipper Buttler top-scored with 59 off 39 while Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone contributed with a quick-fire 36 & 38 respectively.
The England bowlers put on a much better show in the 2nd and the return of Adil Rashid helped them immensely. Despite the in-form Pakistan openers Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam giving them another 50-run stand, they lost their way once the latter departed. The 3 England spinners Mark Parkinson, Adil Rashid, and Moeen Ali picked 5 wickets among them as they choked the opposition in the middle-overs giving away just 77 runs in 12 overs. This helped England win by 45 runs and stay alive in the series with a game to go.
Match Details
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester
Pitch and Weather: Another game between the 2 sides will be played at Old Trafford. The teams met at this venue last year as well with each team gaining a win. Like other venues in England, this will also have some initial movement for the pacers and is likely to be a belter of the pitch after that. So we can expect another high-scoring encounter in the 3rd T20I. The weather is expected to be clear on the game day with a maximum temperature of 26C and without any rain interruption.
Date and Time: July 20, 11 PM IST
Probable Playing XIs
Jos Buttler led the side in the 2nd T20I in the absence of the regular skipper Eoin Morgan who sat out. He might come back in place of Dawid Malan who is not in the best of forms in this tour thus far. David Willey may also feature in the playing XI replacing either Tom Curran or Saqib Mahmood. We may also see Jake Ball and Tom Banton getting a game as Morgan indicated that everyone will get a chance ahead of the series.
Pakistan might make a few changes going into the decider. If Hasan Ali is fit, he may slot back into the side in place of Haris Rauf who was expensive in both games, or Mohammad Hasnain. Also, an additional spinner in the form of Usman Qadir or Mohammad Nawaz may be considered by the visitors.
England: Jason Roy, Jos Buttler (wk), Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Eoin Morgan (C), Liam Livingstone, Lewis Gregory/Moeen Ali, Tom Curran/Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid, Chris Jordan, David Willey.
Pakistan: Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(wk), Sohaib Maqsood, Mohammad Hafeez, Fakhar Zaman/ Sharjeel Khan, Azam Khan, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf/Hasan Ali, Mohammad Hasnain.
Fantasy Tips
Batsman: Jason Roy will be the main batsman from the England team. The opener didn’t score much in both games but still is an impactful performer for the hosts. Pakistan skipper Babar Azam is one of the best batsmen in the shortest format of the game and has scored 107 runs in the 2 games. Along with them, the veteran Sohaib Maqsood can be picked as the 3rd batsman.
Wicket-keepers: The openers from both sides Jos Buttler and Mohammad Rizwan are top-order players and are in really good form in this format off late. So they are obvious choices in the Dream 11 fantasy team.
All-rounder: Liam Livingstone after his fantastic century in the 1st T20I and a crucial 38 in the 2nd. He can be picked as an all-rounder Option in your fantasy team. Shadab Khan showed his ability with both the bat and ball in the 2nd game. He picked 4 wickets while scoring 36 runs in the series. Last, of them, pick the match-winner in the 2nd T20 Moeen Ali who not only scored a 16-ball 36 but also picked 2 crucial wickets.
Bowlers: Adil Rashid and Saqib Mahmood will be the key bowlers from England. Both are wicket-taking options from the bowling section. Pakistan has some of the best young bowlers going around. The sensational Shaheen Afridi who has scalped 4 wickets in the series can be picked.
Captaincy Choices
Fantasy Team: Jason Roy, Mohammad Rizwan, Jos Buttler(VC), Babar Azam (c), Sohaib Maqsood, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Shadab Khan, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Shaheen Afridi
Captain – Babar Azam
Babar Azam is the best batsman on the Pakistan team. Babar Azam is also running in good form so he will be the ideal candidate to be the captain of the fantasy team.
Vice-Captain– Jos Buttler
The England opener has the ability to score big and do it so in a very quick time. He can be the Vice-captain of the team.
Dream11 Team