The stage is set at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for England versus Pakistan in the ICC T20 World Cup clash for the crown on Sunday.
Babar Azam’s men have scripted a blockbuster comeback after being trounced in the first two games of their campaign. At one point, Pakistan looked done and dusted but a run of unbeaten performances in the Super 12 phase catapulted them to the knockouts. The men in Green annihilated New Zealand in the semi-finals and sealed their berth into the finals.
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On the other spectrum of things, 50-over world champions England blew hot and cold in the initial stages, even enduring a shock defeat against Ireland. But champion sides come alive in big matches, and they proved that against a star-studded Indian line-up, demolishing them in the semi-finals by 10 wickets.
It will be an enthralling final of all sorts when the ravishing England side clashes against the unpredictable Pakistan team. However, the threat of rain spoiling all the fun looms over the fixture. If the match is called off, both sides will be declared joint winners of the tournament.
Will MCG witness another England special, or will Pakistan run away with their second T20 title? It will be a crackerjack, provided there is no rain.
Weather report
The Final match of the ICC T20 World Cup between England and Pakistan will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday, November 13. The temperature in Melbourne will be around 17 degrees Celsius, and the sky will be cloudy. Throughout the day, scattered showers and a thunderstorm are expected. The precipitation rate is forecast to be 94 per cent on Sunday. The Wind speed is expected to be around 18 km/h. The match might be interrupted by rain. It will be interesting to see if we get a final with fewer overs or if it gets completely washed out.
Pitch Report
The Melbourne pitch is renowned for its bounce and carry. In the early overs of the innings, the pacers should get swing and movement of the pitch with the new ball. The overcast conditions will also help the seamers. The bounce will remain consistent, and batters can trust the pace of the track. The boundaries are massive so miss-hits may wind up in the palms of the fielders. Batters will also have to work on running between the wickets. Teams chasing have been more successful at this venue and the skipper who wins the toss will look to bowl first.
England (ENG) vs Pakistan (PAK) Possible Starting XI:
England Probable Playing XI: Alex Hales, Jos Buttler (c), Phillip Salt, Ben Stokes, Harry Brook (wk), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Chris Jordan
Pakistan Probable Playing XI: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Haris Mohammad, Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah
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