LAHORE - The third and final T20I of the series between Pakistan and Australia will be played at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart today (Monday). With the series already in Australia’s grasp after a commanding 2-0 lead, Pakistan will be eager to salvage pride with a win in their last outing. In the second T20I, Pakistan faltered in their chase after restricting Australia to a modest 147/9. Key batters, including skipper Babar Azam and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, failed to make significant contributions, leaving the team under pressure.
Pakistan’s performance has been inconsistent, with senior players failing to step up under pressure. The team is likely to stick with its core lineup, though some changes might be on the cards. The top three batters – Rizwan, Babar, and Sahibzada Farhan – have struggled for runs. While Omair Yousuf is a potential inclusion, the management might persist with Farhan, given his power-hitting ability.
Babar Azam’s strike rate and recent T20I form have raised questions. With the Zimbabwe series approaching and Babar not part of it, the management could grant him another opportunity to regain his touch.
Naseem Shah has underperformed, paving the way for Jahandad Khan, who offers depth in both batting and bowling. The rest of the attack, led by the impressive Haris Rauf, is likely to remain unchanged.
Buoyed by back-to-back victories, Australia will look to extend their dominance and complete a 3-0 sweep. With their winning combination firing on all cylinders, they may opt to field an unchanged XI against Pakistan in the third and last T20I at Hobart.
The Bellerive Oval is known for being a batter-friendly surface, with short square boundaries making life difficult for bowlers. Spinners, in particular, have struggled to find assistance here. Weather conditions are expected to be cloudy, but rain is unlikely to disrupt play. Teams winning the toss may prefer to bowl first to exploit early conditions and chase under lights.
PREDICTED PLAYING XIS
PAKISTAN: Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Rizwan (captain & wicketkeeper), Babar Azam, Usman Khan, Agha Salman, Irfan Khan, Abbas Afridi, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah/Jahandad Khan, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem.
AUSTRALIA: Matthew Short, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Josh Inglis (captain & wicketkeeper), Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, Marcus Stoinis, Aaron Hardie, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson.
3rd T20I
Pak vs Aus
Match starts at
1:00 PM