Eng v Pak 1st ODI Preview – Pakistan keen on carrying the momentum in ODIs

The visiting Pakistan side is definitely riding sky high after being crowned the number one side in Tests yesterday. The visitors will be keen on taking the confidence to the limited format against the hosts England in the 1st ODI at Southampton. After drawing level in the Test series, it is time for the men in green to improvise their record in the ODIs too. On the other hand, England will be seeking vengeance and hope that a dynamic batting order clicks for them against a good Pakistani bowling lineup. Pitch Conditions The Rose Bowl, Southampton is known to be the most batting friendly wicket in England. The wicket at Rose Bowl has the highest batting average among all other venues in England. The match against Pakistan will be no different. English skipper Eoin Morgan suggested that the wickets for the upcoming bilateral series will be batting friendly. In addition to that, the summer is beating down at the venue and hence the probability of having an overcast seam friendly session is unlikely. Team Analysis England The England team suffered a blow in the form of an injury to one of their leading pacers in the recent times, David Willey. However, he has been healing well and might get in action if he is declared match fit tomorrow. On the other hand, they have been boosted by the inclusion of pacer Mark Wood – the man of the Natwest T20 blast finals. If David Willey doesn’t get fit in time, Wood will be his replacement. Skipper Eoin Morgan also suggested the inclusion of Liam Dawson in the playing eleven. Yet another big name that is expected to make a comeback is all-rounder Ben Stokes, who provides an extra bowling option to the captain. Jos Buttler will take the wicket keeping gloves after having recovered fully from a thumb injury. Pakistan Pakistan looked formidable in the Tests but have had their problems in the ODIs in the recent times. Pakistan is placed at the 9th position in the ICC ODI Rankings. With Azhar Ali taking the captaincy reigns as the formats get switched, it will be interesting to see how Ali does what Misbah Ul Haq did with perfection in the Tests. Sharjeel Khan remains to be the top draw for the match after hitting a swashbuckling 152 against the Ireland recently. Yasir Shah might have to warm the bench since Mohammad Nawaz and Imad Wasim had good outings against Ireland. Nawaz had hit a half century while Wasim was instrumental with his five-wicket haul. Wasim is likely to hold his place in the playing eleven. If Yasir plays, Nawaz would be unlucky to miss out. Also read: MS Dhoni biopic in Marati version faces opposition from MNS film wing Weather: Passing showers expected in the later part of the day Match starts from 18:30 IST Telecast on Star Sports 1 (India) and PTV Sports (Pakistan) Probable XI England Alex Hales, Jason Roy, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood/David Willey, Liam Plunkett. Pakistan Sharjeel Khan, Azhar Ali (c), Mohammad Hafeez, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Yasir Shah/Mohammad Nawaz, Wahab Riaz, Umar Gul, Mohammad Amir. StAttack 1. Jos Buttler is 22 runs short of reaching the 2000 run mark in ODIs. 2. Joe Root is the second leading run-getter (after Steve Smith) in 2016 with 522 runs in 10 matches at an average of 65.25. Alex Hales is third in the list with 520 runs to his name in 9 matches at an average of 74.28 – the best among the top 5 run-getters in 2016. 3. Eoin Morgan hasn’t scored a half-century in limited overs in his last 23 innings.

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Eng v Pak 1st ODI Preview – Pakistan keen on carrying the momentum in ODIs

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