Pakistan vs England, 4th Test: Likely XI for visitors

The last time Pakistan locked horns with England at The Oval, they won the Test by 4 wickets.

Pakistan started the series by pulling off an unlikely victory in the first match at Lord’s. They were brimming with confidence, and boasted off a balanced team composition. However, despite being ahead 1-0 in a four-Test series, they put up an inconsistent performance. Sometimes they looked invincible and sometimes completely out of sorts. Therefore, they made two necessary changes in the last match, replacing Sami Aslam with Shan Masood and Sohail Khan with Wahab Riaz. The decision paid off, as both these players brought Pakistan on the brink of victory, but lack of application from others put them on the back foot. Let’s walk through Pakistan’s likely XI against England in the final Test at The Oval: Full Cricket Scorecard, England  vs  Pakistan , 4th Test match

Top oder: Mohammad Hafeez hasn’t had a decent series so far. With two scores of 0 and two in 40s, Hafeez never came into his own against the might of English bowling attack. He may, as indirectly pointed out by Misbah-ul-Haq, have to sit out for a newcomer, Iftikhar Ahmed. This will be a very tough call for the team management to take as Hafeez has struggled with the willow and Iftikhar has no experience in whites. Hafeez’s experience gives him an edge whereas his form depicts a sorry state. In a must win game, giving a nod to a newcomer may bolster his confidence but still be risky.

Moving on, after Masood’s erratic performance in the first two contests, the southpaw Aslam was drafted into the squad. He baffled everyone with his fluent 82 in the first innings, followed by 70 in the second. In fact, had he not displayed commanding show, Pakistan wouldn’t even have put up a good fight.

Azhar Ali, Pakistan’s regular No. 3 batsman, hasn’t had a good start to the series but quashed all his critics with his magnificent hundred in the last match. He was composed, and exhibited skills and temperament required in the longest format.

Another veteran, who hasn’t come into his own, is Younis Khan. He has had starts but eventually failed to convert it into big scores. Given he is most experienced candidate in the squad makes him the vital cog in the wheel.

Middle order: And, at No. 5 comes captain Misbah, who took Pakistan to a famous victory at Lord’s. All the same, since then, he did manage to score two half-centuries but wasn’t enough for him to take his team over the line. Also read – Match Preview: England eye win over Pakistan in series of attrition

Another incredibly talented batsman Pakistan have at their disposal is Asad Shafiq. He stuck a brilliant 73 in the series opener and added 148 runs with Misbah for the fifth wicket, followed it up with a vital 49-run knock in the second innings. But he failed to continue his momentum and grabbed two ducks after that. No doubt he has an immaculate defence but has to raise the bar in the final Test.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfraz Ahmed, like most wicketkeeper-batsman, bats at No. 7. He has had a tough series, be it with the bat or behind the wickets. With a highest score of 46 in the series, he hasn’t done justice to his talent.

Bowlers: Mohammad Aamer rose from the ashes of fixing in the first match, proving how much cricket is still left in him. However, he failed to execute his skills when under fire. Rahat Ali, on the other hand, has been blowing hot and cold. When on song, he makes sure he takes crucial wickets. However, Wahab Riaz can still be brought back into the team, given that it was the same venue where he made a dream start to his Test career in 2010. Also read: James Vince, Gary Ballance & Alex Hales race against time

The right-arm medium Sohail Khan was the pick of the bowlers in the last match. He put England in a spot of bother with a stunning five-wicket haul, dismissing the likes of Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow.

The cynosure of Pakistan’s bowling attack, Yasir Shah, has been ineffective in the last two matches with his wily leg-cutters. Thus, the visitors would want him to emulate the magic he showed off in the first match.

Likely XI: Mohammad Hafeez/Iftikhar Ahmed, Sami Aslam, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq (c), Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Yasir Shah, Mohammad Aamer, Rahat Ali/Wahab Riaz, Sohail Khan

(Kaustubh S. Mayekar, a reporter at CricketCountry, played cricket at U-16 level. Like his idol Rahul Dravid, he often shadow-practises cricket shots. His Twitter handle is @kaumedy_)

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