With the ICC World Cup 2019 round the corner, both England and Pakistan are in their final round of preparations and will look to test their combinations when they clash against each other in the first of the five-match ODI series at the Kia Oval, London on May 8 (Wednesday).
Meanwhile, the last time Pakistan played at this very ground, they scripted a thumping win over India in the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017. However, things have changed a lot, and the Men in Greens are currently going through a poor run in the ODIs. Despite that, Sarfraz Ahmed & Co cannot be written off totally from the upcoming series. They have the firepower in the bowling ranks, and especially all eyes will be on Mohammad Amir who will be auditioning for a World Cup place.
England and Pakistan look to test combination ahead of the World Cup
The question lies with the batting order of Pakistan. Despite an experienced line-up, Pakistan’s batting has lacked firepower, particularly in the middle order. They have managed to post only five 300+ scores in the last 23 games out of which three were against Zimbabwe. They will have to pull their socks against the top-ranked ODI side ahead of the marquee event.
On the other hand, all eyes will be on the 24-year-old fast bowler, Jofra Archer. The upcoming five matches will set up his future for the forthcoming World Cup. On the batting front, they have a settled line-up and the management will look to give them as much practice as they can before the World Cup commences on May 30.
Date and Time: May 8, 2019 (Wednesday) from 5:30 PM IST, at The Kia Oval, London, England
Current Form
England: WLWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan: LLLLL
Weather Conditions
The temperatures will be on the lower side which could make the second half of this day-night game unpleasant for the spectators. Also, rain is in the forecast during the morning, clearing later, so there could well be a delayed start.
Pitch Conditions
The Oval has seen plenty of high-scoring ODIs over recent years although there might be something in it for the quicker bowlers after a period of mixed weather in England.
Predicted XI
England: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett, Jofra Archer
Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammad Hafeez, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Mohammed Amir, Shaheen Afridi
Statistical Preview
- Pakistan haven’t won a bilateral series against England since 2005 (although they did draw in England the following summer). They’ve lost their last four series, home and away, since 2010.
- However, Pakistan did win the one that really mattered. Their most recent encounter was at Cardiff in the Champions Trophy semi-final in 2017, when England lost by eight wickets.
- Although England’s winning run in bilateral ODI series came to an end with their recent draw in the Caribbean, they have not been beaten over a distance since January 2017.
Match Prediction
The first ODI will provide a perfect clash between the England batsmen and the Pakistan bowlers. However, it is the batting which put the visiting team behind in the race. England have won six of their last seven ODIs at The Oval and, despite a blip in the West Indies, where they drew 2-2 with the hosts, they are in likelihood will take a 1-0 lead in the tournament.