England vs Pakistan, 3rd Test Preview: Pakistan Hopes to Fight Back at The Oval
Down and out in the first two Tests, the beleaguered Pakistani team takes the field for the third Test against England at The Oval with the hope that a new-look team can inspire them to something special, and bring them back in a series that has remained hopelessly one-sided barring a few spells.
Pakistan is set to make at least four changes to their team for the third Test, with Mohammad Yousuf, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Yasir-Hameed-c2811, Kamran Akmal and Wahab Riaz set to replace Umar Amin, Shoaib Malik, Zulqarnain Haider and Umar Gul respectively.
The first two replacements are due to lack of form, while the last two have been forced due to injuries.
Haider, who made a strong impact in the second Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham with a fighting 88-run knock has suffered a hairline fracture in his right hand that has ruled him out the match, while Wahab Riaz is set to become the latest debutant on tour after Umar Gul was ruled out due to a hamstring injury sustained during the 9 wicket loss at Birmingham.
Despite ringing in the changes, the task of surmounting the English challenge is an arduous one for the tourists, who have struggled big time with the bat in alien batting conditions with the ball seaming and swinging all over the place.
They have struggled to cope with the lateral movement due to their faulty techniques and negative mindset that saw them capitulate to their two lowest totals against England in successive innings at Trent Bridge and Edgbaston.
The wicket at The Oval is expected to suit the batsmen a lot more than any of the four Tests that the tourists have played in England this year, including the two-match series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746. Therefore, the limp batting line-up might succeed in putting on an improved show in the match.
The man that Pakistan captain Salman Butt would be relying on the most is the bearded Mohammad Yousuf, who returned to the squad after taking back his retirement last month.
Yousuf is one of the most successful batsmen in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755’s history and has a remarkable average of 70 runs per innings against England, with the last series between the two teams in 2006 fetching him three hundreds.
He averages 53 runs per innings and would undoubtedly remain the linchpin for the tourists in what is a do-or-die test for them.
With the inclusion of Yousuf and Yasir, the batting line-up looks beefed up on paper and is easily the most experienced batting unit that they have had on the pitch this summer.
The bowling resources have, however, been weakened with the exclusion of Umar Gul; however, the left-armer Wahab Riaz included in the line-up in his place has performed well in Pakistan’s domestic circuit in recent years.
He is a pacey bowler who uses his shoulder to good affect and has a potent yorker and a bouncer, yet he is an unknown quantity at the highest level with only a handful of One-Day matches to his credit.
His lack of experience can backfire big time in the crucial test, as the Oval wicket can be unforgiving to bowlers who err in line and length.
The match is set to provide enthralling cricket, provided the Pakistani batsmen get their act together.
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