Pakistan and Australia are ready to lock horns in the fifth and final One-Day International (ODI) of the series in Dubai on Sunday. The visitors are the real dominant force in the ongoing series as they are leading with an unassailable 4-0 margin, and therefore, Kangaroos will enter the match eyeing an impressive whitewash.
Even though the team are on an impressive run of seven wins, Australia might go for some change and give pacer Pat Cummins another go in place of Nathan Coulter-Nile. In the batting department, Australia will be relying on the likes of in-form trio of captain Aaron Finch, opener Usman Khawaja and explosive Glenn Maxwell to score bulk of the runs, whereas on the bowling front, the onus will be on the likes of pacers Pat Cummins, Kane Richardson and spin duo of Nathan Lyon and Adam Zampa to provide timely breakthroughs.
On the other hand, Pakistan will come in the match bitterly disappointed after somehow losing the fourth ODI from the position where they needed just 60 runs in last nine overs with eight wickets in hand. Therefore, the Men in Green will be understandably in a lot of pressure to avoid a whitewash that too while playing in home conditions. In the batting department, the team will be relying on the likes of in-form wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan, young Abid Ali and left-hander Haris Sohail to score bulk of the runs, whereas on the bowling front, the onus will be on
Pakistan and Australia are ready to lock horns in the fifth and final One-Day International (ODI) of the series in Dubai on Sunday. The visitors are the real dominant force in the ongoing series as they are leading with an unassailable 4-0 margin, and therefore, Kangaroos will enter the match eyeing an impressive whitewash.
Even though the team are on an impressive run of seven wins, Australia might go for some change and give pacer Pat Cummins another go in place of Nathan Coulter-Nile. In the batting department, Australia will be relying on the likes of in-form trio of captain Aaron Finch, opener Usman Khawaja and explosive Glenn Maxwell to score bulk of the runs, whereas on the bowling front, the onus will be on the likes of pacers Pat Cummins, Kane Richardson and spin duo of Nathan Lyon and Adam Zampa to provide timely breakthroughs.
On the other hand, Pakistan will come in the match bitterly disappointed after somehow losing the fourth ODI from the position where they needed just 60 runs in last nine overs with eight wickets in hand. Therefore, the Men in Green will be understandably in a lot of pressure to avoid a whitewash that too while playing in home conditions. In the batting department, the team will be relying on the likes of in-form wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan, young Abid Ali and left-hander Haris Sohail to score bulk of the runs, whereas on the bowling front, the onus will be on the likes of pacers Usman Khan Shinwari, Junaid Khan and left-arm spinner Imad Wasim to produce timely breakthroughs. As far as team changes are concerned, there are still no news whether team captain Shoaib Malik, who missed the fourth ODI due to rib injury, will take part in the final match, whereas left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir might get one last chance to impress the selection committee and cement a place in the ICC World Cup squad as he can play instead of young Mohammad Hasnain.
Key Players:
Abid Ali – 8 Cr
First in the list of key players features Pakistan's Abid Ali. The right-hander had a dream debut in the fourth ODI where he scored a breathtaking century, but unfortunately ended on a losing side. The kind of matureness showed by Ali was a breath of fresh air for the team and he will like to put another impressive show on Sunday which can go a long way in convincing the selectors in picking him for the upcoming ICC World Cup squad. Therefore, he is a player to have in your team.
Glenn Maxwell – 9 Cr
Second in the list of key players features Australia's Glenn Maxwell. The 30-year-old is having an outstanding series where he has already scored 188 runs in three innings at an average of 62.66 and strike-rate of 123.68, which included two half-centuries and also has two wickets to his name. Those stats suggest that Maxwell is in great form and he is definitely the player to have in your team.
Mohammad Rizwan – 8.5 Cr
Last in the list of key players features Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan. The 26-year-old is having a great series with the bat in hand as he is the leading run-scorer for the team with 219 runs in four innings at an average of 73 with the help of two centuries. With the World Cup spot at stake, Rizwan will know that another impressive knock on Sunday will be enough to ensure his spot in the final 15, therefore, having him in the team might not be a bad call.
Predicted XI:
Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Abid Ali, Haris Sohail, Shoaib Malik (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Saad Ali, Imad Wasim, Yasir Shah, Usman Shinwari, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Amir
Australia: Usman Khawaja, Aaron Finch (captain), Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Kane Richardson, Nathan Lyon, Adam Zampa
