Pakistan vs Australia, 1st T20I, Match Prediction - Who will win the match?

This will be a well-contested game as both sides have their own set of strengths and weaknesses.

Published - 23 Oct 2018, 20:14 IST | Updated - 23 Oct 2018, 20:14 IST

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The Test series ended in disappointment for the Aussies as Pakistan annihilated them in the second Test to win the series 1-0. The hosts made some errors in the first Test, which led to them settling for a stalemate but got all the boxes ticked in the second and got the desired result.

The visitors will feel a lot more comfortable in this format and will be more confident off pulling out a decent result. The side looks a lot more balanced with some of the biggest names in T20 cricket, but a lot of these shorter format stars have not yet done well at the International level.

This will be a well-contested game as both sides have their own set of strengths and weaknesses. The Aussies will be more vulnerable as the absence of Warner and Smith is clearly being palpable every time they play, but they have enough firepower in their arsenal to go all the way.

Pitch and weather conditions

It’s going to be a hot and humid day in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. There is some scope for dew as well, which might tempt the teams to bowl first. This is a particularly big ground in terms of boundary lengths and we might not witness a very high-scoring encounter. The pitch too is expected to remain slightly on the slower side.

Playing Combinations

Pakistan

The explosive Fakhar Zaman will open alongside Babar Azam for the Pakistani unit, with Hussain Talat coming in at number 3. Sarfraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali and Imad Wasim constitute a strong middle order which can pose a significant threat. The fast bowling trio of Usman Khan, Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali will be assisted by Shadab Khan and Imad Wasim in the spin department.

Predicted XI: Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Hussain Talat, Safraz Ahmed (C & wk), Mohammad Hafeez, Asif Ali, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Usman Khan, Shaheen Afridi

Australia

The very dangerous Chris Lynn and D’Arcy Short will kick-start the proceedings for the Aussies, with Aaron Finch coming in at three. Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey and Ashton Agar will follow them. There’s plenty of talent and variety in the bowling attack as Andrew Tye will be accompanied by Billy Stanlake, Adam Zampa and Nathan Coulter-Nile.

Predicted XI: Chris Lynn, D’Arcy Short, Aaron Finch(c), Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey(w), Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Billy Stanlake, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa