West Indies and Pakistan will face each other in the 3rd ODI of the series on 12th August at Brian Lara Cricket Academy Ground in Trinidad and Tobago.
Match Preview:
The third ODI will be played at Brian Lara Stadium. Pakistan and West Indies stand at par right now, so this game will be a series decider. Pakistan have never lost a bilateral series against West Indies since 2000.
The visitors were able to set up a low target, which, thanks to the three rain breaks, was increased a little. The issue for them started right from the top. Saim Ayub looked in good touch, and with Abdullah Shafique, he was building a good opening stand. However, the scarcity of runs which followed soon after forced Saim to miscue a shot, which saw him return to the pavilion. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan weren’t much impressive either, with the latter using 38 balls to score 16 runs and the former returning for a three-ball duck. Hasan Nawaz tried adding quick runs to Pakistan’s total, but a third rain interruption meant their innings was done without giving Nawaz any further opportunity for stroke-making.
Talking about the West Indies, they bowled decently to halt Pakistan at a low total. However, the start to their innings wasn’t as grand. They had lost three wickets for 48 runs by the thirteenth over. Roston Chase and Sherfane Rutherford managed to run the hard yards and get them over the line.
Probable Playing XI:
West Indies
Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope (C), Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Roston Chase, JP Greaves, G Moti-Kanhai, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales
Pakistan
Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (C), Agha Salman, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, S Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed
Pitch and Weather Report:
Tarouba isn’t a very batting-friendly ground, and so was proved in the first two ODIs. In the first game, West Indies set a target of 280 for Pakistan to chase, and in the second, the visitors used 37 overs to score 171. Dew seems to help the teams batting second, as West Indies were able to chase the target in the 34th over.
As for bowlers, the venue is good, but slower balls are the key here. Spinners and fast bowlers will need to use the surface to their advantage by keeping this in mind. Rain is expected to play a key role again, especially in the second innings. There is 90% humidity, with 70% cloud coverage and some light winds blowing, so interruptions will definitely be a part of this game.
The toss-winning captain will be sure to bowl first.
Head-to-Head Record:
There have been 139 ODI matches between Pakistan and the West Indies. Pakistan has won 64 of these matches, whereas the West Indies has won 72.
Prediction:
Pakistan is the favourite to win the game, and if they do so, they will win the series.
Where to Watch:
West Indies: Disney+ platform
Pakistan: Tapmad
India: Fancode
USA: ESPN+
Other: crichd1
