The T20I series could not go down the street, Pakistan wanted it to. Especially, after the promise they showed in the one-day matches. But that points towards one thing: the flaws in Pakistan’s batting lineup. They have a white-ball tour against Zimbabwe, where many key players will be sidelined to try and fix these gaps. Even before that, they have this final game down under where they can win to cap off a tour where they found more success than they are used to getting here.
Team Overview:
Australia have done well to grab the visitors by the neck in the shortest-format games. The first was a rain-truncated match where the Aussie middle-order flexed their big-hitting. The previous game was more of a rollercoaster before the game settled in the hosts’ favor. Pakistan tried to remain in the hunt for as long as they could. Australia went after Shaheen with a barrage of boundaries and handed him a whopping 21-run first over. However, Pakistan bowlers recovered, thanks largely to none other than Haris Rauf and the rookie bowlers Sufiyan Muqeem and Abbas Afridi.
But little did the bowlers know there was another dip in Pakistan’s dominance coming up. The top three batters consumed more than six overs to get only 24 runs on the board. If it were not for Usman Khan’s debut fifty in and Irfan Khan’s face-saving 37-run knock, the visitors would have to do with an even disgraceful defeat. In fact, the rest of the team could only bundle up 30 runs collectively. With the Champions Trophy just a few months away, Pakistan need to toughen their batting defense multifold.
It’s not as though Pakistan are lacking batting resources in the series. Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha have been in decent form in the longer formats, and although Babar Azam could not notch up big runs, he looked in good touch in the ODI leg too. Salman and Rizwan both also had a brilliant run against England in Tests, though in a different format. But those performances need to be replicated in white-ball as well if they desire to keep the Champions Trophy in their trove for a few more years.
Head-to-Head Matches:
Pakistan and Australia have played 27 shortest-format games against each other. In these 27 fixtures, Pakistan got the best of the Aussies in 12 matches, while the latter leads the men in green closely with thirteen wins. Two games ended without any result. If Australia win this game, they will complete a clean sweep over Pakistan in three consecutive T20I series.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Hobart is not the place where you can go thrashing from the first ball. Batters usually take time before they score big runs off the bat. Once the new ball loses some of its shine, the batsmen can hope to play with more ease. There is a good carry for the ball and the surface is often adorned with grass as well, both of which only add to a batter’s worries. Add to that the fact that Hobart is a windy place, and pacers look to use it to their advantage. However, batters like to hit along the wind too to clear the fence both aerially and along the ground. The weather can be expected to become clear of the rain by the time the game begins.
Where to Watch:
Pakistan: Tamasha App, Tapmad A sports
Australia: Foxtel, Kayo Sports
India: Star Sports 1, Hotstar app
UK: Sky Sports
New Zealand: Sky Sports NZ
USA: Willow TV
