The three-match series between Pakistan and England has all come down to the third and final Test in Rawalpindi, where the toss looks absolutely critical.
Historically Rawalpindi is one of the flattest pitches in Test cricket but after Pakistan’s spinners spun their side to victory in Multan to level the series, the home nation’s ground crew have been determined to spice up the track.
Bat first and bowl last, therefore, looks like it ought to be the recipe to glory in the final act of what has been an absorbing series.
Pakistan v England 3rd Test
Ben Duckett – England Top Batter 1st Innings @ 5/1
Rehan Ahmed – England Top Bowler 1st Innings @ 9/2
Saim Ayub – Under 26.5 1st Innings Runs @ 17/20
talkSPORT BET welcome offer – Get £20 in free bets*
Duckett to repeat Multan magic
It looks like England are set for another trial by spin in Rawalpindi which makes well-organised opener Ben Duckett a sensible alternative to Joe Root to be England’s top first-innings scorer.
Duckett has had a fine series, crunching 84 in England’s monumental 823-7 in the first Test in Multan and then top-scoring with 114 in the first innings of the second Test at the same venue.
The left-hander has scored half his runs with sweeps – orthodox or otherwise – and has the ideal batting style to counter the spinners.
The new ball is far less of a danger in these conditions than they would be in, say, England and he has commented on how comfortable he feels batting with fellow opener Zak Crawley.
Rehan can take overdue chance to shine
England are aware that they need to fight fire with fire and are playing three frontline spinners, plus Joe Root, in the series decider.
Jack Leach, the series’ top wicket-taker with 14, and Shoaib Bashir keep their places and Reham Ahmed has been drafted in to give Ben Stokes another slow-bowling option.
The Leicestershire youngster hasn’t played any cricket for England since February after an underwhelming series in India where he managed to take only 11 wickets and was expensive.
But it was in Pakistan two years ago where the then teenager announced himself by taking a crucial five-for in the home team’s second innings in Karachi to set up an England win.
Rehan will get plenty of overs in Rawalpindi and the 9/2 that he is his side’s top first-innings wicket-taker is a decent price.
Ayub’s flaws can be exploited again
The ground crew have used heaters, rakes and other tools to make the pitch at Rawalpindi spin-friendly, and it’s just possible that Pakistan’s obsessive tweaking makes it difficult to bat on from the off.
That hastens the notion that there will be a result – ignore the draw – especially given the pace at which England score runs. The toss will be crucial because batting first looks vital.
There are several Pakistan batsmen under pressure including opener Saim Ayub who the selectors are determined to keep faith in, despite a string of average efforts.
His first-innings 77 in the second Test in Multan, far from flawless, but invaluable, followed scores of four and 25 in the first Test and preceded 22 in the second innings.
Ayub has been out for 33 or fewer in seven of his ten Test match knocks and looks vulnerable, well worth betting to score under 26.5 runs in the first innings.
talkSPORT BET welcome offer – Get £20 in free bets*
*all odds correct at time of writing
*18+ New customers only. Opt in & bet £10+ via mobile on any sports at 2.00+ odds within 7 days. No Cash out. Get 4x £5 Free Bets on selected markets. Free bets expire in 7 days. Card payments & Apple Pay only. T&Cs apply, see below. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
Never chase their losses
Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
GamCare – www.gamcare.org.uk
Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org
