Hosts Pakistan sit on top of the One-day International tri-series after winning both their opening matches, as England and Sri Lanka meet at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday trying to revive their campaigns, Dawn reported. The match starts at 1pm Pakistan time, the Pakistan Cricket Board said.
The standings so far
| Team | Played | Won | Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| England | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Sri Lanka | 1 | 0 | 1 |
The top two teams will play the final at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on October 31. Thursday’s game is the last in Rawalpindi before the series moves to Lahore.
How Pakistan won both games
- Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 37 runs. Chasing 306, Sri Lanka were cruising at 253 for five but lost their last five wickets for just 15 runs. Pavan Rathnayake made 79 and Janith Liyanage 60 before Pakistan’s pace attack turned the game.
- Pakistan beat England by 87 runs. Pakistan recovered from 133 for five to make 302 for nine, with Hasan Nawaz hitting 79 off 74 balls and Arafat Minhas 59 off 58. England reached 91 without loss and 165 for three, but collapsed to 215 all out as Arafat took six for 40.
Against England, Haris Rauf broke the opening stand by removing Ben Duckett for 45, and Naseem Shah bowled Joe Root for 33 with a delivery that kept low, before Arafat ran through the rest. The PCB said Arafat’s six for 40 were the third-best ODI bowling figures recorded on Pakistani soil, and the best ever at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The left-arm spinner also ran out Gus Atkinson to finish the match. Pakistan have since climbed to fourth in the ICC ODI rankings.
England: “too circumspect” against spin
England captain Harry Brook admitted his batters were too cautious against spin after the defeat.
“We’ve been speaking a lot about rotation of strike against spin and through the middle overs, but we can still be putting the bowlers under pressure and looking to hit boundaries as well,” he said. He called Arafat the standout performer and said England would not go down without a fight.
England’s bowlers had Pakistan at 81 for four, but let them recover through a strong middle-order partnership.
Sri Lanka: avoiding another collapse
Sri Lanka will want to avoid a repeat of their late collapse, while England will try to exploit Sri Lanka’s weakness against spin. Dunith Wellalage, who played a key role when Sri Lanka beat England at Headingley in September, could return.
England won the recent three-match ODI series between the two sides 2-1 at home, winning by 89 and 223 runs, while Sri Lanka took the second game by five wickets.
What Thursday’s result means
With Pakistan already two wins clear, Thursday’s winner will move level with the hosts on wins and take a big step towards the October 31 final, while the loser will have two defeats from two.
The Pakistan team has already shifted focus to the Lahore leg, the PCB said, sharing pictures of the players “in high spirits”.
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