England and Pakistan are set to meet in the third and final Test set to begin in Edgbaston on Wednesday. The hosts, who have already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead and dominant performances in the opening two matches, will look to cap the series with a 3-0 clean sweep. On the other hand, Pakistan have been under fire, with their campaign having fallen apart both on the field and behind the scenes. They will look to bounce back with a positive mindset.
Notably, after the second Test, Pakistan took a bold call, sending seven players home, including head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul. As of England, they have been successful in their batting department, with Harry Brook, Jordan Cox and Dan Lawrence contributing important runs and giving the team an impetus. However, captain Joe Root will be in focus after enduring a frustrating run of dismissals to the leg before the wicket.
Meanwhile, England’s bowling has been equally impressive. The most impressive has been Ollie Robinson, who, after spending more than two years away from the Test setup, has played a big role in England’s dominance. Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue have also made great impacts. For Pakistan, Babar Azam, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique and Saud Shakeel will be crucial in the batting department, while the bowling attack will be led by Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Abbas and Ubaid Shah.
Head-to-head
Matches - 94
ENG won - 32
PAK won - 23
Drawn - 39
England possible XI: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jordan Cox, Joe Root (c), Harry Brook, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Smith (wk), Gus Atkinson, Ollie Robinson, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir.
Pakistan possible XI: Azan Awais, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood, Babar Azam (c), Saud Shakeel, Saad Baig (wk), Mohammad Imran Randhawa, Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Abbas, Ubaid Shah