England Vs Pakistan Betting Tips & Predictions
England Vs Pakistan - Third Test Tips
The third and final Test between Pakistan and England gets underway on Thursday with the series in the balance.
Having been crushed by an innings and 47-run victory in the first Test in Multan, the hosts hit back on a pitch that finally began to spin.
The two teams head to Rawalpindi for the decisive third Test and despite Pakistan’s best efforts, this might be a track better suited to the tourists.
Tip 1 - England to win @ 22/25
Huge fans, heaters and wind machines have been spotted around the pitch in Rawalpindi, as Pakistan try to dry the pitch as much as possible in order to help their spinners.
It seems unlikely that a strip, which is typically the flattest in world cricket, will turn anywhere near as much as the used wicket they used in Multan last time around.
The stats show that since Test cricket returned to the venue in 2019, spin bowlers have been costly - averaging nearly 50 runs per wicket.
Pakistan’s efforts to get some movement from the pitch may have come too late, with Ben Stokes and co. hopeful that their seamers can take advantage.
There have been 15 Test matches at this venue since 1993 and Pakistan have won just five of those matches and have won none of the last four five-day matches at this venue.
England won by 74 runs on their last visit to Rawalpindi in 2022 and they will feel they can deliver again this week to secure a series success.
Tip 2 - Ben Duckett - Top Run Scorer - England Innings 1 @ 15/4
If there were any doubts over Ben Duckett’s position as Test opener, his performances in Pakistan have certainly put those to rest.
The left-hander goes into the third Test having made a century (114) in the first innings of the second match in Multan.
That followed an 84 in the first Test, when he was hampered by a damaged thumb, having been struck by the ball while fielding at slip.
Not only is Duckett in top form, he will also have fond memories of his time in Rawalpindi, having been part of the England team that won there two years ago.
On that occasion, Duckett was one of four England batters to score a century, making 107 from just 110 balls.
Tip 3 - Shan Masood - Innings 1: Over 30.5 run @ evens
Pakistan scored over 550 runs in a losing effort in the 2022 clash, with three of their batters having tons next to their name.
They will hope at least one of their top-order will stand up this time out and skipper Shan Masood looks the most likely to deliver with the bat.
The Yorkshire batter, who comes in at three, made a half-century on this track against Bangladesh earlier this year.
On another pitch made for batting, in the first Test in Multan, the left-hander made 151 in the Pakistan first innings.
Pakistan vs England 2nd Test Predictions
A record-breaking display from England's batsmen set up a stunning win over Pakistan in the first Test and the tourists are favourites to take a 2-0 lead in the three-match series this week.
The second Test is being staged in Multan, the same venue where Joe Root's 262 and Harry Brook's 317 laid the foundation for England's victory by an innings and 47 runs.
It was a shocking turnaround for Pakistan, who had posted a competitive first-innings total of 556, and the hosts have responded by dropping ace batsman Babar Azam and star fast bowlers Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi for the rest of the series.
Tip 1 - Zak Crawley to score a half-century - Innings 1 @ 29/20
The record-breaking partnership of 454 between Root and Brook dominated England's innings of 823-7 declared in the first Test but opener Zak Crawley got the party started with a fluent 78 off 85 balls.
Despite missing the home series against Sri Lanka due to injury, Crawley looked in good rhythm in Multan, hitting 13 boundaries before clipping a catch to midwicket.
The right-hander also made a fast start to England's series in Pakistan in December 2022, when he scored 122 off 111 deliveries in the first Test in Rawalpindi.
He will want to improve his conversion rate in Test cricket, having racked up 16 half-centuries but only four tons in his 48-match career.
However, Crawley's career-best score of 267 came against Pakistan at the Rose Bowl in 2020 and he is well worth backing to make a first-innings half-century in the second Test.
Tip 2 - Pakistan opening partnership - Under 31.5 @ 4/5
While England's openers Crawley and Ben Duckett can be relied upon to keep the scoreboard ticking early in the innings, Pakistan look vulnerable against the new ball.
In the first innings of the first Test, Saim Ayub was caught behind off Gus Atkinson when the score was just eight and Chris Woakes bowled Abdullah Shafique with the first ball of Pakistan's second dig.
The hosts have had opening stands of nought, nought, three, five, nought, seven, eight and nought in their four Test matches this year so England should be confident of striking early in game two of the series.
Tip 3 - Agha Salman to be Pakistan top runscorer - Innings 1 @ 19/4
Pakistan have made the shock decision to drop superstar batsman Babar Azam after a run of 18 Test innings without a half-century.
And, given their vulnerability against the new ball, it may pay to back middle-order man Agha Salman to top-score in the home side's first innings.
Salman was outstanding in the first Test, making 104 not out in the first innings and top-scoring with 63 in Pakistan's second-innings total of 220.
He batted at number seven but can expect a promotion in a reshuffled batting unit and he came into the series in fine form after making 51, 49, 69 and 52 in his last four domestic 50-over matches.
The right-hander scored 54 and 47 not out in Pakistan's previous Test, against Bangladesh in August, and contributed a couple of breezy half-centuries during last winter's series in Australia.
Our Tips from the 1st Test
England announced the beginning of the new era under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes with a dominant whitewash win in a three-Test series in Pakistan two years ago and they will be hoping that they can repeat the trick again.
After a comfortable run of five wins and a defeat from the six Tests they have played at home this summer, England need to prove they are equally effective on their travels, particularly with the Ashes in Australia looming next year.
Pakistan, however, need to turn around a dismal run of form that has seen them win just three of their last 17 Tests, with the first game between the sides starting on Monday.
Tip 1 – England to win first Test @ Evens
England were dominant winners the last time they met Pakistan and there is little to suggest the visitors will not be able to win this first Test.
The hosts are on a terrible run of form. They have not won any of their last ten home Tests, with their last success coming in February 2021.
Zak Crawley and Ben Stokes are fit to play after missing the summer’s matches through injury and England appear to have unleashed some stars of the future in Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson.
Their batting line-up arrives in solid form, with Ben Duckett and Harry Brook, in particular, having starred of late, while there has been discontent behind the scenes for Pakistan.
Star man Babar Azam stepped down as white-ball captain this week and the Bangladesh team who beat them last time out were dismantled in a rain-shortened first Test by India.
The home side look as weak as they have been for a long time and England should be able to capitalise.
Tip 2 – Harry Brook top England first innings runscorer @ 15/4
Harry Brook made three centuries in three Tests on the 2022 tour of Pakistan and he looks a smart play to be England’s top runscorer in the first innings of the first Test.
After a solid if unspectacular series against Sri Lanka, the 25-year-old began to warm up in England’s one-day series against Australia.
Brook made knocks of 110 not out, 87 and 72 in the last three games and goes to Multan in good nick as a result.
Tip 3 – Mohammad Rizwan top Pakistan first innings runscorer @ 4/1
With Babar Azam having relinquished his role as white-ball captain this week, the favourite to be Pakistan’s top runscorer could well be distracted going into the opening Test.
As a result, it may be worth taking Mohammad Rizwan to be the home team’s top first innings runscorer.
The wicket-keeper made knocks of 171 not out, 51, 43 and 29 in their two-game series against Bangladesh and could star once more.n in this format have seen him record figures of 3/24 and 3/20.