London - For the second time on their long-drawn tour of the United Kingdom, Pakistan have their backs to the wall. From the moment both teams swapped their white flannels for One-Day International (ODI) kits, the hosts have been clinical, leaving little room for optimism for Azhar Ali's men.

The visitors, however, needn't look too far for inspiration. Eoin Morgan's England were in a similar situation when they made an early exit from 2015 World Cup. Eulogies were being written regarding England's limited-overs prowess. While Alastair Cook's Test side was doing fine, there was a belief that England's ODI team was not in touch with the reality of the swiftly-progressing game where stroke-making had found a new, menacing meaning and the boundary for totals were being shattered.

A year-and-a-half on, England have the look of one of the finest ODI sides in the world currently, with genuine match-winners occupying several positions in the line-up. If the first two matches are evidence, Pakistan seem to be lagging behind, much like England did in early 2015, with batsmen not capable of upping their game to match the sky-rocketing demands of the current times when totals in excess of 300 are being scored in every second fixture. In the two matches so far, Pakistan have opted to bat first and managed total of just 260 and 245, which England have scaled down with ease.

The visitors have ordinary numbers in the final powerplay, scoring at an average of under seven-runs-an-over in the last 10 ODIs. If the series is to be salvaged, Azhar Ali & Co. are in desperate need of bringing about a change in that aspect. Ali started well with an 82, but faltered in the second match. Sarfraz Ahmed has shown solidity in the middle-order and Imad Wasim too impressed with an all-round show in the second fixture, but the pair need the top three batsmen to lay a sound foundation.

As for England, they will go into the fixture with the confidence of killing the series. They may have made heavy-weather of a straightforward chase in the second ODI, but the middle-order crux of Joe Root, Eoin Morgan and Ben Stokes kept Pakistan at an arm's length. The only possible cause of worry could be Alex Hales's form. The swashbuckling opener had a fine start to his 2016, but endured a tough time in the Tests. He has registered scores of 7 and 14 in the two ODIs, and will hope to shrug off poor form at Trent Bridge. The venue has become flat over the years and could have plenty of runs in it, but there is a little bit of optimism for bowlers who can get the ball to swing.

With M Hafeez ruled out of the series, Sami Aslam is likely hold onto his spot in the top-order. It will be interesting to see if Pakistan go back to Umar Gul or retain Yasir Shah for the all-important game. Ben Stokes has suggested he could be available as a bowling option, further strengthening his side. Morgan is unlikely to tinker with the line-up that has earned him success with rather consummate ease in the series so far.

The forecast is for a warm, dry day so the decision at the toss will come down to whether the captain wants to chase or defend under lights. Trent Bridge is one of the most favourable grounds in England for swing bowling although recent matches have produced some astonishing batting: earlier this season England fought back for a tie against Sri Lanka and last year they chased down 350 against New Zealand with six overs to spare.

PAKISTAN: Sami Aslam, Umar Gul, Babar Azam, Azhar Ali (c), Hasan Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed, M Rizwan, Imad Wasim, Yasir Shah, Wahab Riaz, M Aamir, M Nawaz, Sharjeel Khan, Shoaib Malik.

ENGLAND: Jason Roy, Alex Hales, Eoin Morgan (c), Joe Root, Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Liam Dawson, Chris Jordan, Ben Stokes, Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett, David Willey, Mark Wood.