Pakistan and Australia are set to lock horns in the third and final ODI of the series at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on June 4. With the three-match series level at 1-1, both teams have everything to play for in what promises to be a thrilling decider.
Pakistan started the series with a convincing victory in Rawalpindi, but Australia bounced back strongly in the second ODI. The visitors registered a hard-fought 41-run win on a challenging spin-friendly surface, thanks to disciplined batting performances from Cameron Green, Josh Inglis and Matt Renshaw before Nathan Ellis produced a match-winning spell with the ball.
The hosts will be banking on experienced campaigners like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Shadab Khan to step up in the must-win encounter. Australia, meanwhile, will take confidence from their adaptability in Lahore and will look to carry that momentum into the series finale.
PAK vs AUS, 3rd ODI: Match Details
- Date and Time: June 4, 5:00 PM IST / 11:30 AM GMT / 4:30 PM Local
- Venue: Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
PAK vs AUS Head-to-Head Record in ODIs
Matches played: 113 | PAK won: 37 | AUS won: 72 | No result/tie: 4
Gaddafi Stadium Pitch Report
The surface at the Gaddafi Stadium has shown significant assistance for spinners during this series. The second ODI witnessed plenty of turn, variable bounce and a lack of pace off the wicket, making stroke-making difficult for batters who arrived at the crease without spending time in the middle.
Batters will need to be patient early on and focus on building partnerships rather than attacking from the outset. Spinners are expected to play a decisive role once again, while fast bowlers who vary their pace effectively could also find success. Considering the nature of the pitch, any score above 250 could prove highly competitive. The captain winning the toss may prefer to bat first and put runs on the board before allowing the spinners to exploit the deteriorating surface later in the game.
Squads
Pakistan: Shaheen Afridi (c), Ghazi Ghori (wk), Sahibzada Farhan, Maaz Sadaqat, Babar Azam, Salman Agha, Abdul Samad, Shadab Khan, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, Rohail Nazir, Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Sufyan Moqim, Shamyl Hussain
Australia: Josh Inglis (c), Alex Carey (wk), Marnus Labuschagne, Matthew Short, Matt Renshaw, Cameron Green, Liam Scott, Nathan Ellis, Riley Meredith, Tanveer Sangha, Billy Stanlake, Matthew Kuhnemann, Oliver Peake, Adam Zampa
PAK vs AUS, 3rd ODI, Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
- Pakistan wins the toss and bats first
- Pakistan’s powerplay score: 40-50
- Pakistan’s total score: 240-270
Case 2:
- Australia wins the toss and bats first
- Australia’s powerplay score: 50-60
- Australia’s total score: 250-280
Match Result: Team batting first to win the contest.
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