England vs Pakistan, Pakistan tour of England 2019, Today Match Prediction 08 May 2019

eng vs pak Match Prediction & Analysis

Host England will be looking to continue their winning streak when they take on Pakistan in the opening game of the one-day series at Kennington Oval in London on Wednesday.

In the one-off T20 game, England delivered a clinical performance with bat and ball to register a seven-wicket win over Pakistan. Captain Eoin Morgan led the way with the bat and will be hoping that the side can maintain good form in this upcoming one-day series.

On the other hand, Pakistan will need to adjust to the English conditions in order to end their losing streak in limited-overs cricket. Skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed will be hoping that side can raise their game with bat and ball in this one-day series.

TEAMS PREVIEW

England Preview

The selectors announced 15-member squad for the five-match one-day series against Pakistan that will start from 8th May. Uncapped Jofra Archer, James Vince, Ben Duckett, and Dawid Malan are included in the limited-overs squad for Pakistan series.

England Captain Eoin Morgan will be keen to start the one-day series on a positive note. Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy will make their return to the playing XI for the opening game of the one-day series.

Jonny Bairstow has been in splendid form with the bat so far this season. He scored heavily for Sunrisers Hyderabad in his debut season in the Indian Premier League. Bairstow has been a prolific run-scorer for England at the top of the innings in limited-overs cricket. 

Since January 2017, Bairstow has scored 1660 runs in 37 matches at an average of 53.54 with six centuries to his name. He will be looking to continue his rich vein of form in this five-match one-day series.

Jason Roy missed the one-off T20 game against Pakistan due to a back spasm. The opening batsman will need to undergo a fitness Test in order to be available for the opening game of the one-day series.  Roy will be looking to spend time at the crease and score runs for England in this opening game of the series.

England’s premier batsman Joe Root showed good form with the bat in the one-off T20 game against Pakistan. He scored 47 off 42 balls with the help of five boundaries to help England cruise to a comfortable win at Cardiff. Root will be keen to deliver a big score in this opening fixture against Pakistan.

England Captain Eoin Morgan led from the front with the bat and delivered unbeaten half-century to see England beat Pakistan in the one-off T20 game. Since the past twelve months, Morgan has been a consistent performer for the side in limited-overs cricket. He has scored 782 runs in 18 matches at an average of 60.15.

All-rounder Ben Stokes will be looking to do well in this five-match one-day series against Pakistan. He looked out of sorts with bat and ball for Rajasthan Royals during the Indian Premier League. England will be hoping that Stokes is able to rediscover his mojo with bat and ball against Pakistan. Wicket-keeper Jos Buttler will also make his comeback into the limited-overs side for this one-day series.

In the bowling department, the side will be relying on the likes of David Willey, Mark Wood, and Liam Plunkett to deliver breakthroughs with the new-ball. Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid are two prominent spin options for this game.

England Predicted Playing XI:

Eoin Morgan (captain), Jos Buttler (wk), Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince/Joe Denly, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, David Willey/Mark Wood, Liam Plunkett.

England Actual Playing XI:

Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Liam Plunkett, CR Woakes, AU Rashid, Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler, James Vince, Jofra Chioke Archer, Ben Stokes, Joe Denly

Pakistan Preview

The visitors will be desperate to get back to winning ways in limited-overs cricket. The side suffered a whitewash at the hands of Australia in a five-match one-day series played in the UAE. The team management will be looking to field their best combination in a bid to win this opening game of the one-day series.

In the batting department, the side will be relying heavily on the likes of Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam to do the bulk of the scoring. Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman will open the innings for Pakistan in this five-match one-day series. The duo failed to make an impression with the bat in the one-off T20 played against England on Sunday. Pakistan will be hoping that the opening pair of Imam and Fakhar can produce decent scores in the opening game of the one-day series.

Babar Azam has been in scintillating form for Pakistan across all three formats. Since the past twelve months, Azam has scored 673 runs in 18 one-day games at an average of 51.76 with one century to his name. Pakistan will be hoping that Azam produces a big score in this game against England.

Middle-order batsman Haris Sohail has shown excellent form in limited-overs cricket since making his return to the national side in March. Left-hander was the standout performer for Pakistan in the batting department in the five-match one-day series played against Australia.

In the one-off T20 game, Sohail looked in fluent touch with the bat and scored a splendid half-century to help Pakistan post a decent total on the board. All-rounder Imad Wasim, Captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and Asif Ali will need to contribute with runs for the side in this one-day series. Faheem Ashraf is a genuine all-rounder included in the one-day setup that can score quick runs in the later stage of the innings. He also can bowl effectively at the back end of the innings.

In the bowling department, the side will be relying on the likes of Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali and Mohammad Hasnain to pick up wickets with the new-ball. Imad Wasim will be lone spinner included in the playing XI for this game.

Pakistan Predicted Playing XI:

Sarfaraz Ahmed (captain & wk), Asif Ali, Imad Wasim, Fakhar Zaman, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Sohail, Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hasnain

Pakistan Actual Playing XI:

Mohammad Amir, SI Wasim, Babar Azam, F Zaman, Hasan Ali, Haris Sohail, Asif Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Sarfraz Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq

Weather Conditions

Traditionally, the wicket at The Oval generally favors the batsmen. Expect a belter of surface prepared for this game. The bowlers will need to work hard for their wickets on this surface. The weather forecast for the game on Wednesday is going to be heavy rains with a moderate breeze.

Venue

The Kennington Oval in London is one of the most prominent venues in world cricket. The venue hosted the famous ICC Champions Trophy final between India and Pakistan in 2017. Pakistan will take heart from the fact they have won their last game played at this venue.

Toss: To Bowl

The side that wins the toss would be looking to bowl first and restrict the opposition to a modest total. Both sides might prefer chasing a score as rain is expected to play a role in this game. Spinners might not get much assistance from this surface.