Pakistan vs. England, 3rd Test: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info, Preview
After the last-day drama at Abu Dhabi and the final-session theatrics of Dubai, the third Test of this gripping series between Pakistan and England has plenty to live up to!
But, given that England must win in order to salvage something from the series and Pakistan simply need to avoid defeat in order to win the series outright, the Sharjah crowd could be in for another nail-biter.
Let's take a look at how these two closely matched sides are shaping up ahead of this fascinating encounter.
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Date: Sunday, November 01, 2015
Time: 10 a.m. local (6 p.m. GMT)
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah, UAE
Live Stream and TV Info: Sky Sports (UK), PTV (Pakistan), SuperSport(South Africa), Ten Sports (Bangladesh), NowTV (UK Streaming Service)
Weather: Scorchio! According to the BBC's weather department, it would be wise to bring your sun cream for the duration of the match.
The Story So Far
It's been a showcase of Test cricket's pros and cons with two, at times, stamina-sapping games of cricket—for both players and spectators alike—until each contest surprisingly exploded into life at the end.
Firstly Abu Dhabi, where a pancake-flat wicket produced four fairly dull days of action before a chaotic Pakistan collapse on day five almost handed England victory only for bad light to controversially intervene.
Then in Dubai, things were tight until Wahab Riaz's fiery spell on the morning of day three set his country on course for a seemingly straightforward win.
However, a heroic rearguard action from England's tail and Adil Rashid in particular, almost stole a draw until Pakistan picked off the last wicket to secure the win with just 6.3 overs remaining.
And now, everyone's attention turns to Sharjah for the final encounter of this series.
Can Pakistan Win Their Third Consecutive Test Series?
Well, as England have found out, Pakistan are a formidable opponent in UAE conditions, as they have lost just three of the 20 Tests they've contested.
And in Sharjah, they will be looking to repeat the almost blueprint-like victory they secured in Dubai.
Namely, win the toss, bat first and score a decent number of runs, thus piling the pressure on the opposition which has to bat last on a most likely deteriorating track.
But to do this you need to have an attack capable of taking 20 wickets, which, with the likes of Wahab Riaz and Yasir Shah in the ranks, Pakistan certainly has.
And a ultra-strong middle order, built on the relentless Younis Khan, who averages over 54, and Misbah-Ul-Haq, who, at the age of 41, seems to be getting better and better, isn't too bad either.
However, they will have to make changes in Sharjah.
Imran Khan, who has taken six wickets across the two Tests, has injured his hand, according to Umar Farooq of ESPN Cricinfo, and seems set to be replaced by left-arm paceman Rahat Ali.
The struggling Shan Masood may find himself carrying the drinks if Azhar Ali, who has scored 542 runs in the current calendar year, passes a fitness test.
Given that they can no longer lose the series, with the pressure somewhat off, Pakistan could play a more expansive game than the previous two Tests, making for compulsive viewing.
How Can England Save A Draw?
Win the toss?
That would certainly help but, on a more controllable level, they need to find a way of stopping the aforementioned run machines, Misbah and Younis, and score some runs of their own.
So far, only Alastair Cook and Joe Root have really got to grips with the conditions of 338 and 277 runs, respectively, while the rest of side have struggled.
Another area of worry is the economy of their spinners with Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali going at over 4.3 runs per over compared to Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babar's combined economy rate of just over 2.3 runs per over.
One thing's for sure, expect a different England lineup this time around.
Mark Wood has already been ruled out through injury, meaning Liam Plunkett, Chris Jordan or even Samit Patel could add to their collection of Test caps. Michael Vaughan shared his thoughts on a third-test team lineup:
The out-of-form Jos Buttler seems set to be replaced by Jonny Bairstow behind the stumps, allowing James Taylor, an excellent player of spin, to come in and stiffen up the top six.
But really, England just have to remember that, as per Abu Dhabi, there isn't much between the sides, and with a little bit of luck they have a chance.
The Venue
Sharjah is the UAE's third major cricket venue and has hosted seven Test matches since being deemed fit to host international cricket.
Interestingly, Pakistan have lost three Tests in the UAE since it became their adopted home ground in 2010, and all three have been here.
As reported by ESPN Cricinfo, Waqar Younis had this to say about the possible surface that lies in store:
"In Sharjah there is some spin and reverse swing but traditionally it's a flat pitch. What I have heard is that they have changed the soil so let's see, but we have to keep our strategy intact."
Sounds very similar to Abu Dhabi and Dubai right? So don't expect any three-day roller-coaster rides, as per this summer's Ashes.
Squads
Pakistan
Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Shan Masood, Mohammad Hafeez, Fawad Alam, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Azhar Ali, Yasir Shah, Zulfiqar Babar, Wahab Riaz, Imran Khan, Rahat Ali, Junaid Khan, Bilal Asif
England
Alastair Cook (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Samit Patel, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, James Taylor, Mark Wood
Key Players
Pakistan
While Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babar get plenty of attention, Wahab Riaz has arguably been the most devastating bowler in the series so far.
Bowling with controlled aggression and also finding reverse swing where most don't, the 30-year-old has already picked up eight wickets in the series.
But most impressive was Riaz's burst on the morning of Day 3 in Dubai where he ripped out three English batsmen in an explosive nine over burst to change the course of the game.
England
It's fair to say that Moeen Ali had a disappointing outing in Dubai, scoring just one run in each innings and returning four for an expensive 168 from only 36 overs.
While there was some talk that the all-rounder could be replaced by Alex Hales at the top of the order, it seems likely he'll remain there for the rest of the series.
And the talented 28-year-old will be desperate to make a contribution in both disciplines to firstly, help his side square the series and, secondly, to ensure he is on the plane for the trip to South Africa in a few weeks' time.
Who Will Win
With England having nothing to lose, an exciting Test should be in store, but the odds just seem stacked against them.
Yes, Alastair Cook and Joe Root have seamlessly adapted to the testing UAE conditions and Jimmy Anderson remains a threat with the new ball. But who else is capable of winning a game?
Throw in Pakistan's balanced bowling attack, vastly experienced middle order and almost total comfort in the conditions and it would be no surprise to see Misbah's men claiming a 2-0 series win.
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