England vs Pakistan, 2nd T20I: Preview, Dream11 and more
The first T20I between England and Pakistan at the Old Trafford ended in an unfortunate manner after getting washed out. England Opener Tom Banton's blistering 42-ball 71 went in vain as only 16.1 overs were bowled in the series opener. Now, the second T20I at the same venue could decide the fate of the three-match T20I series. Here is the match preview.
The Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester will host the second T20I on August 30. The play is set to commence at 6:45 PM IST. On Manchester's surface, the batsmen are able to play on the up. Notably, in the first T20I, the wicket assisted spinners more. One can watch the match live on Sony Network, while live streaming is also available on SonyLIV app.
Yet again, all eyes will be on Tom Banton, who single-handedly kept the scoreboard ticking for the hosts in the first T20I. Although the first half of his innings was deemed sluggish, he took off after leg-spinner Shadab Khan was introduced following the powerplay. Besides, skipper Eoin Morgan wouldn't want to tinker with the playing XI after mere a solitary rain-curtailed fixture.
It is interesting to note that the Pakistan fast bowlers including Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir and Haris Rauf remained wicketless in the first T20I. Spinners Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan took two wickets apiece, while Iftikhar Ahmed scalped one. Meanwhile, the batting line-up is yet to be tested against the England bowling attack and hence will not be altered much for the second T20I.
Pakistan batsman Babar Azam (1,471) is 29 runs away from completing 1,500 runs in T20 Internationals. Veteran all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez (1,992) also needs another eight runs to touch the 2000-run mark in the format. In the bowling segment, Imad Wasim (4) requires three more wickets to become the leading wicket-taker at Old Trafford. The tally is currently lead by Stuart Broad (6).
Wicket-keeper: Jonny Bairstow. Batsmen: Mohammad Hafeez, Babar Azam (C), Eoin Morgan, Tom Banton (VC). All-rounders: Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Moeen Ali. Bowlers: Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Afridi, Saqib Mahmood.
